tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283016332024-03-13T12:46:59.099-07:00International Hockey LegendsInternational Hockey LegendsJoe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.comBlogger237125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-73075427865427488452017-09-01T13:10:00.001-07:002022-10-30T14:54:56.548-07:00International Hockey Legends<table border="0" style="width: 364px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="184"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Australia</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/dave-cunningham.html">Dave Cunningham</a></span><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/russell-jones.html">Russell Jones</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Austria</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/del-st-john.html">Del St. John</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/dr-blake-watson.html">Dr. Blake Watson<br />
<br />
</a> <b>Canada</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/08/hank-akervall.html"><br /></a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/george-abel.html">George Abel</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/08/hank-akervall.html">Hank Akervall</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/moe-benoit.html">Moe Benoit</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/04/roger-bourbonnais.html">Roger Bourbonnais</a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/connie-broden.html">Connie Broden<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/sean-burke.html">Sean Burke<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/jack-cameron.html">Jack Cameron</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/11/billy-colvin.html">Billy Colvin</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2013/06/bill-dawe-passes-away.html">Bill Dawe</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/01/john-devaney.html">John Devaney</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/murray-dowey.html">Murray Dowey</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/05/frank-frederickson.html">Frank Frederickson</a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/12/chris-fridfinnson.html">Chris Fridfinnson</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/bill-gibson.html">Bill Gibson</a><a href="http://oilerslegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/dr-randy-gregg.html"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span>
Randy Gregg</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/12/chris-fridfinnson.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/wayne-gretzky.html">Wayne Gretzky</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/wally-halder.html">Wally Halder</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/wayne-gretzky.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/paul-henderson.html">Paul Henderson</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2017/09/boat-hurley-passes-away.html">Boat Hurley</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2017/08/fabian-joseph.html">Fabian Joseph</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2017/08/vaughn-karpan.html">Vaughn Karpan</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/mario-lemieux.html">Mario Lemieux</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://flameslegends.blogspot.ca/2012/11/chris-lindberg.html">Chris Lindberg</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/mario-lemieux.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/eric-lindros.html">Eric Lindros<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/barry-mackenzie.html">Barry MacKenzie</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/george-mara.html">George Mara</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/barry-mackenzie.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/smoke-eater-seth-martin.html">Seth Martin<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/mark-messier.html">Mark Messier</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/04/morris-mott.html">Morris Mott</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/mark-messier.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/dunc-munro.html">Dunc Munro</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/01/steve-nemeth.html">Steve Nemeth</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2017/08/adrien-plavsic.html">Adrien Plavsic</a><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/dunc-munro.html"><br /></a></span><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/dunc-munro.html">
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/hugh-plaxton.html">Hugh Plaxton<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/beattie-ramsay.html">Beattie Ramsay</a></span><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/ab-renaud.html">Ab Renaud</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/don-rope.html">Don Rope</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.ca/2017/08/brad-schlegel.html">Brad Schlegel</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.ca/2017/08/wally-schreiber.html">Wally Schreiber</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/reg-schroeter.html">Reg Schroeter</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://oilerslegends.blogspot.com/2013/01/gord-sherven.html">Gord Sherven</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/darryl-sly.html"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span>
Darryl Sly</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/beattie-ramsay.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/03/harry-moose-watson.html">Harry Watson</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/01/stelio-zupancich.html">Stelio Zupancich</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/03/harry-moose-watson.html"><br />
<br />
</a> <b>Czech Republic</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/07/jiri-bubla.html"><br />
Jiri Bubla</a></span><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/vlastimil-bubnik.html">Vlastimil Bubnik</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2012/05/josef-cerny-international-classics.html">Josef Cerny</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/07/jiri-bubla.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/jaroslav-drobny.html">Jaroslav Drobny</a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/12/jiri-dudacek.html">Jiri Dudacek<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/miroslav-dvorak.html">Miroslav Dvorak</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/karel-gut.html">Karel Gut</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/miroslav-dvorak.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://sabreslegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/dominik-hasek.html">Dominik Hasek</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/08/petr-hejma.html">Petr Hejma</a><a href="http://sabreslegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/dominik-hasek.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/01/milos-holan.html">Milos Holan<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/10/jiri-holecek.html">Jiri Holecek</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/jaroslav-holik.html"><br />
Jaroslav Holik</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/jiri-holik.html"><br />
Jiri Holik</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/08/martin-hostak.html">Martin Hostak</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/jiri-hrdina.html"><br />
Jiri Hrdina</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/08/martin-hostak.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/jaroslav-jirik.html">Jaroslav Jirik</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/stanislav-konopasek.html"><br />
Stanislav Konopasek</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/12/oldrich-machac.html">Oldrich Machac</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/jaroslav-jirik.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/10/vladimir-martinec.html">Vladimir Martinec</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/bohumil-modry.html"><br />
Bohumil Modry</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/10/eduard-novak.html">Eduard Novak</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/10/vladimir-martinec.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/10/jiri-novak.html">Jiri Novak<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/09/milan-novy.html">Milan Novy</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/pavel-patera.html">Pavel Patera</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/jan-peka.html"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span>
Jan Peka</a></span><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/12/frantisek-pospisil.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Frantisek Popisil</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/09/milan-novy.html"> </a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/robert-reichel.html">Robert Reichel</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2017/08/frantisek-sevcik-passes-away.html">Frantisek Sevcik</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/robert-reichel.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/10/bohuslav-stastny.html">Bohuslav Stastny </a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/jan-suchy.html">Jan Suchy<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/frantisek-tikal.html">Frantisek Tikal </a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/vladimir-zabrodsky.html">Vladimir Zabrodsky<br />
<br />
</a> <b>Finland<br />
</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/04/tony-arima.html">Tony Arima</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/matti-hagman.html"></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/matti-hagman.html">Matti Hagman</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/raimo-helminen.html"><br />
Raimo Helminen</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/matti-hagman.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/aarne-honkavaara.html">Aarne Honkavaara</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/01/arto-javanainen.html">Arto Javananian</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/08/erkki-laine.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span> Erkki Laine</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/aarne-honkavaara.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/pekka-rautakallio.html">Pekka Rautakallio<br />
</a><a href="http://nyrangerslegends.blogspot.com/2010/03/simo-saarinen.html">Simo Saarinen</a><br />
<br />
<b>France</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/07/philippe-bozon.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span></a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/04/pierre-allard.html">Pierre Allard</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/07/philippe-bozon.html"></a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/07/philippe-bozon.html">Philippe Bozon</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/pekka-rautakallio.html"> <br />
</a> <b>Germany<br />
</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/rudi-ball.html">Rudi Ball<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/karl-friesen.html">Karl Friesen</a> <br /></span><a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2022/10/lorenz-funk.html">Lorenz Funk Sr</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/08/petr-hejma.html">Petr Hejma</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/gustav-jaenecke.html">Gustav Jaenecke<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/udo-kiessling.html">Udo Kiessling </a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/erich-kuhnhackl.html">Erich Kuhnhackl<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/robert-mueller.html">Robert Mueller </a> <br />
<br />
<b>Great Britain<br />
</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/jimmy-foster-controversial-star-of-1936.html">Jimmy Foster</a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/01/tony-hand.html">Tony Hand</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2014/02/british-hockey-legend-pep-young-passes.html">Pep Young</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/01/tony-hand.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/chick-zamick.html">Chick Zimick<br />
</a><b><br />
Hungary<br />
</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/04/attila-ambrus.html">Attila Ambrus</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/bela-ordody.html">Bela Ordody</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/04/attila-ambrus.html"><br />
<br />
</a> <b>Israel</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/12/max-birbraer.html"><br />
Max Birbraer</a></span><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/04/attila-ambrus.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></a><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Italy</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/04/rino-alberton.html">Rino Alberton</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/12/mike-rosati.html">
Mike Rosati</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Latvia</span></b><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/helmut-balderis.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Helmut Balderis</span></a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/02/elmars-bauris.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elmars Bauris</span></a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/03/viktor-khatulev.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Viktor Khatulev </span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/02/harry-mellups.html">Harry Mellups</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/leonids-vedejs.html">Leonids Vedejs</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/harijs-vitolins.html">Harijs Vitolins</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/12/mike-rosati.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span></a><b>Norway<br />
</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/stephen-foyn.html">Stephen Foyn</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/04/espen-knutsen.html">Espen Knutsen</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/anders-myrvold.html">Anders Myrvold<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/02/bjorne-skaare.html">Bjorne Skaare<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/10/petter-thoresen.html">Petter Thoresen </a> </span></td> <td valign="top" width="166"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Poland<br />
