Sugar Jim Henry

After Dave Kerr, one of the true Rangers greats, retired after the 1940-41 season, the Rangers needed a new goaler. They signed the acrobatic Jim Henry out of Western Canada. Universally known as "Sugar Jim" because of his childhood love of brown sugar, The proud Winnipeger was a star with the junior Brandon Elks and then the Allan Cup winning senior Regina Rangers.

The next season he made the jump to the Big Apple, and made quite the impression. He played all 48 games that season, winning a league high 29 games en route to leading the Rangers to first place.

Henry's career, like that of many NHLers, was put on hold due to World War II. He enlisted in the Canadian military and later transferred to the navy. Based in Canada, he continued to play hockey with the Allan Cup winning Ottawa Commandos in 1942-43, and later in Red Deer and Calgary.

Henry returned to the Rangers for 1945-46, but found the Rangers had secured the great Chuck Rayner while he was away. But coach Frank Boucher knew Henry was a good goalie too and kept Henry around. Boucher, years ahead of his time, formed the first two-goalie rotation in NHL history. Rayner and Henry, who quickly became best friends and later business partners, would alternate games and even periods, and reportedly would even alternate shift to shift on a few occasions.

The two-goalie system eventually proved cumbersome, and after four seasons with the Rangers, Boucher traded Henry to Chicago for Emile Francis and Alex Kaleta just prior to the 1948-49 season.

Henry toiled valiantly for the weak Blackhawks, but the most he could do was lift them out of the cellar. When the great Frank Brimsek became available to the Blackhawks, they bought him and Henry was demoted to Kansas City of the minor leagues. Brimsek couldn't lead the Blackhawks out of the doldrums either, so desperate for a quality netminder, Chicago made a big trade with Detroit involving Henry and others going to Detroit in exchange for Harry Lumley. Henry wasn't going to beat out Terry Sawchuk in Detroit by any means, so he was farmed out again, to the Indianapolis team of the USHL.

Unable to come to contract terms with Frank Brimsek's successor Jack Gelineau, the Boston Bruins bought Henry from Detroit just before the 1951-52 season. Henry almost never made it to Boston. Henry, in partnership with Rayner, opened a hunting and fishing camp in Kenora, Ontario. Henry was severely burned in a shed fire.

Lucky to be alive, Henry refused to listen to doctors who said he would never play goal again. The badly scarred goalie made it to Boston in time for NHL training camp, and would play the next 210 games in succession.

Henry had a fine first year, recording 7 shutouts and leading Boston to the playoffs, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in a memorable first round series. In those 1952 playoffs Henry is remembered in one of the most dramatic hockey photos of all time. The image showed Henry, right eye blackened, shaking hands in the ultimate sign of respect with Maurice "Rocket" Richard, the man who scored the over time winning goal in game seven.

Henry continued on in Boston with strong regular seasons, but he tended to get injured in the playoffs. In 1953 he hurt is ankle and was not able to play all games as the Bruins bowed to the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup final. In the 1955 playoffs Henry suffered a broken jaw, an injury which would force him to retire from the NHL.

He returned to Manitoba where he could live a life based around his love of fishing and hunting. He did don the pads on occasion for senior league games.

In 406 NHL games he recorded 27 shutouts, had a 2.87 career goals-against-average and was a Second Team All-Star in 1952-52. He passed away in 2004.

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Johnny Bucyk

Somehow Johnny Bucyk's legacy doesn't get the respect that it should. The holder of many Boston Bruins records should be remembered as one of hockey's greatest players. Unfortunately he is overshadowed by the following generation of flashier stars, namely Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Ray Bourque and Cam Neely.

Johnny grew up poor in the often bitterly cold city of Edmonton. His father died when Johnny was just 11, leaving his mother to raise the children in a meat wrapping factory that paid just 36 cents an hour. Johnny couldn't even afford his own pair of skates until the age of 13, helping to explain to his horrible skating. But Bucyk never let any of these obstacles stop him. Blessed with great size, hockey sense and athleticism, Bucyk willed himself to hockey stardom.

Johnny Bucyk started his pro career with his hometown Edmonton team of the Western Hockey League. After two seasons and setting scoring records, Bucyk graduated to the NHL joining the Detroit Red Wings in 1955. But Bucyk never found his way once with the Red Wings. The Wings of the 1950s were a Stanley Cup powerhouse featuring the likes of Gordie Howe, Red Kelly, Ted Lindsay and many more.

Two seasons later, in 1957, the Red Wings looked to return the one piece that they had previously let go - superstar goalie Terry Sawchuk. The Wings hoped bringing back Sawchuk could be the missing piece to trump the Montreal Canadiens, the team who had usurped the Wings as the class of the league. Boston's asking price - Johnny Bucyk.

