Part 3 in our three part series looking back at the ‘Did You Know’ facts on the backs of the 1955-56 Parkhurst NHL hockey cards. This article looks at cards numbered 51 through 79.
The other two parts can be found here:
Of course, images of both the fronts and backs of all these cards can be found here in our virtual collection (along with a video of all 79 cards): 1955-56 Parkhurst NHL.
1955-56 Parkhurst NHL ‘Did You Know’ Facts 51 to 79
51 Paul Meger
Ted Kennedy of Toronto Maple Leafs won the Bickell Memorial Cup last year.
Kennedy was also the first ever winner of the J.P. Bickell Memorial Award in 1952-53. Johnny Bower is the only three time winner. The Toronto Maple Leafs award is not awarded annually and was last given to Pat Quinn in 2002-03.
52 Gerry McNeil
Tony Leswick, Chicago, missed only 2 games in 10 years in the NHL comprising over 650 games.
Leswick would go on to play all 70 games with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1955-56 before spending 1956-57 in the WHL. He would return to the NHL for just 22 more games in 1957-58 with the Detroit Red Wings before finishing out his career back in the WHL. Tony missed a single game with the Rangers in 1946-47 and one more with the Rangers in 1949-50.
53 Jean-Guy Talbot RC
Bill Chadwick retired last year after 16 years as an NHL referee, the longest in NHL history.
Interestingly, Chadwick was the first referee to use hand signals during a game. The NHL officially adopted his system for the 1956-57 season. Bill was the first United States born referee in the National Hockey League. He was also the first U.S. born official to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1964).
54 Bob Turner RC
Doug Mohns of Boston Bruins says Lorne “Gump” Worsley is the toughest opposing goaltender.
At the time, Mohns had put in two seasons with the Bruins and Worsley had put in two years between the pipes with the Rangers. Both would become teammates many years later with the Minnesota North Stars from 1970-71 to 1972-73. Both were models of longevity with Doug Mohns playing until the end of the 1974-75 NHL season and Gump calling it quits after 1973-74.
55 Edward “Newsy” Lalonde
Ching Johnson, oldtime Ranger defense great, works for a big Washington construction firm.
Johnson played in the NHL from 1926-27 to 1937-38. His entire career was entirely with the Rangers, except for his final season when he played 35 games for the New York Americans. Ching was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958. Johnson spent the rest of his life in Silver Spring, Maryland and did, indeed, work construction in Washington, D.C.
56 Georges Vezina
Maurice Richard of Canadiens scored at least 1 goal a game for 9 straight games in 1945-46.
This was not a league record. Punch Broadbent of the Ottawa Senators scored in 16 straight games in 1921-22. That year, Broadbent scored 32 goals in 24 games. The longest streak in a playoff season is ten games by Reg Leach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975-76. The longest streak by a defenseman is eight games by Mike Green of the Washington Capitals in 2008-09.
57 Howie Morenz
The Lady Byng Trophy is awarded to NHL player showing sportsmanship, good conduct, and ability.
The Byng Trophy was first awarded for the 1924-25 season to Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators. Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers has won the trophy the most at seven times.
58 Aurel Joliat
Ted Kennedy of Toronto Maple Leafs is the owner of several thoroughbred racehorses.
Kennedy was involved with raising horses throughout his NHL career. He won awards at the Canadian National Exhibition and Royal Winter Fair after retiring from hockey. He was a steward with the Ontario Racing Commission from 1977 to 1985. In 1979, Teeder was involved in scratching Conn Smythe’s ‘Come Lucky Chance’ from the $100,000 Canadian Oaks.
59 George Hainsworth
Seattle was the first United States city to win Stanley Cup, 1917.
The Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA beat the Montreal Canadiens for the championship in 1916-17. It would be over a decade before an American team would win again. The New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1927-28 with a win over the Montreal Maroons.
60 Sylvio Mantha
The Vezina Trophy goes to the NHL goalie playing most games for team with least goals scored against it.
Originally, when the Vezina was first awarded for the 1926-27 NHL season, it went simply went to the best NHL goalie. From 1946-47 to 1981-82, it went to the goalie or goaltending duo that allowed the least number of goals during the regular season. Now, it is awarded to the goalie adjudged to be the best at this position. The William M. Jennings Trophy is now awarded based on the least goals against.
61 Albert “Battleship” Leduc
Goalie Jacques Plante of Canadiens knits his own undershirts.
He is perhaps more famous for knitting his own toques that he would wear during games. Of course, goalies didn’t wear helmets or any kind of mask in the day and arenas weren’t climate controlled like they are today. Plante wore his homemade toques to keep his head warm during play.
62 Albert “Babe” Siebert
John Henderson, Boston goalie, claims the biggest hands in the National Hockey League.
At 6’5″ and 210 lbs., it’s not surprising. That size might be normal in today’s NHL but in the 1950’s it was gigantic. Henderson’s NHL career was shortlived. He played in 45 games for the Boston Bruins in 1954-55 then just one more in 1955-56. John never appeared on a mainstream hockey card.
63 Bill Durnan RC
Longest overtime Stanley Cup game went 176 min., 30 sec., March 24, 1936, Montreal vs Detroit.
This record remains. The Detroit Red Wings won the game 1-0 over the Montreal Maroons. Mud Bruneteau scored the winning goal. Bruneteau was just in his first NHL season, called up to the Red Wings for the final 24 games of the regular season.
64 Ken Reardon RC
Tony Leswick of Detroit always puts vaseline on his face before the start of a game.
A trick from the day when hockey arenas were as cold as the ice they skated on. The Vaseline guarded his face from the cold.