</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/04/ralf-adamowski.html">Ralf Adamowski</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/wieslaw-jobczyk.html"></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/wieslaw-jobczyk.html">Wieslaw Jobczyk </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Romania</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/constantine-bazu-cantacuzino.html">Constantine Cantacuzino</a><br />
<br /><b>
Russia</b><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/venjamin-alexandrov.html">Venjamin Alexandrov</a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/alexander-almetov.html">Alexander Almetov</a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/vyacheslav-anisin.html">Vyacheslav Anisin<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/yevgeny-babich.html">Yevgeny Babich</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/12/sergei-babinov.html">Sergei Babinov</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/evgeny-belosheikin.html">Evgeny Belosheikin</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/06/viktor-blinov.html">Viktor Blinov</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/yuri-blinov.html">Yuri Blinov<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/09/vsevolod-bobrov.html">Vsevolod Bobrov</a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/alexander-bodunov.html">Alexander Bodunov<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/vyacheslav-bykov.html">Vyacheslav Bykov<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/03/nikolai-drozdetsky.html">Nikolai Drozdetsky</a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/02/viacheslav-fetisov.html">Viacheslav Fetisov</a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/anatoli-firsov.html">Anatoli Firsov<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/08/edward-ivanov.html">Edward Ivanov</a><br />
<a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2011/09/alexander-galimov-dies.html">Alexander Galimov</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/alexei-guryshev.html">Alexei Guryshev </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/02/alexei-kasatonov.html">Alexei Kasatonov</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/valeri-kharlamov.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Valeri Kharlamov</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/04/nikolai-khlystov.html">Nikolai Khlystov</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/vladimir-krutov.html">Vladimir Krutov </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/valentin-kuzin.html">Valentin Kuzin</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/viktor-kuzkin.html">Viktor Kuzkin</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2017/08/sergei-lantratov-passes-away.html">Sergei Lantratov</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/viktor-kuzkin.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/06/igor-larionov.html">Igor Larionov</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/konstantin-loktev.html"><br />
Konstantin Loktev</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/08/vladimir-lutchenko.html">Vladimir Lutchenko</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/06/igor-larionov.html"><br /></a></span><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/06/igor-larionov.html">
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/sergei-makarov.html">Sergei Makarov </a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/alexander-maltsev.html">Alexander Maltsev</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2017/08/nikolai-maslov-passes-away.html">Nikolai Maslov</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/alexander-maltsev.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/boris-mikhailov.html">Boris Mikhailov </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/02/grigory-mkrtychan.html">Grigori Mkrtychan</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.ca/2013/07/vladimir-myshkin.html">Vladimir Myshkin</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/victor-nechaev.html">Victor Nechaev<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/vladimir-petrov.html">Vladimir Petrov</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/12/stanislav-petukhov.html">Stanislav Petukhov</a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/sergei-priakhin.html">Sergei Priakhin</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/nikolai-puchkov.html">Nikolai Puchkov</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/sergei-priakhin.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/alexander-ragulin.html">Alexander Ragulin<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/anatoli-semenov.html">Anatoli Semenov </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/08/vladimir-shadrin.html">Vladimir Shadrin</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/sergei-shepelev.html">Sergei Shepelev</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/04/viktor-shuvalov.html">Viktor Shuvalov</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/sergei-shepelev.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/alexander-sidelnikov.html">Alexander Sidelnikov</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/04/genrikh-sidorenkov.html">Genrikh Sidorenkov</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/12/nikolai-sologubov.html">Nikolai Sologubov</a></span><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/07/sergei-svetlov.html">Sergei Svetlov</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/09/anatoli-tarasov.html">Anatoli Tarasov</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/ivan-tregubov.html">Ivan Tregubov</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/12/nikolai-sologubov.html"><br /></a></span><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/12/nikolai-sologubov.html">
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/07/vladislav-tretiak.html">Vladislav Tretiak</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/05/gennady-tsygankov.html">Gennady Tsygankov</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/alexander-uvarov.html"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span>
Alexander Uvarov</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/07/vladislav-tretiak.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/valeri-vasiliev.html">Valeri Vasiliev</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2013/08/vladimir-vikulov-passes-away-at-age-67.html">Vladimir Vikulov</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/08/alexander-yakushev.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alexander Yakushev</span></a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/08/viktor-zinger.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Viktor Zinger</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br />
Slovenia<br />
</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/04/janez-albreht.html">Janez Albreht</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/ernest-aljancic-sr.html"></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/ernest-aljancic-sr.html">Ernest Aljancic</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/vladimir-dzurilla.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/rudi-hiti.html"> Rudi Hiti</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/valeri-vasiliev.html"><br />
<br />
</a> <b>Slovakia</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/vladimir-dzurilla.html"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span></a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/01/jiri-bicek.html">Jiri Bicek</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/vladimir-dzurilla.html">Vladimir Dzurilla </a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/08/jozef-golonka.html"><br />
Jozef Golonka</a></span><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/07/igor-liba.html">Igor Liba</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/03/vaclav-nedomansky.html">Vaclav Nedomansky</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/ladislav-trojak.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span> Ladislav Trojak<br />
<br />
</a><b>Sweden</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/12/monte-afzelius.html"><br />
Monte Afzelius</a><b><br />
</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/lasse-bjorn.html">Lasse Bjorn</a><b><br />
</b> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/anders-eldebrink.html">Anders Eldebrink</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/09/leif-holmqvist.html"><br />
Leif Holmqvist</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/anders-eldebrink.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/01/tumba-johansson.html">Tumba Johansson</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/jorgen-jonsson.html"><br />
Jorgen Jonsson</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/kenny-jonsson.html"><br />
Kenny Jonsson</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/03/eje-lindstrom.html">Eje Lindstrom</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/01/tumba-johansson.html"> </a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/01/tumba-johansson.html"> </a> <a href="http://habslegends.blogspot.com/2007/06/mats-naslund.html">Mats Naslund</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2017/08/iihf-hall-of-famer-nils-nilsson-passes.html">Nils Nilsson</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/07/carl-goran-oberg.html">Carl-Goran Oberg</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/sigfrid-oberg.html">Sigfrid Oberg</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/borje-salming.html"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span>
Borje Salming<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/ulf-sterner.html">Ulf Sterner </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/roland-stoltz.html">Roland Stoltz</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/lennart-lill-strimma-svedberg.html">Lennart Svedberg </a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/12/einar-svensson.html">Einar Svensson </a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/12/hakan-wickberg.html"><br />
Hakan Wickberg</a><br />
<br />
<b>Switzerland<br />
</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/ferdinand-pic-cattini.html">Ferdinand Cattini</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/hans-joe-cattini.html">Hans Cattini</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/02/paul-dipietro.html">Paul Dipietro<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/pauli-jaks.html">Pauli Jaks</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2017/08/swiss-legend-robert-meier-passes-away.html">Robert Meier</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/gebi-poltera.html">Gebi Poltera</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/uli-poltera.html">Uli Poltera</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/pauli-jaks.html"><br /></a></span><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/pauli-jaks.html">
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/richard-bibi-torriani.html">Richard "Bibi" Torriani </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2014/01/hans-martin-trepp.html">Hans-Martin Trepp</a><br />
<br />
<b>USA</b><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/tony-amonte.html"><br />
Tony Amonte</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2009/04/hobey-baker.html">Hobey Baker</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/tony-amonte.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/dave-christian.html">Dave Christian</a></span><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/11/roger-christian.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Roger Christian</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/bill-cleary.html"> Bill Cleary</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/bob-cleary.html"><br />
Bob Cleary</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/jim-craig.html"><br />
Jim Craig</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/01/herb-drury.html">Herb Drury</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/mike-eruzione.html">Mike Eruzione<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/moose-goheen.html">Moose Goheen</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/01/willard-ikola.html">Willard Ikola</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/05/moose-goheen.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/03/steve-janaszak.html">Steve Janaszak </a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/mark-johnson.html">Mark Johnson </a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/ray-leblanc.html">Ray Leblanc </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/01/joe-linder.html">Joe Linder</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2017/08/tom-martin.html">Tom Martin</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/john-mayasich.html"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span> John Mayasich</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/11/jack-mccartan.html"><br />
Jack McCartan</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2013/12/weldy-olson.html">Weldy Olson</a><br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/winthrop-ding-palmer.html">Winthrop "Ding" Palmer </a> <br />
<a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/12/david-quinn.html">David Quinn<br />
</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/mike-richter.html">Mike Richter</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/12/andy-roach.html">Andy Roach</a> <a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/12/jim-sedin.html"><br />
Jim Sedin</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2012/01/frank-coddy-winters.html">Coddy Winters</a><br />
<a href="http://whalerslegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/scott-young.html">Scott Young</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2011/03/ken-yackel.html">Ken Yackel</a><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/10/eduard-novak.html"><br />
</a></span><a href="http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/10/eduard-novak.html"> </a> </span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-62486189168105026272017-08-07T14:00:00.001-07:002017-08-07T14:00:17.251-07:00Tom MartinTom “Red” Martin, a former U.S. Olympian and New England ice hockey legend who went on to excel both in the business world and in the game of life, passed away on Thursday, July 27, 2017, at the age of 79.
