Roy Conacher

The 1998 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies included Roy Conacher, who maybe now will finally get some recognition as a great player in his own right.

Despite his own athletic achievements, Roy Conacher has always been best known as the younger brother of fellow Hockey Hall of Famers Charlie and Lionel. Charlie was probably the best hockey player while Lionel was named Canada's male athlete of the half century in 1950 as he also starred in the Canadian Football League, minor league baseball, lacrosse, boxing and wrestling.

Roy Conacher entered the NHL in 1938-39 and immediately made an impact. As a rookie he led the entire NHL in goals with 26 and also helped his Boston Bruins capture the Stanley Cup. Conacher would help to duplicate the Beantown Cup Championship again in 1941 but then saw his career put on hold due to World War II.

Conacher enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was stationed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and later Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for a total of 3 years. He played a total of 27 senior games as an amateur in that time, scoring 23 goals in a fairly competitive league which featured other pro-hockey players who were also stationed in the area for military service.

Following the end of the war Conacher returned to Boston but only played in 4 games in 1945-46. The following season he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings where he scored a career high 30 goals and 54 points. However a contract dispute saw Roy on his way out again, this time to the Chicago Blackhawks (he was initially traded to the New York Americans but refused to go to the Big Apple).

Conacher enjoyed 4 fine seasons with the Hawks, none finer than the 1948-49 campaign when he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer. Though he was teamed with Doug Bentley and Bill Mosienko, the Hawks failed to make the playoffs yet again. During his entire tenure with the Hawks, the team was the cellar dwellars of the league.

Roy Conacher comes from one of Canada's top athletic families. Roy's nephews Peter and Brian also saw time in the NHL. Though he is not as famous as brothers Charlie and Lionel, he, too, is one of hockey's all time greats.

Conacher retired in 1951 with 226 career goals, one more than big brother Charlie.