Winthrop "Ding" Palmer

Connecticut's Winthrop "Ding" Palmer was a top university hockey player at Yale who went on to lead the United States national team to unprecedented heights on the international hockey stage.

Palmer played at Yale from 1927-30 and remains the school's all time leading goal scorer with 87. 52 of those goals came in his sophomore season, when he averaged nearly 3 goals every game. In his most memorable game "Ding" scored 7 goals against the University of New Hampshire.

In three seasons playing at Yale, Palmer led the school to a 46-6-2 record.

The native of Warehouse Point, CT was actually a three sport athlete, also starring in football and captaining two tennis teams in high school.

After leaving Yale, Palmer and college friend John Bent played on the 1932 United States Olympic Team which earned a silver medal at Lake Placid. The American's lost the gold medal thanks to a tournament opening 2-1 loss against the heavily favoured Canadians.

A year later, Winthrop played on the 1933 National Team which won the World Championship at Prague. That championship was decided in the final game, again against Canada. The score was once again 2-1, but this time in favour of the United States.

Ding Palmer was among the inaugural inductees in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame when it was created in 1973.