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<br />
Martin may be best known as a very successful businessman and philanthropist in the New England area, but in his youth sport was very important part of his life.<br />
<br />
A three-sport standout athlete at Cambridge High and Latin School, Martin went on to play both hockey and baseball at Boston College in the late 1950s and early 1960s.<br />
<br />
On the ice he was a two-time All-American defenseman earning MVP honors and scoring the winning goal in the 1961 Beanpot Tournament championship. He was named the winner of the Walter Brown Award as the top U.S.-born college hockey player in New England in his senior season.
<br />
<br />
On the baseball diamond, Martin was described as a steady left-handed first baseman and played on the Eagle teams that reached the College World Series in 1960 and 1961.<br />
<br />
He was later inducted into the BC Hall of Fame and his hockey jersey hangs in the rafters at BC’s Kelley Rink.<br />
<br />
After earning his bachelor’s degree in 1961, Martin joined the U.S. National hockey team and he went on to serve as assistant captain for the 1964 U.S. Olympic team that competed in Innsbruck, Austria. Of note, Martin was Herb Brooks' roommate. There was no Miracle on Ice in 1965 though, as the American team finished in 5th place.<br />
<br />
Following his hockey career, Martin spent five years as a CPA at Arthur Andersen & Co. in Boston before taking a job as a corporate controller at Cramer Electronics of Needham. He was subsequently promoted to national sales manager, and in 1979, after the company was acquired by Arrow Electronics, Martin took out a loan and purchased the company’s video operations division, which he renamed Cramer Productions.
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<br />Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-30944178789239834442017-08-04T15:51:00.005-07:002017-08-04T15:51:54.737-07:00Brad Schlegel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ml_5lg9igHE/WYPNKd-zfFI/AAAAAAABRaM/syoSA3VGo401q2fmL9Sc0ZwiGKFAd2ISQCLcBGAs/s1600/schlegel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="471" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ml_5lg9igHE/WYPNKd-zfFI/AAAAAAABRaM/syoSA3VGo401q2fmL9Sc0ZwiGKFAd2ISQCLcBGAs/s400/schlegel.jpg" width="313" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is Team Canada captain Brad Schlegel just moments after winning the silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville, France.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the defenseman does not look overly happy in that moment he can be forgiven. After all his team just lost a gold medal game. Hockey players tend to be like that, and it is understandable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two years later Schlegel went through the same story all over again, winning a silver medal at the Lillehammer Olympics in Norway. The photos look quite similar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many years later Schlegel looks at his collection of Olympic medals with great pride. They are the highlight of a career full of highlights, many of them with Team Canada.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brad Schlegel was a mainstay with the Canadian National Team since the 1988-89 season. The London Knights stayed committed to Dave King's Olympic vision for four straight years, forgoing opportunites to join the Washington Capitals who drafted him 144th overall in 1988.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 17px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">"It's taken a tremendous amount of dedication for Brad to make it to this game (the gold medal game)," said Dave King's assistant coach Wayne Fleming at the time "Sometimes six months with our program is too tough for some guys because of the travel and the schedule. But he epitomizes the Olympic program, the Olympic dream. I mean those two years right after the 1988 Olympics . . . nobody knows about you. You're like a shadow in the dark. But Brad h</span><span style="background-color: white;">as stuck with it and that says a lot about him."</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 17px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"He's not a flashy kind of player," insists Fleming. "He's the guy who settles us down in our end and keeps things steady. He never gets impatient."</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">"Four years ago, I really didn't think of the Olympics," said Schlegel</span><span style="background-color: white;">. "I was just trying to make the team. I just wanted to improve daily and see where that took me. Definitely, it's been worth all the hard work. The coaching has been excellent and playing against world-class competition has made me a better player."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Schlegel finally joined the Washington Capitals after the 1992 Olympics, but found himself buried on the depth chart. After playing sparingly, he welcomed a trade to the Calgary Flames, where Dave King was now coaching.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> 'I don't think I would have been buried in Washington, but I don't think I would have played that much there because they have probably the most talented defence in the league. If you are a sixth defenceman on that team, you aren't playing that much. That situation is behind me now and I haven't thought much about it.'</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Calgary had decent depth on their blue line, too, but Schlegel battled a groin injury and the always present lack-of-size issue</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Having King on his side was beneficial, though by no means something to be taken for granted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 17px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I think it is an advantage. You know what is expected. You don`t have to figure that out. You just have to go do it. That`s not always easy but at least it takes some of the guesswork out of it," said Schlegel of his relationship with King. "He expects a lot and that`s why it is not easy. You have to put your workboots on everyday and go do it."</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">It wasn't Schlegel's work ethic that kept him out of the Calgary line up. His lack of size may likely have played a role in his spot on the depth chart. He only played 26 games with the Flames in 1993-94.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Flames agreed to loan Schlegel back to the Canadian National Team, now coached by George Kingston, mid-season so he could participate in his second Olympics. The Flames needed to make a roster move as their defense corps were all coming off the injured list. With Schlegel the only rearguard on the list who did not need to pass waivers, he was likely to be demoted to the minor leagues. The Team Canada assignment came at an opportune time for all those involved.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I`m happy and excited. I`m looking forward to it. The first time I officially heard anything about it was after the New Jersey game Friday. They told me the Olympic team was interested and the Flames wanted to accommodate them. I had heard the rumors before that, but it all happened so quickly."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Schlegel never returned to the NHL. The next season he headed to Austria to play for a season before moving to Germany to play for more than a decade.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">"I really enjoyed the hockey over there. It's better hockey than you'd think," Schlegel said. "Hockey gave me the opportunity to see much of the world. I'm very grateful for that."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Gratitude is something that comes with age and experience. Schlegel always had it, along with other variables he always considered key to anyone's success.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">'If you don't set goals for yourself and work hard to achieve something that is important to you while you're young, you are missing a lot of opportunities,' Schlegel preached.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> 'To achieve the things you want to achieve there are three important things. The first is direction, then hard work and the third is dedication and courage.'</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After hockey Brad returned to his hometown of Kitchener, Ontario and worked in the family business his father established. Ronald Schlegel was a very successful business man and philanthropist in the area, making his fortune in senior housing development.</span></span>Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-42646919965198005322017-08-04T15:51:00.002-07:002017-08-04T15:51:14.861-07:00Vaughn Karpan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Vaughn Karpan was "the least talented player" to the Canadian national team for the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, as well as for five years with the Canadian National Team from 1983 to 1988.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Those are his words, not ours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I was, without a doubt, the least talented </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">player on both </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Olympic) teams, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">but I ran into a guy, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(head coach) Dave </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">King, who saw the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">strengths in my </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">game and I guess I </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">was smart enough </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">to figure out what </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">he wanted and it </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">was important </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">enough for me to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">be part of that team </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">that I did it."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">King liked the role Karpan filled so much that he became a regular with the team, playing in 224 official international games.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I was a penalty-killer and a checker, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">usually against one of the other team's </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">top two lines. That was my role and I </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">did it to the best of my ability," he said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I wasn't so impressed with myself to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">think that I was anything different than </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">what the coach thought, and that (playing </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">a role) is part of being on a team."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Canada did not win a medal in either of those Olympics. Karpan's proudest memento is the white cowboy hat he wore during the opening ceremonies in Calgary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"For me, the Olympics was about the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">journey there, not the two weeks there. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was surviving day to day, week to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">week over a period of three years and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">never having a guarantee. I just wasn't </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">one of those guys who could get comfortable. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Olympic movement was </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">typically a four- or eight-year process </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">to get to your moment in the Olympic </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Games."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Karpan was never drafted by a NHL team and never got an opportunity even to attend a training camp despite his Olympic reputation. </span></div>