65 Johnny Gagnon
Larry Hillman of Detroit is the youngest player in the NHL at 18 years of age.
Larry Hillman played seven games with the Red Wings in 1954-55 while still a junior with the Hamilton Tiger Cubs. Despite the mention, he did appear in this 1955-56 Parkhurst set. His rookie card shows up in the 1957-58 Topps set, after being traded to the Boston Bruins.
Larry played until the end of the 1975-76 season. That year, he played for the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association. He was the oldest player on that team, two years older than Bobby Hull.
66 Billy Reay
More NHL players are named Bill and Jim than any other first name.
In 2015-16, there isn’t a Bill or Jim among the top 200 scorers. Jimmy Hayes of the Boston Bruins is the first with the name Jim and he finished 244th in scoring in 2015-16.
67 Hector “Toe” Blake [Coach]
In 1929-30 Cooney Weiland of Boston set a record for centres by scoring 43 goals in 44 games.
Of course, Weiland led the NHL in goal scoring that season with two more than teammate Dit Clapper. He also tied for third with 30 assists and led the league with 73 points, an eleven point edge over Frank Boucher of the Rangers. Despite the numbers, Nels Stewart of the Montreal Maroons was awarded the Hart Trophy.
68 Frank Selke RC [General Manager]
Toronto was the only city with artificial ice when the NHL was formed in 1917.
In 1917-18, the Toronto St. Pats played out of the Arena Gardens. The venue opened in 1912 and was actually the third rink in Canada with artificial ice. Arena Gardens had a capacity, with standing room, of 7,500. The arena was demolished in 1989.
69 Hugh beats Hodge
Maurice Richard sent Queen Elizabeth the gold-encased puck with which he scored his 400th goal.
I think this might be a bit of misinformation. It is widely known that Rocket Richard sent a gold encased puck the Queen Elizabeth II. However, it was the puck that he scored his 325th goal with on November 8, 1952 to surpass Nels Stewart as the NHL’s all-time goal scoring leader. He would later meet the queen in 1959 on her visit to Canada.
70 Lum stops Boom Boom
The Stanley Cup was first won by the Montreal AAA in 1894.
In fact, Montreal AAA was awarded the Stanley Cup on March 17, 1893 as 1893 AHAC champions with no challengers for the trophy. They then beat Ottawa in March, 1894 to retain the Cup. AAA won the championship on four occasions, including 1902 and 1903. The team played home games at Victoria Skating Rink, the home of the first indoor organized hockey game (March 3, 1875).
71 Plante is protected
Rocket Richard scored his first NHL goal on November 8, 1942.
Richard played just 16 games for the Canadiens in 1942-43 and scored a very modest five goals. However, just two years later, he scored 50 goals in 50 games to become the first NHL player to reach that plateau. His goal on November 8, 1942 was the first of 544 in his Hockey Hall of Fame career.
72 Rocket roars through
In the 1955 playoff series between Montreal and Detroit, every game was won on home ice.
Detroit earned home ice advantage by finishing first overall during the regular season, two points ahead of the Habs. The Red Wings won the series in seven games. Despite how close the series was in games, not a single game needed overtime. In fact, each game was won by no less than a two goal margin.
73 Richard tests Lumley
Rocket Richard of Canadiens spent the summer refereeing wrestling in Quebec.
It’s true. He thought highly of the wrestlers. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, he says he often wrestled with Bernie Geoffrion off the ice.
74 Beliveau bats puck
Toronto Maple Leaf trainer Bill Smith carries a wishbone, horseshoe, and four leaf clover.
Smith was also the trainer for the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team.
75 Leaf speedsters attack
The Montreal Canadiens are the oldest club in professional hockey today.
The Canadiens were founded in 1909 and competed in the NHA from 1910-11 to 1916-17 before joining the newly formed National Hockey League in 1917-18. The Toronto Arenas, currently the Maple Leafs, began play in 1917-18. The orginal Ottawa Senators predate the Canadiens considerably, founded in 1883.
76 Curry scores again
Johnny Henderson of the Boston Bruins was the tallest goalie in the league last year.
Henderson was a towering 6’5″. Jim ‘Sugar’ Henry, who played 27 games for the Bruins in 1954-55 was just 5’9″. Al Rollins of the Chicago Blackhawks came close at 6’2″. Charlie Hodge, a backup to the 6’0″ Jacques Plante in Montreal was the shortest in the NHL that year at 5’6″. Gil Mayer, who played one game for Toronto as backup to the 6’0″ Harry Lumley was the same height as Hodge. Gump Worsley of the Rangers was just an inch taller.
77 Jammed on the boards
Davey Kerr, former Rangers goalie now operates a restaurant in Windsor, Ontario.
The Toronto born Kerr played for the Windsor Bulldogs of the IHL early in his career. Dave played in the NHL from 1930-31 to 1940-41 with the Montreal Maroons, New York Americans and New York Rangers.
78 The Montreal Forum
The original value of the Stanley Cup was $50.00. It is now insured for $2,500.00.
The value today ranges and can only really be speculative. It has been valued at $650,000. To recreate it with the current costs of silver is said to be around $11,000.
79 Maple Leafs Garden
Brian Cullen of Maple Leafs always puts his right skate on first.
The rookie made his mark on the back of this hockey card. Cullen played just 27 games for the Maple Leafs in 1954-55, his first year in the NHL. His rookie card appears in the 1955-56 Parkhurst set as number 13. Brian went on to play 326 games in the NHL between 1954-55 and 1960-61 with Toronto and the Rangers.