Sid Abel

Sid Abel
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1969

Born	(1918-02-22)February 22, 1918 Melville, SK, CAN
Died	February 8, 2000(2000-02-08) (aged 81) Farmington Hills, MI, USA
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	NHL Detroit Red Wings Chicago Black Hawks AHL Pittsburgh Hornets Indianapolis Capitals
Playing career	1938–1954

Sidney Gerald "Sid" Abel (February 22, 1918 – February 8, 2000) was a Canadian Hall of Fame hockey player, coach and general manager in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Detroit Red Wings, and was a member of three Stanley Cup-winning teams in 1943, 1950, and 1952.

Playing career

Born in Melville, Saskatchewan, "Old Bootnose", as he was known, Abel was demobilized late in the 1946 season, regaining his team captaincy, just in time for the playoffs.^[1]

In 1947, Abel and Ted Lindsay were teamed up with rookie right winger Gordie Howe as a forward line by Red Wings' coach Jack Adams. While Abel's effectiveness late that season and in the playoffs was limited by an attack of pleurisy, the line paid immediate dividends, turning Lindsay into a star and leading the team to a playoff berth.^[2] The following season, Lindsay, Abel and Howe finished 1-3-4 in team scoring, while leading the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals.^[2]

By the 1949 season, the newly dubbed "Production Line" led the Wings to the first of seven consecutive regular season first-place finishes, an unsurpassed NHL record, hampered only by serious injuries that cost Howe and Lindsay much of the season. Abel was tied with Lindsay for third in NHL scoring while leading the league in goals and recording career highs in goals and assists,^[3] and was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player, as well as being named to the First All-Star Team.^[4]

The next three seasons saw Abel lead the Production Line to surpass any other forward line in points, and in 1950 season Lindsay, Abel and Howe finished 1-2-3 in league scoring, equaling the feat of the famed "Kraut Line" of the Boston Bruins from 1939-40.^[4] Abel repeated his First All-Star Team honor in 1950 en route to playing for his second Stanley Cup champion, and was named Second Team All-Star in 1951.^[4]

Abel was traded from the Red Wings to the Black Hawks for in 1952,^[5] and was named coach of the team. He served as player-coach for the next two seasons, and was the last full-time player-head coach in NHL history.

Though his #12 was honored by the Wings, Abel wore 4, 7, 9, 12, 14, 19 and 20 throughout his career.^[6]

Retirement

Abel returned to the Red Wings in 1957–58 and served as Detroit's coach through the 1969–70 season.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Abel worked as a color commentator on Red Wings radio and television broadcasts.

Legacy

Sid Abel was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969. In 1998, he was ranked number 85 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Abel's #12 banner hanging in Joe Louis Arena.

Abel's older brother, George was a Canadian Olympic ice hockey player. In Olympic competition at Oslo, Norway, he scored the winning goal in the final game, securing the only Canadian gold medal of the Olympics. Sid's son Gerry also briefly played in the NHL, and his grandson Brent Johnson is a goaltender who last played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Awards and achievements

2-time NHL First Team All-Star (1949, 1950)
2-time NHL Second Team All-Star (1942, 1951)
3-time Stanley Cup champion (1943, 1950, 1952)
1-time Hart Memorial Trophy (1949)
Detroit Red Wings #12 retired on April 29, 1995

Career statistics

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1936–37	Melville Millionaires	S-SJHL	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1936–37	Saskatoon Wesleys	N-SJHL	—	—	—	—	—	3	6	2	8	2
1936–37	Saskatoon Wesleys	M-Cup	—	—	—	—	—	8	8	5	13	6
1937–38	Flin Flon Bombers	N-SSHL	23	12	16	28	13	8	4	4	8	17
1937–38	Flin Flon Bombers	Al-Cup	—	—	—	—	—	7	6	1	7	4
1938–39	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	15	1	1	2	0	6	1	1	2	2
1938–39	Pittsburgh Hornets	IAHL	41	22	24	46	27	—	—	—	—	—
1939–40	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	24	1	5	6	4	5	0	3	3	21
1939–40	Indianapolis Capitals	IAHL	21	7	11	18	10	—	—	—	—	—
1940–41	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	47	11	22	33	29	9	2	2	4	2
1941–42	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	48	18	31	49	45	12	4	2	6	8
1942–43	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	49	18	24	42	33	10	5	8	13	4
1943–44	Montreal RCAF	QSHL	7	5	4	9	12	—	—	—	—	—
1943–44	Montreal Canada Car	MCHL	2	1	0	1	4	—	—	—	—	—
1944–45	Montreal RCAF	MCHL	4	6	8	14	4	—	—	—	—	—
1944–45	Lachine Rapides	QPHL	2	2	2	4	2	—	—	—	—	—
1944–45	Kingston RCAF	Exhib.	2	2	1	3	0	—	—	—	—	—
1945–46	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	7	0	2	2	0	3	0	0	0	0
1946–47	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	60	19	29	48	29	3	1	1	2	2
1947–48	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	60	14	30	44	69	10	0	3	3	16
1948–49	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	60	28	26	54	49	11	3	3	6	6
1949–50	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	69	34	35	69	46	14	6	2	8	6
1950–51	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	69	23	38	61	30	6	4	3	7	0
1951–52	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	62	17	36	53	32	7	2	2	4	12
1952–53	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL	39	5	4	9	6	1	0	0	0	0
1953–54	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL	3	0	0	0	4	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals			612	189	283	472	376	97	28	30	58	79