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Though Karpan played briefly with the Brandon Wheat Kings and New Westminster Royals in junior hockey, his back ground was at the Canadian collegiate level which is not known for producing many future NHLers.</div>
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Karpan earned a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Manitoba while helping the Bisons win two Great Plains Conference championships</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Karpan </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">said he's owes a lot to his university </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">hockey days. The Bisons won </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">two Great Plains Conference championships </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">when he was there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Truthfully, I really wasn't going to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">have much of a career in hockey if I </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">hadn't gone to the U of M. I never would </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">have been a national team player," said Karpan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Wayne Fleming (former Bisons head </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">coach) deserves all the credit in the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">world. He was a guy that saw the positives </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">in me as a player and a person and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">gave me every opportunity to grow. It </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">was just a special time."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fleming, of course went on to be a big part of the national team program, too.</span></div>
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Karpan left the ice after the 1988 Olympics and settled in the Vancouver area. He served as a long time western scout for Winnipeg/Arizona and Montreal before joining the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights as Director of Player Personnel in 2016</div>
Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-12648767389120867932017-08-03T14:22:00.002-07:002017-08-03T14:22:09.936-07:00Wally Schreiber<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Few Canadian hockey players devoted themselves to Team Canada as completely as Wally Schreiber.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The three time Olympian may not rank high in the hierarchy of Canadian international hockey history. Paul Henderson, Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby probably have never even heard of him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">But in the 1990s Schreiber was a mainstay and in many ways the heart of the Canadian men's national team.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">But it was never easy for the small speedster from Edmonton. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The late bloomer only played one season of major junior hockey, scoring 56 goals and 124 points with the Regina Pats in 1981-82. That got him drafted by the Washington Capitals in the very late stages of the 1982 Entry Draft. 152nd overall, in the eighth round, to be exact.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Schreiber attended a couple of training camps but never signed with the NHL team. Instead he toiled in anonymity for four seasons as a leading scorer for the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 1986 Schreiber redirected his goals and committed to Dave King's Canadian National Team. With 40 goals in that 1986-87 season in international competition, Schreiber provided badly needed offense. He could skate with the best on the bigger ice surface, and his defensive game began rounding out under King.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Schreiber returned to the Nats the next season, with high hopes of Olympic glory on home ice. The 1988 Winter Olympics were held in Calgary, Alberta that year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">There was only one problem - the International Olympic Committee changed their rules to allow professionals to represent all nations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hockey fans would have to wait another decade before the National Hockey League allowed its best players all to represent their homelands. But Team Canada, looking to medal on home ice, forged alliances with NHL teams in hopes of landing some borrowed help. And they did, landing the likes of Jim Peplinski, Tim Watters and Steve Tambellini. The team also had Randy Gregg (wishing to return to the Olympics) and Andy Moog (NHL contract dispute) for the balance of the whole season.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">But that was tough on the National Team players who committed to the Olympic goal all season but always fearing they would get bumped by a big league loaner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"That's in the back of everybody's mind," Schreiber said. "I've been with the team for nearly two years and it certainly would hurt to be dropped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"The coach has explained the situation to us, that it could happen if somebody better comes along. He laid it down and we have to accept it. It's logical.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Nobody on this team would be ready for it, but it would have to be accepted as part of the game. I'm sure if it does happen there will be a few people really pissed off."</span></div>
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For Schreiber it ended up not being a concern. Though his offense shrank in that second season, he remained a vital part of Canada's offense, along with the likes of Brian Bradley, Marc Habscheid and Serge Boisvert.</div>
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In the end, Schreiber scored just once, and Canada, despite promise, finished out of the medals in fourth place.</div>
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Immediately after the Olympics Schreiber jumped to Minnesota North Stars and showed good promise with six goals and eleven points in sixteen games to end the NHL season. But he would have trouble sticking with the North Stars the next season, scoring just twice in 25 games. In the final year of his contract he badly injured his shoulder and only played in five games in the minor leagues. </div>
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With no NHL contract offers coming his way, Schreiber headed to Germany where he starred until the turn of the century. It was a good living, making significantly more money than he would in the minor leagues, tax free at that. The teams would often provide a house and car on top of it too. Eventually Schreiber became a German citizen and raised his kids there.</div>
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Throughout his European adventures, Schreiber always remained loyal to Team Canada. He played in the occasional games with the National Team when his schedule allowed, though surprisingly never got the chance to represent his country at a World Championship tournament.</div>
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But Schreiber did get the chance to return to two more Olympics, helping Canada win hard-fought silver medals in 1992 and 1994. </div>
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Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-16050994288573899052017-08-03T14:21:00.001-07:002017-08-04T15:50:55.196-07:00Adrien Plavsic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is Adrien Plavsic. He is like so many Canadians he is a first generation Canadian from immigrant parents who fell in love with the country and it's wintery game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plavsic was born in Montreal, but his parents came from a country that does not even exist anymore - Yugoslavia. He is three-quarters Croatian, though his last name is actually Serbian.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">His father, Branka, was a sailor who came to Canada in the 1960s. Wife Majda came soon after.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">After centuries of fighting, Yugoslavia fell apart in the 1990s. Though Adrien kept an eye on the developments of his parents homeland, he forever appreciated the sacrifices his parents made to give him a better future.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Adrien was unmistakably Canadian, and, like so many other Canadian kids, he grew up at the local rink chasing pucks and dreams. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Sure Plavsic enjoyed the family's traditional game of soccer as well - his uncle Drago Rora played for the Yugoslavian national soccer team - but hockey was Adrien's love. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plavsic was one of the rare Canadians to have his hockey dreams came true.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Those dreams included a scholarship education at the University of New Hampshire, though, much to his parents' concern, he left after just one season to pursue hockey goals. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">After being drafted 30th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1988 NHL draft, Plavsic decided to fast track his development as a prospect. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">"Getting drafted was one of the biggest thrills of my life," he said. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">"I always knew I wanted to play in the NHL and I finally saw my dream come true."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before he reached the big leagues he was recruited by Dave King to play for Canada's national team. <span style="background-color: transparent;">Plavsic, a powerful skater with strong instincts for the game, learned much about the defensive side of the game under King.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Playing for the national team was an excellent opportunity for me," he said. "I got to play top-quality hockey and, at the time, I thought it was the fastest route to the NHL."</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Plavsic joined the Blues' organization the next season, but never stuck. He would join the Vancouver Canucks by season's end and would play the bulk of his 214 NHL game career on the west coast.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plavsic would leave the Canucks and return to the Canadian national team for the 1991-92 season. He was seeking further development and ice time, as well an Olympic medal. Plavsic helped Canada win the silver medal at the 1992 games in Albertville. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"The Olympics really helped me gain my poise," he said. "I'm a lot more comfortable on the ice now. I really owe a lot to Dave King. He taught me a lot."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plavsic returned to the Canucks before embarking on a vagabond career that saw him play in Tampa and Anaheim before settling in Switzerland.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">You never know where life will take you. In Plavsic's case he played mostly in Zurich where he met the woman who would become his wife. He remains in Switzerland as a hockey coach but also shares his vast experiences as a life coach and integrative nutrition for people in and out of hockey.</span><br />