Although Sawchuk was never as revered in Boston as he was in Detroit, being traded for perhaps the greatest goalie ever brought an obvious pressure placed on the young Bucyk. He did not disappoint, starring for the next 21 years for the B's and rewriting their record book en route to becoming one of their all time greats.

Given lots of ice time, Bucyk immediately stepped in and established himself as the star the Bruins had hoped for. Starring on the "Uke Line" with fellow Ukrainian-descent players Vic Stasiuk and Bronco Horvath, a former junior teammate. For six years their line was as good as any in the National Hockey League, however team success would not follow. The Bruins only made the playoffs twice.

The 1960s were a bad time for the Bruins, finishing last overall in 5 consecutive seasons. Bucyk, much like Marcel Dionne with the L.A. Kings in the 1980s, was the lone star but he could not carry the team on his back despite physically being the biggest player in the league. Yet "The Chief," as he was tagged due to his appearing to be more Native Canadian than Ukrainian, garnered respect around the league. Johnny toiled with some awful teams in Boston through the 1960s. He was almost the only bright spot on a team that lacked a supporting cast for their star. He average an impressive 20 goals a year during that time. In fact Bucyk scored 20 or more goals in 16 of 23 years in the NHL.

By the late 1960s the Bruins fortunes began to change. Captain Bucyk witnessed the arrival of superstars like Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Gerry Cheevers and a strong supporting cast. Despite being the old man on the team, Bucyk remained a top player. That's in spite of the fact he mostly played on what was considered to be the Bruin's second line. When he was teamed with Fred Stanfield and Johnnie MacKenzie, Bucyk was at his most dangerous. He scored 51 goals as a 35 year old in 1970-71. The Bruins finally emerged as the class of the league, winning Stanley Cup championships in 1970 and 1972.

Bucyk continued to play an important role until his retirement in 1978, tallying some of his most productive statistical seasons. Though he retired with 556 goals and 1369 points, then the 4th highest total of all time, it should be noted Bucyk was far more than finesse player. He was tough as nails and a heavy body checker especially noted his devastating hip checks. Despite his aggressive physical play, he was a clean player, as evidenced by his twice being twice named as the NHL's most gentlemanly player.

The long time Bruins captain retired as the Bruins all time leader in games played, goals and points. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981. Despite all the personal accolades, he always put his team first, perhaps in part explaining his less-than-deserved legacy.

"I've thought of myself as a spear-carrier, not a star, really. I'm not a glamour guy and I've just gone along getting what I could out of every game," said the two time all-star.

Though retired for 20 years, Bucyk still remains Boston's all-time leader in seasons (21), games (1,436), and goals (545). He was on hand to watch current captain Ray Bourque pass his previous marks for assists (794) and points (1,339) as a member of Boston's radio broadcast team. Bucyk is also active with the Bruins Alumni

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Herb Cain

Coaches love a player who practices as hard as he plays. Herb Cain was an enthusiastic and gifted skater who fits the previous description. However his energetic approach almost killed him in one infamous practice in 1939.

Montreal Maroons manager Tommy Gorman believed too many of his veterans were lugging the puck behind the net prior to the heading for the opposition's territory. Before a practice session, Gorman decided to block off the area behind the net by attaching a rope to the goal and extending it to each of the side boards. The players weren't allowed to skate behind their goal before starting a rush.

Herb Cain was the first player on the ice. Unfortunately for Cain, no one told him or his teammates that the obstructive barrier had been erected. In a typical and energetic fashion, Cain stepped on the ice and quickly was in full flight. He eyed a puck which happened to be sitting a few feet behind the rope. Herb was so focused on the puck he failed to notice the rope.

Cain was reportedly flying at about 20 miles per hour when he was clothes-lined by the rope. He quickly became entangled in the rope and with the moment behind him, began whirling upside down like a Ferris Wheel. He would eventually land on his back and was knocked unconscious.

As vicious as this incident was, Cain's injury was not serious.

Fortunately Cain had better times with the Maroons. With line-mates Bob Gracie and Gus Marker, Cain was the shining emerald of "The Green Line." The trio led the English Montrealers to the Stanley Cup in the spring of 1935.

In November of 1939 he was traded to Boston where he would emerge as one of hockey's top players. In 1943-44, while playing on a line with Bill Cowley and Art Jackson, set the NHL record for points in one season with 82. A very popular player with the Bruins fans, Cain's other big moment with the Bruins came in 1945-46 when he became just the 13th player in NHL history to score 200 goals in a career.

His departure from Boston left the bitterest of memories for Cain. Art Ross, the Bruins boss, decided Cain's career in the NHL was over. Though other teams inquired about his services, Ross was determined to bury Cain, a 2nd team all star just two years earlier, in the minor leagues.