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
Team	Year	G	W	L	T	Pts	Division rank	Result
CHI	1952–53	70	27	28	15	69	4th in NHL	Lost in first round
CHI	1953–54	70	12	51	7	31	6th in NHL	DNQ
DET	1957–58	33	16	12	5	37	3rd in NHL	Lost in first round
DET	1958–59	70	25	37	8	58	6th in NHL	DNQ
DET	1959–60	70	26	29	15	67	4th in NHL	Lost in first round
DET	1960–61	70	25	29	16	66	4th in NHL	Lost in Stanley Cup Final
DET	1961–62	70	23	33	14	60	5th in NHL	DNQ
DET	1962–63	70	32	25	13	77	4th in NHL	Lost in Stanley Cup Final
DET	1963–64	70	30	29	11	71	4th in NHL	Lost in Stanley Cup Final
DET	1964–65	70	40	23	7	87	1st in NHL	Lost in first round
DET	1965–66	70	31	27	12	74	4th in NHL	Lost in Stanley Cup Final
DET	1966–67	70	27	39	4	58	5th in NHL	DNQ
DET	1967–68	74	27	35	12	66	5th in East	DNQ
DET	1969–70	74	38	21	15	91	3rd in East	Lost in First Round
STL	1971–72	10	3	6	1	7	3rd in West	Fired
KC	1975–76	3	0	3	0	0	5th in Smythe	Interim Coach
Total		964	382	427	155	919

References

↑ McFarlane, Brian. 50 Years Of Hockey. Winnipeg: Greywood Publishing Ltd. p. 79.
1 2 Coleman, Charles L. (1976). Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol.III. Sherbrooke, PQ: Progressive Publications. p. 661.
↑ "NHL 1948-49 League Leaders". The Hockey Database. Ralph Slate. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
1 2 3 Coleman, Charles L. (1976). Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol.III. Sherbrooke, PQ: Progressive Publications. p. 662.
↑ "Sid Abel Career Statistics". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
↑ "Detroit Red Wings - History, 1935-36". Retrieved 2009-04-28. Red Wings Facts, Wings who wore four different jersey numbers, Sid Abel - 4, 7, 9, 12, 14, 19, 20

Carroll, M. R. (2001). The Concise Encyclopedia of Hockey. Vancouver: Greystone Press.
Diamond, Dan and Eric Zweig, eds (2003). Hockey's Glory Days: the 50s and 60s. Kansas City: Andrew McMeel.
Fischler, Stan (2002). Detroit Red Wings: Greatest Moments and Players. Sports Publishing Co.
Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players:the ultimate A-Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.

External links

Awards
Preceded by Buddy O'Connor	Winner of the Hart Trophy 1949	Succeeded by Chuck Rayner
Sporting positions
Preceded by Syd Howe	Detroit Red Wings captain 1942–43	Succeeded by Mud Bruneteau
Preceded by Flash Hollett	Detroit Red Wings captain 1945–52	Succeeded by Ted Lindsay
Preceded by Ebbie Goodfellow	Head coach of the Chicago Black Hawks 1952–54	Succeeded by Frank Eddolls
Preceded by Jimmy Skinner	Head coach of the Detroit Red Wings 1958–68	Succeeded by Bill Gadsby
Preceded by Bill Gadsby	Head Coach of the Detroit Red Wings 1969–70	Succeeded by Ned Harkness
Preceded by Scotty Bowman	Head coach of the St. Louis Blues 1971–72	Succeeded by Bill McCreary Sr.
Preceded by Bep Guidolin	Head coach of the Kansas City Scouts 1975–76	Succeeded by Eddie Bush
Preceded by Jack Adams	General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings 1962–71	Succeeded by Ned Harkness
Preceded by Scotty Bowman	General Manager of the St. Louis Blues 1971–72	Succeeded by Chuck Catto
Preceded by Position created	General Manager of the Kansas City Scouts 1974–76	Succeeded by Ray Miron

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