Not exactly a household name now, over 40 years after his playing career ended, and probably not exactly a household name when he was in the NHL. Still, Garry Peters had a notable hockey career, at least in junior and minor pro. He was a regular with the Philadelphia Flyers in their first four years of existence. Peters may have extended his career with the New York Islanders but instead jumped to the WHA after being drafted by the expansion team in 1972.
Peters led the SJHL in scoring in 1961-62 and was twice a First Team All-Star in that league. He moved on to the CPHL and was rookie of the year in 1963-64 playing for the Omaha Knights. In 1971-72, Garry was the MVP in the American Hockey League while also playing in a post season games for the Boston Bruins as that team captured a Stanley Cup championship.
Junior and Minor Pro
NHL Career
Hockey Card Collection
WHA Career
Rookie Card
Career Stats
Garry Peters – Junior and Minor Pro
Garry Peters played four years of junior hockey in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League from 1959-60 to 1962-63 with the Regina Pats. In his second season, the Pats were regular season and playoff champs but lost in the Abbott Cup semi-final to the Edmonton Oil Kings in six games.
His top season was 1961-62, scoring 45 goals and assisting on 69 for 114 points in 56 games. He led the league in assists and points while teammate Norm Beaudin led the SJHL with 57 goals. The team lost to the Moose Jaw Canucks in the SJHL final. Peters was named a First Team All-Star at centre.
In his final season, the team fell back in the standings but Garry still performed to the standards of a First Team All-Star centreman. He also saw his first pro hockey action in 1962-63, appearing in four EPHL games with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens.
1963-64 certainly put Peters on the hockey map. Playing for the Omaha Knights in the CPHL, he scored 32 goals and assisted on 49 for 81 points in 72 games. He tied for fifth in the league for goals, tied for sixth for assists and placed fifth in the overall scoring race. He was named rookie of the year, sharing the honour with Poul Popiel of the St. Louis Braves.
Teammates included Claude Larose, Barclay Plager and Ernie Wakely. The Knights finished first overall and were crowned champions, taking out the Fred Shero coached St. Paul Rangers in the final.
According to his 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee hockey card, Peters was an all-star three times in the CPHL. That would mean he was an all-star in every season he played in that league. He spent 1963-64 and 1964-65 with the Omaha Knights and played 1966-67 with the Houston Apollos.
Garry would return to the minors for one last year in 1971-72, playing for the Boston Braves in the American Hockey League. He scored 39 goals and assisted on 34 for 73 points while playing in just 58 regular season games.
His goal total placed him fourth in the AHL while his 73 points put him tied for fourth in the race for the John B. Sollenberger Trophy. He was named a First Team All-Star for his efforts and was named the recipient of the Les Cunningham Award as most valuable player.
Garry spent 1974-75 as head coach of the Syracuse Blazers in the North American Hockey League. It was the last year of the NAHL and the Blazers dominated during the regular season. However, they were bounced early in the playoffs.
Garry Peters – NHL
Garry Peters played in 311 regular season National Hockey League games between 1964-65 and 1971-72 with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins. A prospect of the Canadiens, Garry played just 13 games with the Habs in 1964-65 and four more in 1966-67.
Garry Peters Collection
Peters was actually traded from Montreal to the Rangers then traded back. On June 8, 1965, he was shipped to New York with Cesare Maniago for Earl Ingarfield Sr., Gord Labossiere, Dave McComb and Noel Price. Then, on June 13, 1966, he was sent back to Montreal with Ted Taylor for Red Berenson.
The Philadelphia Flyers selected Peters in the tenth round of the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, 57th overall. It was with Philly that Garry saw his only real regular action in the NHL.
He ended up with the Boston Bruins in 1971-72. Playing mostly on the farm with the Boston Braves in the AHL, Garry did appear in two regular season games for Boston, along with a single game in the playoffs. As mentioned, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup that year.
The New York Islanders picked Peters eleventh overall in the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft. Instead of joining up with the upstart Islanders, Garry went to the World Hockey Association. Ironically, he signed with the New York Raiders, the very team the Islanders were brought in to stop from being successful.
Garry Peters – WHA
Over the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons, Garry Peters played for the ever-changing franchise that started out as the New York Raiders. In his first year, he appeared in just 23 games, scoring two goals and assisting on seven.
In 1973-74, he followed the franchise around as they started the season as the New York Golden Blades. The team finished the season as the Jersey Knights. Peters played in 34 games for the season, scoring two and assisting on five.
Garry Peters – Rookie Card
The Garry Peters rookie card appears as number 28 in the 1965-66 Topps NHL hockey card set. He is shown as a member of the New York Rangers. That year, Peters was also included in the 1965-66 Coca-Cola set.
Garry’s final card is included in the 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee NHL hockey card set as number 196. He is shown as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. During his WHA days, there was just the 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee set and the 1973-74 Quaker Oats set but Peters was included in neither.
Garry Peters – Career Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1959-60 | Regina Pats | SJHL | 37 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 39 |
| 1960-61 | Regina Pats | SJHL | 57 | 36 | 46 | 82 | 94 |
| 1961-62 | Regina Pats | SJHL | 56 | 45 | 69 | 114 | 68 |
| 1962-63 | Regina Pats | SJHL | 50 | 37 | 39 | 76 | 100 |
| 1962-63 | Hull-Ottawa Canadiens | EPHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1963-64 | Omaha Knights | CPHL | 72 | 32 | 49 | 81 | 82 |
| 1964-65 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 1964-65 | Omaha Knights | CPHL | 43 | 21 | 23 | 44 | 56 |
| 1964-65 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1965-66 | New York Rangers | NHL | 63 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 42 |
| 1966-67 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1966-67 | Houston Apollos | CPHL | 50 | 21 | 31 | 52 | 90 |
| 1967-68 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 31 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 22 |
| 1968-69 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 66 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 49 |
| 1969-70 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 59 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 69 |
| 1970-71 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 73 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 69 |
| 1971-72 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1971-72 | Boston Braves | AHL | 58 | 39 | 34 | 73 | 118 |
| 1972-73 | New York Raiders | WHA | 23 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 24 |
| 1973-74 | Golden Blades/Knights | WHA | 34 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 18 |
| NHL Totals | 311 | 34 | 34 | 68 | 261 | ||
| WHA Totals | 57 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 42 |