Why? Turns out Cain held out for more money one year in Boston. Nowadays players withholding their services for more money is commonplace, but back then it simply was not done, and anyone who tried was punished. Cain was punished by being sent down to AHL Hershey with the condition that Hershey could not sell him to any NHL club.

The banishment was doubly embittering for Cain. In addition to the humiliation of being removed from the NHL, Cain would not be able to qualify for the new NHL pension. Some believe this punishment also kept him out of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He remains the only eligible former NHL scoring champion yet to be inducted into the the Hall.

"The NHL was like a little house league then," Cain told Brian McFarlane in the book The Bruins. "The six owners simply made up their own rules, called each other up and made deals, and settled things among themselves. They players had no clout, no say in anything."

In 1955 he was diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease, the same cancer that Mario Lemieux would make famous many decades later. Back then there was little hope of his survival, so Cain agreed to become the human guinea pig for a serum that had positive effects in animal testing. Miraculously Cain's health was restored and he lived for another thirty years, gaining employment with a sheet metal company.

Cain, who passed away in 1982, played in 570 NHL games and scored 206 goals and 400 points.

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Fern Flaman

"He's the toughest defenseman I ever played against."

That ringing endorsement came from no other than Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe. And he was talking about Ferny Flaman, the Scott Stevens of his day.

Flaman was a rugged, no-nonsense defenseman with the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs for 15 National Hockey League seasons. He scored just 34 career goals, but Flaman was known more for his vicious body checking, his aggressive play and his uncanny shot blocking ability.

Though known as the toughest defenseman in the league, Flaman did not necessarily want that advertised.

"I've got a wife and daughter to support," Flaman told reporter Herb Ralby back in 1948. "I can't have everybody in the league after me which is what happens to a player with that reputation."

After establishing himself as a feared enforcer, thanks largely to memorable battles with the Leafs' Bill Eznicki and Gus Mortson, Flaman never went looking for a fight, though he found more than a few anyways. He was always the first player to arrive on the scene should one of his teammates find themselves in any sort of peril.

Far more impressive than his fistic ability was his feared status in the bodychecking department. In addition to Howe, Jean Beliveau, the most imposing figure of his day, held a great respect for Flaman.

"Any other player I do not worry about," Beliveau told writer Jim Proudfoot. "But when I go near that fellow, believe me I look over my shoulder."

Proudfoot was one of the few and most prolific writers of his day, establishing his archives as window at generations gone by. About Flaman he wrote:

"When hockey players talk shop, they frequently discuss the matter of who is their toughest opponent. A note of something bordering on awe creeps into the conversation when the name Flaman comes up. It is not a question of fear, for Flaman is not a vicious player, but a question of knowing that Flaman can deal a devastating body check, that he is among the most competent of defencemen in the business, and that, if aroused, he is one of the most capable fisticuffers in the league."

Rushed into professional hockey due to shortages of players because of World War II, Flaman made the Bruins roster on a full time basis in 1947-48 after three seasons in the minors. Though he quickly established himself as a physical presence, it took Flaman a while to really evolve into a big league defender. After 3 full though relatively uneventful seasons with the Bruins, the B's traded him in to Toronto 14 games into the 1950-51 season.

It was a great move for Ferny as he realized his great potential that made him such a valuable commodity. By the end of his first year in Toronto he was a regular on a team that went on to win the Stanley Cup. For Flaman, it would be his only chance to sip champagne from Lord Stanley's Mug.

Flaman developed a reputation as one of the leagues most feared hitters and classic defensive blueliners while in Toronto. The Bruins had begun to realize that they made a mistake in letting Flaman get away, and on July 20, 1954 they traded Dave Creighton to Toronto to get him back.

It was perfect timing for the Bruins. In 1954-55 he was named to the NHL's second all star team, an honor he'd achieve again in 1957 and 1958. By the 1956-57 season he was named as the Bruins captain, a position he would keep until the end of 1961 when he retired from the NHL. Twice he led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup finals, though coming up short to Montreal both times.

Flaman had quit the NHL in 1961 but not hockey. Though he had trained himself for a career as electrician following his athletic career, he was not yet ready to give up the game he loved. He continued to play as a playing coach in the American Hockey League. Not only was he the team's best defenseman, but as coach he guided the Providence Reds to the league's best record in 1962-63.

Flaman would go onto be both a coach and general manager at the minor league level until 1970 when he became the head coach at Northeastern University. He was the US College coach of the year in 1982 and led his team to the Hockey East championship in 1989 - his final season as coach.

A year later in 1990 Flaman was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in the veterans category. Fern was added to the Hall not only for his fine play at the NHL level, but for his many contributions to the game throughout his whole life. Even today, at the age of 80, Flaman still does some scouting work for the New Jersey Devils.

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