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Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-90529611436993902352017-08-03T14:08:00.002-07:002017-08-03T14:11:57.109-07:00Fabian Joseph<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fabian Joseph faced heart break and set backs, but he persevered with heart much bigger than his tiny size. He never fulfilled his dream of playing in the National Hockey League but probably wouldn't trade his 11 year career hockey career for anybody else's, either. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The undersized Joseph became the first Nova Scotian to represent Canada at the Olympic hockey tournament. He won silver in 1992 and in 1994 after being one of the final cuts for the 1988 team.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Joseph, the youngest of fourteen siblings, was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, but he travalled far away to play his junior hockey. He split three seasons between the Victoria Cougars of the Western Hockey League and Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey League. In total the scoring sensation had 292 points, including 126 goals, in 201 career games in major junior.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Victoria from the WHL took me, so did the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario League and the Quebec Remparts of the Q. I went to Victoria and had a real good first season, setting a rookie record with 42 goals and had some great teammates, guys like future NHLers brothers Russ and Geoff Courtnall."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A real big reason why Joseph went so far west as his youth hockey friend Jack MacKeigan was Victoria bound. When MacKeigan decided to switch to the OHL Marlies Joseph followed, too, though it was not easy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It might have been better to stay in Victoria because I knew the league, and I was one of the top scorers," he said. "Going to Toronto, everything was new and there was an adjustment factor. Also, it was one of my most difficult years injury wise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I always say it's not so much the injury, but the timing of the injury. I had my nose shattered at the Marlie training camp so I missed the Maple Leafs' camp later on. Then I got invited to the Team Canada world junior camp in December, but two weeks before it started, I sprained my ankle. For sure, it was one of the most disappointing times in my career. You always hear the story that if you play on the Canadian world junior team at Christmas time, you have to work your way off an NHL team in the future."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Regardless Joseph's junior resume was good enough to get Joseph drafted as a sixth-round pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1984 NHL draft. He never really came close to making the big leagues, but enjoyed many stops along the way in his hockey journey. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"After finishing my junior career, I had an opportunity to sign with Toronto or go with the national team program," he said. "I felt that I wasn't ready for the AHL (with Toronto's farm team). My game was speed and skill and I thought the best place for me to develop at that time was the national team program."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Joseph dedicated himself to the Canada's national team program in 1985-86 and 1986-87. But then he was dealt devastating news when he was released from the team before the 1988 Olympics in Calgary because the IOC changed the rules to allow NHL teams to lend players to national team rosters. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Joseph's tenure with the national team was broken up with stints in Italy and Switzerland, as well as a three year stint in the Edmonton Oilers organization. Though he never got a chance to play with Gretzky and the boys, he jumped at the opportunity to play with the Oilers farm team near his home in Nova Scotia.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Undeterred, he rejoined the national team program in 1991-92 and 1992-93 and experienced the ultimate thrill by suiting up in the 1992 and 1994 Olympics. He was Canada's captain when the country lost to Sweden in a shootout in the gold medal game in 1994.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Both were very special experiences. Being on the global stage and representing your country at the Olympics is truly an opportunity of a lifetime. I have so many great memories of my time with the Canadian national team. That was a very special time in my life."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"We were fortunate to get to the gold medal game in both Olympics, losing to Russia in 1992 and Sweden in 1994," he said. "We were very proud of the fact that we were ranked seventh going into both Olympics and we made it to the championship game in both of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"The 1994 Olympics was extra special for me because I had family there for it. My brother and his wife were there. My wife was also there and she was pregnant with our first child."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course those '94 Olympics ended in dramatic fashion as Sweden's Peter Forsberg ended the game with a memorable shoot out goal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Joseph's thoughts on the shootout are predictable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I can see games being decided in shootouts in the regular season, but you shouldn't win or lose a championship that way," he said. "I think if you asked all the players before the Olympics they would say they want to decide games as a team and not with an individual skills competition.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"It took me a long time to get over that, but it's like anything else in life. Time heals."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Playing for the National Team, even in non Olympic years, was very special to Joseph, too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Back then, it was amateur players in the Olympics and we had an ongoing national team based out of Calgary," he said. "We played 60 games per year. Probably 10 were in North America and the rest were in Europe so it was an extensive travel schedule.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I played over 200 games for the national team in my four years there. I was very fortunate to play in two Olympics. It was definitely the highlight of my career. I got the chance to develop as a player and see the world. I saw a lot of different cultures and had great experiences."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Joseph extended his career in the American Hockey League and International Hockey League, as well as playing seasons in Italy and Switzerland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He returned to the Canadian maritime provinces after retiring and coached at many levels of hockey, including major junior and university.</span></div>
Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-31715059590747447472014-06-07T22:43:00.001-07:002014-06-07T22:43:24.116-07:00Viktor Blinov<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ayXRn8d9XRU/U5P3waopftI/AAAAAAAAsHs/bEnCXwt2g94/s1600/blinov.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ayXRn8d9XRU/U5P3waopftI/AAAAAAAAsHs/bEnCXwt2g94/s1600/blinov.png" height="275" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 1968 Olympic gold medallists. Viktor Blinov is 2nd from the left in the front row.</td></tr>
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In 1968 one of the up and coming stars of Soviet hockey was a fellow named Viktor Blinov (not to be confused with Yuri Blinov). However that year the 23 year old Olympic star died during a training session.<br />
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Tass, the Soviet news agency, said "the hard shooting defenseman" fell while practicing with his club team, Moscow Spartak. He lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital where he died. It was later ruled to be a heart attack.<br />
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He played three seasons with the Soviet national team, scoring 10 goals in 32 games. Blinov starred at the 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics, where the Soviets won a gold medal.<br />
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An arena in his hometown of Omsk is named after him. The arena also hosts the Viktor Blinov Memorial Hockey Tournament.<br />
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<br />Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-78572678648483426292014-01-18T19:46:00.000-08:002014-01-18T19:46:48.158-08:00Pavel PateraA lot of people are making a big deal about old man Jaromir Jagr playing in his 5th Olympic Games at Sochi 2014. Sure, he is 41, but he is a true legendary superstar after all.<br />
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But did you know that Jagr isn't even the oldest player on the Czech Republic team? Both Martin Rucinsky and Pavel Patera are 42!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-upF28STHnRA/UttKAgA-yhI/AAAAAAAAquI/iqRMktbGlb8/s1600/patera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-upF28STHnRA/UttKAgA-yhI/AAAAAAAAquI/iqRMktbGlb8/s1600/patera.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a></div>
All three were members of the Czech Republic's 1998 gold medal team. Jagr and Rucinsky were regular NHLers. Patera didn't last nearly as long - playing just 32 games over two seasons, one with Dallas and one with Minnesota.<br />
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"There are a lot of mental obstacles for him," said Craig Button, then the Stars director of player personnel. "It takes time and you can't speed it up."<br />
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But the Stars scouting staff liked him a lot. They drafted him following the Olympics, thanks largely to the advice of former NHLer Jiri Hrdina.<br />
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"He's a quiet leader who scores the big goals," Hrdina said, who also acted as Patera's translator in Dallas. "He's a very skilled offensive player who sees the puck very well. His teammates will be surprised he finds them with his passes."
