Leo Gravelle

Leo Gravelle was nicknamed "The Gazelle" for good reason. Sure, it rhymed with his last name, but it was also a very telling tale of his speed. Hockey historian and author Stan Fischler once called him "one of the fastest - if not the fastest - skater in National Hockey League history."

His speed surely created a number of scoring opportunities, but Leo was also known for not being able to bury his opportunities. He only scored 44 goals in 223 games. His career was spread across parts of 5 seasons, only 2 of which was he a regular member. He played mostly with the Montreal Canadiens, with the final 18 games of his career spent in Detroit.

So besides his speed and catchy nickname, Gravelle was otherwise an undistinguished player.

There is one incident in November of 1949 that got Gravelle in the headlines. In a game in Chicago Stadium, teammate Ken Reardon got into it with a fan. Remember, in those days there was little or no glass to separate the players and the fans, and when Reardon had enough of this one particular heckler, he decided to carve the fan's face with his hockey stick. Soon quite a melee erupted, with Reardon, Billy Reay and Gravelle being the most upset. The trio were charged with assault by Chicago police at the end of the game. Black Hawk president Bill Tobin posted bonds to get the three out of jail. No other legal action was ever pursued.

After his days in the NHL, Gravelle settled in Ottawa where he played for the Senators of the Quebec Senior League.