Brent Gilchrist

Brent Gilchrist was a wonderfully versatile forward. He could play comfortably in all three forward spots. He was best utilized on a third unit checking line but he could easily be moved up to a scoring line in a pinch.

A prolific scorer in junior, Gilchrist was not much of a scorer in the big leagues. He did top 20 goals twice in his 15 NHL seasons. Otherwise he could be counted on to twist the twine 10 or so times a year. For a smaller player he had good balance and willingness to dart in and out of the dirty areas, but he simply was not a finisher.

Like so many graduates of the Montreal Canadiens development system of the 1980s and 1990s, Number 41 found a home in the NHL as a diligent defensive forward. A good skater, Gilchrist combined speed and agility with strong anticipation skills to become an effective penalty killer and shutdown winger.

Best known for his years in Montreal and Dallas, Gilchrist also played in Edmonton, Minnesota, Nashville, and Detroit. He won Stanley Cups in Montreal (1993) and Detroit (1998) but all but disappeared from the NHL in 1999 due to a groin injury that plagued him until he finally retired in 2003.

Read more...

Ian Cushenan

This is Ian "Crash" Cushenan, a tough as nails defenseman in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was generally a 5th or 6th defenseman, sometimes only playing the enforcer role when needed.

Cushenan played in a total of 129 NHL games, spread over 5 seasons. He never stayed in one place too long. He played with Chicago, Montreal, New York and Detroit in that time. He was part of Montreal's Stanley Cup championship team in 1959.

He scored just 3 goals and 11 assists in his career, and much to my surprise barely averaged a penalty minute a game - 134 in his career. I was surprised his PIMs were so low based on the following story written by Stan Fischler, the basis of my first impression of him:

"Montreal, February 28th, 1959. Rangers vs. Canadiens. John Hanna got a notion that Ralph Backstrom of Montreal kicked his skates from under him. When John landed atop Ralphie he thought it was as good a time as any to punish the Hab. Which he did, with assorted rights and lefts. But John didn't bargain for Jean Guy Talbot or, for that matter, the rest of the Canadiens who came tohis rescue. Once the Pier Sixer really started only Jacques Plante and Gump Worsley remained spectator players.

"As soon as the fighting really got hot, individual feuds were settled (or at least were tried to be settled.) "It seemed that all the Canadiens wanted to get a piece of Jim Bartlett," wrote Dink Carroll in the Montreal Gazette. "He was decked by Dickie Moore, Marcel Bonin and Ian Cushenan."

"After disposing of Bartlett, Cushanen challenged several Rangers and was particularly successful against Hanna. "If we had to pick a champion in this Battle Royal," Carroll continued, "it would have to be Cushanen who won several decisions once he got warmed up."

The fights never officially ended - they just petered out. "What probably stopped it," said Dink, "was that the "players were tired from throwing punches."

Cushenen stopped throwing punches for good in 1966, retiring as a minor leaguer. He later went on to teach graphic arts at Mohawk College in Brantford, Ontario.

Read more...

John MacDonald

Jack MacDonald was a star hockey player for years before the National Hockey League even existed. By the time the NHL officially formed, Jack was in the twilight of his career, and served primarily as a substitute with the Wanderers, Canadiens, Bulldogs and St. Pats. 

Prior to the birth of the NHL, there was the NHA. The National Hockey Association was essential the forerunner to the NHL. Jack was a star in the NHA, scoring 146 goals in 168 NHA games.  Jack was a powerful, high scoring left winger who held his own with such superstars as Joe Malone and Newsy Lalonde.

Had Jack had more success in the NHL, he would have been considered one of hockey's early greats. However, because he didn't, he has become more or less forgotten about.

Same goes for several NHA stars who peaked too early to have success once the NHL came along. But the NHA was essentially the NHL throughout the 1910s.. Therefore Jack and other NHA stars should be remembered for what they truly were - great hockey players.

Read more...

Brian Hayward

Before Brian Hayward embarked on his 11 year NHL career he played goal at Cornell University, the same school that Ken Dryden played at.

In his final year of college, 1981-82, he was selected to the ECAC First All-Star Team and the NCAA All-American squad. He graduated from Cornell with a degree in business management. He was however overlooked by NHL scouts and was never drafted. Immediately after leaving school he signed with the Winnipeg Jets as a free agent. The Jets realized that Hayward was something special.

Brian played in parts of 4 seasons with the Jets, the first two of which were split between the NHL and AHL. But by his third professional season, Brian posted a career-best 33 victories in 1984-85, a Winnipeg Jets record he still shares with Bob Essensa. Hayward also remains third in career games played (165) with the Jets and third in career wins (63) with Winnipeg.

Prior to the 1986-87 season, Brian was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for former playoff hero Steve Penney and Jan Ingman. In Montreal he formed an effective partnership with Patrick Roy. They shared the William M. Jennings Trophy (awarded to the team allowing the fewest goals during the regular season) for three consecutive seasons (1986-87 through 1988-89) and Brian led the NHL in goals-against average (2.81) in 1986-87. On two occasions Hayward won 20 or more games with Montreal, although Hayward was generally considered to be Roy's back up.

Early in the 1990-91 campaign, Brian was traded to Minnesota where he played one season with the North Stars before he was acquired by San Jose in the 1991 Dispersal Draft. Brian picked up the Sharks' first-ever victory in 1991-92 before missing 59 games with a back injury that year. While he was unable to play, Brian filled in as an analyst on Sharks TV and radio broadcasts. He played one more season with the Sharks before retiring due to his ailing back.

In San Jose Hayward had one of the NHL's most popular goalie masks. His mask featured shark teeth all around the cage so that it looked like his head was being eaten by the big beast.

In 357 regular season games, Brian has a career record of 143-156-37 with a 3.72 goals-against average and eight shutouts. In 37 playoff contests, he posted a record of 11-18-0 with a 3.46 goals-against average.

Read more...

Bunny Dame

Aurelia Napolean "Bunny" Dame has a very interesting name, albeit a name that time has forgotten. Let's see what we can find out about this former Montreal Canadiens forward.

The 5'9" 160lb winger played 34 games with the Habs in 1941-42, scoring 2 goals and 5 assists. He was signed as a war replacement before he too left hockey to join the military following his one season in Montreal. Hockey statistics can not place Dame anywhere in the 1942-43 or 1943-44 seasons, although he did get his amateur status reinstated in 1943. He definitely returned to Trail, BC, where he had previously played his amateur hockey. He resumed his job at the local smelter as his war placement, but his hockey career at this time is curious. The news archives suggest he was playing with the famed Smokies again in 1943 but there is no statistical proof. He only resurfaces in 1944-45 with a senior league team in Alberta called the Calgary Currie Army. Trail and this particular Calgary team were on-ice rivals and locals fondly remember their many battles.

Born and raised in Edmonton, Dame was a multi-sport star. His favorite sports were baseball and hockey, both of which he eagerly pursued when he relocated to the British Columbia Kootenay region in 1933. He would become a well known name in the competitive Kootenay fastball and senior hockey circuits. In hockey he starred with the the Rossland Miners and the famed Trail Smoke Eaters, winning the World Hockey Championship in 1939.

Following his placement in Calgary Dame never left the city. He played senior hockey with the Calgary Stampeders until 1950. Nicknamed for his speed, Bunny helped the Stamps challenge for the Allan Cup (Canada's amateur championship) three times, becoming the first Albertan team to win the title in 1946.

After leaving the ice in 1950 Dame earned a comfortable living working with Calgary Power. He retired from that job in 1977 following 32 years of service.

Bunny Dame died on April 14th, 2006. He was 92 years old.

Read more...