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The whole organization saw potential.<br />
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"He's not a dazzling player. He just makes smart plays," Stars chief amateur scout Tim Bernhardt said. "He has great knowledge of the game and the ability to read the ice. We see him as a third-line player, but maybe more if he can really adjust."
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He was talented enough to play many years in the NHL, but he did not make the adjustment to North American life very well, neither on and off the ice. On the ice Patera struggled with the heavy physical demands of the NHL regular season. He also played a foreign position defensively. In Czech hockey the center was expected to stay high, but in Dallas he was expected to be first in on the forecheck. Off the ice he struggled with the language.<br />
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"I'm getting a lot of help from the other players, but I feel I will be able to communicate in English with them in three or four months," Patera said at training camp. "Mike Keane has helped me the most. He just explains things, and talks slowly to me."
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After being a star in Europe, Patera really wanted to test his game in the best league in the world. Coach Ken Hitchcock gave him a vote of confidence early by playing him on a line with the great shooter Brett Hull.
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"I never dreamed I would be on a line with Brett Hull and Mike Keane," Patera said. "It didn't just happen that this team won the Stanley Cup. This is a team of great players, and I know it's going to be tough to crack the lineup. This is another challenge for me in my hockey life."
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"We're going to have to complement him with people who are able to read off of his vision," Hitchcock said. "If you just have grinders who don't read off his vision, then I think you're not going to accomplish the things you can with this player."
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But Patera never clicked with Hull, and never did find chemistry with anyone else. After 12 games and 1 goal, he left to finish the season back in the Czech league.<br />
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He came back to the NHL the following year, now with Minnesota thanks to an off-season trade. His stint in Minny wasn't much better - 20 games and one more goal, with the rest of the season spent in the minor leagues.<br />
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Pavel Patera headed back overseas after that. First he went to Russia to play in the KHL and then he returned home to play for many more seasons in his hometown of Kladno.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-77950127098743224202014-01-18T18:40:00.000-08:002014-01-18T18:40:15.213-08:00Stephen Foyn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Dta1gNi51A/Uts44WrFNmI/AAAAAAAAqt4/qLTBvo77VIY/s1600/stephenhoyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Dta1gNi51A/Uts44WrFNmI/AAAAAAAAqt4/qLTBvo77VIY/s1600/stephenhoyn.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
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This is Stephen Foyn, a Swedish born Norwegian hockey legend. In addition to starring with club team Sparta, Foyn played with Norway at the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Olympics as well as 3 World Championships.<br />
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Foyn scored 6 goals in 16 games at the various Olympics. Norway was never much of a hockey power, so it makes Foyn's goal against Canada in 1984 a real highlight. It was Norway's only goal in an 8-1 loss.<br />
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In fact, it was the last goal scored by Norway against Canada in the Olympics. In 30 years since, they have yet to score again.<br />
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Norway will try again on February 13th, 2014 in Sochi.<br />
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<br />Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-43747353282439048582014-01-12T19:56:00.002-08:002014-01-12T19:56:53.845-08:00Del St. JohnAdelbert St. John - Del to all who knew him - is a legend of hockey in Austria. Hey, what more can a kid from Pincher Creek, Alberta ever dream of?<br />
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Del was born in Pincher Creek (some sources say it was Westlock) on October 6th, 1931. He played junior hockey in Edmonton with Oil Kings and went on to a professional career in the minor league circuit for the 1953-54 season, bouncing around from places like Johnstown, Louisville, Toledo and Milwaukee.<br />
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The minor league life must not have been to the liking of the pint-sized St. John. There is no statistical record of him playing anywhere for the '54-55 season. Then in 1956 he headed overseas to embark on a long professional career before it was all that common for Canadians to do so.<br />
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The first three seasons he jumped around, trying out Britain then Holland then Italy. In 1960 he moved to Austria and he never left.<br />
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St. John played 20 more seasons in Austria, retiring in 1980 at the age of 49. Twice he represented Austria at the Olympics, and six times he led the nation at the World Championships (albeit it was at B and C pool levels).<br />
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Del St. John passed away at the age of 79 in Klagenfurt, Austria.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-13184563798601169712014-01-09T09:07:00.001-08:002014-01-09T09:10:41.671-08:00Anatoli Tarasov<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0BnoHjIZIc4/UF5jKo9ocwI/AAAAAAAAQlg/6-bzw4lIdn0/s1600/tarasov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0BnoHjIZIc4/UF5jKo9ocwI/AAAAAAAAQlg/6-bzw4lIdn0/s400/tarasov.jpg" height="296" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anatoli Vladimirovitch Tarasov is regarded as the architect of the Soviet Union's powerful hockey empire. Yet he alienated the Soviet hockey higher-ups enough to land him in hot water several times, including for the 1972 Summit Series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tarasov was a product of Soviet hockey himself. He was a workmanlike winger who was overshadowed by the flashy Vsevolod Bobrov. Tarasov lacked Bobrov's natural skill, but made up for with an incredible understanding of the game and a willingness to experiment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The two would continue their mostly friendly rivalry for years off the ice as well. Both became successful head coaches. Tarasov coached his country's national team to nine straight world amateur championships and three consecutive Olympic titles before he retired after his team's gold win at Sapporo in 1972. He was the undisputed king of Soviet hockey until he was abruptly unseated shortly after the 1972 Olympic win and shortly before the 1972 Summit Series showdown with the Canadians. He was replaced by Bobrov.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But why?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">According to Lawrence Martin's book The Red Machine, the final straw was a rivalry between Tarasov and the political bosses he answered to. Tarasov, with a history of insubordination if he felt it was beneficial for the team, clashed with the head of the Soviet Sports Committee, specifically a fellow named Mr. Pavlov, over money accepted from the Japanese. The Japanese offered Soviet players $200 a piece to play 2 exhibition games prior to the Olympics. This of course was very unacceptable in the Communist world and in the thinly veiled amateur sports world. Pavlov, who was closely monitored by the Kremlin, was furious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Following the Olympics Tarasov, and his national team assistant coach Arkady Chernyshov, asked for time off to rest from the </span>rigours<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of coaching. Pavlov agreed, but gave them both a permanent break. In essence they were fired from the national team. Tarasov was replaced by the skating legend Bobrov behind the bench.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Initially it looked like a bad move for the Soviets. Bobrov led them to the silver medal in the World Championships. For most nations that would be a major accomplishment but that marked the first time the Soviets had finished without the gold in a decade. To make matters worse key players Anatoli Firsov and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Vitaly Davydov protested by not playing for the national team.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bobrov ultimately wouldn't last long. He relaxed the stringent and rigid game Tarasov had preached and was so successful with. The players quickly grew to appreciate the freedom and responsibility, and it showed in the performance at the 1972 Summit Series. However the political bosses would favour a young up and coming coach named Viktor Tikhonov.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tarasov seemingly disappeared from hockey after his dismissal. He continued to coach the Red Army club team until 1974 and supervised the Soviet Gold Puck tournament for boys. More than 1,000,000 youngsters were registered for the various youth competitions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tarasov also travelled the world attending seminars and making personal appearances. In 1987 he served as a coaching consultant to the NHL's Vancouver Canucks during training camp.</span></div>
Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-63208088632587968012014-01-06T19:49:00.000-08:002014-01-06T19:49:59.887-08:00Ferdinand "Pic" Cattini<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UZAbBnvcbHo/Ust3spcLtmI/AAAAAAAAqjU/f0yb_chdDEw/s1600/cattini2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UZAbBnvcbHo/Ust3spcLtmI/AAAAAAAAqjU/f0yb_chdDEw/s1600/cattini2.jpg" height="200" width="163" /></a></div>
This is Ferdinand "Pic" Cattini. He teamed with his brother Hans "Joe" Cattini and Swiss hockey legend Bibi Torriani to lead HC Davos and the Swiss national team for the better part of the 1930s and 1940s.<br />
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Pic, considered to be the most personable of the three, was said to be an elegant player with great anticipation for the game. He and his brother were considered to be the most "Canadian" styled players in Europe in these early days.<br />
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Pic scored 87 goals in 107 games with the national team. The brothers' greatest accomplishments was helping Switzerland win gold at the home Olympics in St. Moritz in 1948.<br />
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The Cattini brothers were electricians by trade. Pic later operated a hotel in Davos, but died at the age of 52 in 1969.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-15985574238494775262014-01-06T19:39:00.001-08:002014-01-06T19:39:53.848-08:00Hans "Joe" Cattini<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fGGY2niQxRc/Ust1HhUrqtI/AAAAAAAAqjI/aWo7Iu3EI2w/s1600/cattini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fGGY2niQxRc/Ust1HhUrqtI/AAAAAAAAqjI/aWo7Iu3EI2w/s1600/cattini.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
This is Hans "Joe" Cattini. Together with brother Ferdinand (aka Pic) he formed a line with Bibi Torriani, generally regarded as the early legend of hockey in Switzerland. The trio led HC Davos to 18 league championships and the starring role on the national team.<br />
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"Joe," who doubled as an electrician, was the most underrated of the three. He did switch to defense towards the end of his career, dulling his statistical output. In 111 games with the national team he scored 54 goals.<br />
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Inducted to the IIHF hockey Hall of Fame in 1998, Cattini's greatest accomplishment was helping Switzerland capture the bronze medal at the home Olympics in St. Moritz in 1948.<br />
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The Cattini brothers were considered to be very "Canadian" in their style of hockey.<br />
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<br />Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-66383767963416880202014-01-06T19:20:00.001-08:002014-01-06T19:20:22.995-08:00Uli Poltera<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3C4DrGhAFYw/UstyQtaaieI/AAAAAAAAqi0/f__Hvm0tN2I/s1600/uli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3C4DrGhAFYw/UstyQtaaieI/AAAAAAAAqi0/f__Hvm0tN2I/s1600/uli.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ulrich "Uli" Poltera (sometimes known as Ueli) was the older brother of Geb Poltera and cousin of Hans-Martin Trepp. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The three grew up playing the game as a youngsters and went on to lead EHC Arosa to seven consecutive Swiss championships in the 1950s. he also was a mainstay on the Swiss national team, serving as captain at times and scoring 112 goals in 111 games.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hockey researcher Patrick Houda described Uli as an "u</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">npredictable player who caused a lot of trouble for opposing defensemen with his shifty moves and criss-crossing.|</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Uli Poltera passed away at a hospital in Chur, Switzerland on March 22, 1994.</span></div>
Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-31383769967688300412014-01-06T19:11:00.001-08:002014-01-06T19:11:49.691-08:00Hans-Martin Trepp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He was a hair dresser by trade but a sportsman by heart. Hans-Martin Trepp was said to be an excellent skier as well as a golfer and tennis player. But he was best known as a hockey player. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Born November 9, 1922 in Arosa, Switzerland, he grew up playing the game with cousins Gebi and Ueli Poltera. The trio would play together through childhood and as pros with EHC Arosa and of course on the national team. The trio led Arosa to seven consecutive league titles. Trepp represented Switzerland 94 times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An elegant and speedy skater and clever stickhandler, Trepp was a showman who, unlike his cousins, could be accused of playing too individually at times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hans-Martin Trepp died as a result of a skull fracture when he fell down from the stairs at his home. he passed on August 17, 1970.</span></div>
Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-5128029468034183972014-01-06T18:57:00.002-08:002014-01-06T18:57:31.880-08:00Gebi Poltera<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;">Gebhard "Gebi" Poltéra was b</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;">orn on December 14, 1923, in Arosa, Switzerland. He grew up by an outdoor rink where he learned the game alongside his brother Ueli and his cousin Hans-Martin Trepp. It was the beginning of a legendary line for EHC Arosa, a top team in Switzerland until the 1980s. And of course he was a mainstay on the national team.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;">The trio was the answer to the line of archrivals HC Davos with IIHF Hall of Famers Bibi Torriani and the Cattini brothers, Ferdinand and Hans. It was an epic though friendly rivalry. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;">Poltéra</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;"> debuted in the top league in 1939 as a 16-year-old and won seven consecutive championships (1951-1957) with EHC Arosa. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;">Poltéra had 108 international appearances and scored 98 goals. He played in two Olympic Games and six World Championships. His résumé includes a bronze medal at the 1948 Olympics on home ice in St. Moritz. He also won bronze in three World Championships.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;">Poltéra</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;"> played until 1965 when a wrist injury forced him off the ice. He briefly tried coaching before starting a successful career as an interior decorator. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #474747; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span>Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-87615150843254824372014-01-06T13:48:00.001-08:002014-01-06T13:48:13.851-08:00Karel GutKarel Gut passed away today, January 6th, 2014. He was 86.<br />
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Gut was an offensively talented defenseman who was voted as the best defenseman at the 1955 World Championships. Often paired with Frantisek Tikal, he was a mainstay on the Czechoslovakian national team throughout the 1950s. He represented his country in 114 matches (scoring 34 goals) and served as team captain from 1952-1960.<br />
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Gut was better known to western audiences as a very successful national team coach from 1973 through 1979, winning world titles in 1976 and '77 and a silver medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.<br />
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Gut is a member of both the Czech and IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-13506972986710717092014-01-04T00:42:00.001-08:002014-01-04T10:02:56.128-08:00Constantine "Bazu" CantacuzinoRomania is not exactly known as a hockey power, but they do have a long albeit thin history with the game.<br />
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And if early pioneer Constantine "Bazu" Cantacuzino does not top the list of greatest players, he certainly tops the list of most fascinating life story.<br />
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Cantacuzino played from 1928 through to World War II. He was described as a swift skater, crafty stickhandler and intelligent attacker. He led the Romanians through five World Championship tournaments.<br />
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But off the ice is where his story turns really amazing. He was described as a real-life playboy. He was the kind of guy they would have to get Leonardo Dicaprio to act as if they ever made a movie about him. And the really could.<br />
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Cantacuzino came from one of Romania's wealthiest families, but he had equal abundance of charm and personality as he had riches. People loved him and his amazing stunts. He was adored as a race car/bike driver and as airplane stuntman.<br />
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His ability to manoeuvre an airplane made him one of the most decorated Romanian pilots during World War II. He is said to have shot down more enemy planes than any other pilot in the Romanian Air Force. He is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantin_Cantacuzino_(aviator)">more celebrated in Romania as an aviator and war hero</a> than as a hockey player.<br />
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Of course the fall out to World War II was not good to Romania and in particular to Cantacuzino. The country was soon to fall under the oppressive control of communist Soviet Union. Cantacuzino fled to Spain, leaving all his land and riches behind. He remarried - to actress Nadia Gray - and secured enough to buy a plane and earn a reasonable living as a stunt pilot.<br />
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Constantine Cantacuzino passed away in Madrid in 1958. He was just 52 years old.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-49183340878681547112014-01-04T00:23:00.000-08:002014-01-04T00:23:03.879-08:00Sigfrid Oberg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the earliest Swedish hockey sensations this fellow: Sigfrid Oberg of Stockholm. But he was far from your stereotypical Swede.<br />
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"Sigge" was a fan favorite who played his entire career (1925-1939) with Hammarby IF, winning four Swedish championship titles. He was known for his physical play. He loved to bowl over an opponent to take the puck or attempt to carry the puck right through the defender. With his speed and size he was able to catch many opponents by surprise. He liked to shoot first and think later.<br />
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Oberg represented Sweden internationally 31 times, including at the 1928 Olympics where they won a silver medal.<br />
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Sadly this great sportsman met an early demise. In April of 1949 police found the body of 42 year old Oberg drowned in a possible suicide.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-13699042669147389022014-01-04T00:07:00.000-08:002014-01-04T00:07:16.759-08:00Roland Stoltz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sweden has produced some amazing defensemen over the years - from Borje Salming to Nicklas Lidstrom. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One name NHL fans likely will not recognize as another great Swedish defender is that of Roland Stoltz. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The 6'2" 190lb native of Stockholm paired with Lasse Bjorn on the blue line to give Sweden a world class tandem in the late 1950s and much of the 1960s. They </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.984375px; text-align: justify;">dominated the Swedish Elite League with Djurgarden for the better part of both decades, leading the team to 9 Swedish championships. Stoltz was even named the player of the year in 1959.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.984375px; text-align: justify;">The duo also formed the foundation of the national team, twice becoming World Champions - once in 1957 and again in 1962. </span><span style="line-height: 20.984375px; text-align: justify;">Stoltz played in 199 international games but was at his best at the 1963 World Championships in Stockholm. Stoltz was named the tournament's best defenseman and helped Sweden win the silver medal. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20.984375px; text-align: justify;">Stoltz would also lead Sweden to a silver medal at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Austria.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20.984375px; text-align: justify;">Stoltz became a popular hockey broadcaster on Swedish television after his career as a player was over.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20.984375px; text-align: justify;">Roland Stoltz's career was recognized in 1999 by the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame.</span>Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-82212396499215094092014-01-03T23:45:00.000-08:002014-01-03T23:45:23.851-08:00Vlastimil Bubnik<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Vlastimil Bubnik was a two sport star. Not only is he a legend of Czech hockey, but he was also an excellent footballer. He represented the former Czechoslovakia in international soccer matches, including at the 1958 World Cup and the 1960 European championships.<br />
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But hockey was his main arena. In the 1960s he was one of the top players internationally. The IIHF Hall of Famer scored 121 goals in 127 international matches, winning 3 World Championship medals (2 silver and 1 bronze) and an Olympic bronze medal (in 1964). When he retired he was was the highest scoring player in hockey history at the Olympics.<br />
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Bubnik had quite the career at home, too, of course. The long time HC Kometa Brno captain led the way with 306 goals in 287 Czech Extraliga Games. In 12 seasons he helped Brno win 11 national championships!<br />
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Bubnik, who ended his career with 2 seasons in the city of Ostrava before 3 final seasons in Austria, was described as speedy forward whose trademark was his craftiness. He had a whole arsenal of tricks up his sleeve, leaving opposing goaltenders and defense with no idea what to expect on each rush.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-87832328864040399672014-01-03T14:53:00.001-08:002014-01-03T14:53:12.697-08:00Valentin Kuzin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the 1950s forward Valentin Kuzin was reported to be the fastest of the Soviet hockey players. With his tremendous speed he formed a dangerous line with Yuri Krylov and Aleksander Uvarov.<br />
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Kuzin represented the Soviet Union in 50 matches, scoring 27 goals. Assist statistics are all but non-existent in the Soviet Union for this time period but he was reported to have been an excellent playmaker and more of a passer than shooter. He was a part of the Soviets' 1956 Olympic that won gold in 1956, scoring a vital goal against Canada. He also participated in the 1954 and 1955 World Championships.<br />
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In league play he represented Moscow Dynamo in 255 league games, often as captain. He scored 156 goals.<br />
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Apparently Kuzin was quite the soccer player as well, excelling at that sport during the summer time.<br />
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Kuzin made his living making tools and was known for his excellent skate sharpening. He did many of his teammates sharpening duties when played.<br />
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Valentin Kuzin passed away in 1994. He was 67 years old.<br />
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<br />Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-81275910966607828982014-01-03T14:34:00.001-08:002014-01-03T14:34:44.625-08:00Leonids Vedejs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This happy fellow is Leonids Vedejs, an early hockey legend in Latvia. His story is quite a fascinating one to tell.<br />
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Leonids was born on October 12, 1908 in Latvia, then still an independent country. He grew up loving two things - his country and hockey.<br />
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He was good at hockey, too. He represented Latvia in 34 international matches, a record until modern times. A forward turned defenseman, in many of those games he was the playing coach. And in 1936 he represented Latvia at the Olympics not only as a hockey player but as the country's flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies.<br />
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Leonids hung up his skates during World War II and focused on coaching and building hockey in Latvia. But when the war was over the communist Soviets took control of his country, Leonids Vedejs fled.<br />
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After a brief period of time in Germany, Leonids ended up in the United States. He spent most of the rest of his life there, though he also lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for a while. In both countries he continued to teach young hockey players.<br />
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When Latvia regained independence in the 1990s Leonids was the number one supporter of Latvian hockey. He even supported the Latvian national women's hockey team financially.<br />
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Leonids Vedejs passed away on February 4th, 1995 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28301633.post-6071211055812815732014-01-03T10:12:00.000-08:002014-01-03T14:24:39.747-08:00Harijs VitolinsProbably not a lot of NHL fans know the name Harijs Violins. But for three generations now that has been the grand name of hockey in Latvia.<br />
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Lets go in reverse order. Some NHL fans may remember this hockey card. It came out in 1990 and the photo was taken from the 1989 Soviet club team tour of the NHL. Vitolins, centre for Dynamo Riga, is seen here lining up beside a member of the Minnesota North Stars.<br />
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In a couple of short years the Soviet Union collapsed and all their great players began getting full permission to pursue hockey careers in North America. Vitolins made the jump in 1992-93, though spent much of the season playing in Switzerland.<br />
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In 1993-94 Vitolins returned to North America. A draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets, Vitolins played a nice role on the Jets farm team in Moncton that season. He was rewarded for his strong play with a call up to the Jets. It lasted 8 games in which he never registered a point.<br />
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Though Vitolins showed good progress in the AHL and had his cup of coffee in the NHL, he opted to return to Europe after that season. He played out the rest of his hockey days in Switzerland. He finally retired in 2005.<br />
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Though he fell in love with Switzerland he never forgot his home country of Latvia. Seven times he represented the young country at the World championships, helping to cement the country's status in the A pool. The highlight of his national team career came in 2002 when he helped Latvia qualify for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. He proceeded to score 2 goals and 4 points in 4 Olympic games and also acted as the country's flag bearer.<br />
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Harijs Vitolins has returned to Latvia and is a coach nowadays. It seems only fitting as he is the third generation of Latvian hockey royalty.<br />
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Accounts are sketchy due to poor statistical record keeping, but his father, Harijs Vitolins II, had a brief career in Riga. But his grandfather, the original Harijs Vitolins, was the real hockey legend of Latvia.<br />
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Born in Riga in 1915, the elder Vitolins was a winger-turned-defenceman who was described as having "an excellent understanding of the game." He represented Latvia at the 1939 World Championships but never represented the Soviet Union internationally when they incorporated Latvia into their fold. Vitolins continued playing for Riga until 1956 and coached there until 1975!Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0