George Abbott had played with the Dunnville Mudcats as a youngster, but his career more or less ended during a practice with the amateur Hamilton Tigers when a deflected shot hit him in the eye. He devoted his life to the Baptist ministry and during the war found himself assigned to the Toronto area. He approached Leaf coach Hap Day about keeping his pads in the game, so to speak, and Day gladly took him on as a spare goalie. However on November 27, 1943 the Bruin's regular netminder, Bert Gardiner, fell ill and couldn't play, so team manager Art Ross borrowed Abbott, an ordained minister, for the night's action. In his only NHL appearance, the Preacher allowed seven goals but was peppered with 52 shots, including one by Babe Pratt that knocked him out cold for a few minutes. The Leafs coasted to a 7-3 win. His pictures are as scarce as his NHL games, this was the best to be found.
Tom Brennan had a seven-year professional hockey career, which included shorts stints in the NHL with the Boston Bruins over a two-year period. At the age of 15, Brennan moved to Canada to enhance his playing abilities but returned to his native Philadelphia at the age of 20 to play for the EAHL's Falcons where he scored 34 goals and 68 points. The Boston Bruins signed him to a contract the following year and he played in eleven games, scoring twice and assisting on one other. In 1944-45, Brennan returned to the EAHL as a member of the Boston Olympics. In 48 games he scored 53 goals and 108 points to lead the league in scoring, winning the John Carlin Trophy. He also played his last NHL game with the Bruins that year. He missed the entire 1945-46 season recovering from back surgery. Brennan continued to play hockey for another seven years in the Quebec Senior League and the Maritime Senior League, retiring after the 1952-53 season as a member of the Ste. Therese Titans.
Pat Egan began his career in 1938-39 with the Seattle Seahawks of the PCHL where he had 20 points and 187 penalty minutes. The following season was mostly spent with Springfield of the IAHL before he got the call to join the NHL's New York Americans. In 1941-42 they had a slight name change to Brooklyn Americans. In 48 games Egan scored eight goals and 20 assists for 28 points while spending 124 minutes in the box. After a brief stopover in Detroit with the Red Wings, Egan began a six-year association with the Boston Bruins. He played his final two seasons in New York, this time with the Rangers, appearing in 70 games in both seasons. That was the last NHL season for Egan, in 1951, but he played another eight years with several teams in the AHL.
Benny Grant was a part-time goalie for three different NHL clubs between 1928-29 and 1943-44. During the late 20s and early 30s he toiled briefly with the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Americans but saw his most extensive action with the Boston Tigers of the Can-Am League and the IAHL's Syracuse Stars. Grant found his niche in the newly created American Hockey League in 1936-37 where he starred for the Springfield Indians. In 1940-41 he moved on to the St. Paul Saints of the AHA and was named to the league's first all-star team after posting a 1.94 goals against average the next year. After sitting out the 1942-43 season he returned to play 20 games for the Maple Leafs who were dealing with the loss of Turk Broda to military service. On March 14, 1944 Grant was loaned to the Boston Bruins to replace Maurice Courteau. Unfortunately his real teammates showed no mercy in a 10-2 Toronto win.
Guy Labrie began his road to the NHL with the Quebec Beavers (QPHL) in 1939-40 season. Moving on to the Valleyfield Braves of the MCHL in 1940-41, he played in 41 games recording 14 goals and 12 assist. In 1943-44, Labrie played with the Boston Bruins (NHL) for 15 games recording two goals and seven assists. He played with the Boston Olympics of the QSHL until he was traded. On November 27th, 1944, Labrie was traded to the New York Rangers for $12, 000, and the same year he went on to play in 27 of their games, recording two goals and two assists. Following this stint, he never would return to the NHL. In 1953-54, Labrie finished his career with the Riviere-du-Loup Raiders.
Al Rittinger was a member of the Regina Abbots of the SSJHL prior to making his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins during the 1943-44 season. In 19 games with the Bruins, Rittinger scored three goals and added nine assists for 12 points but spent the majority of the season with the Boston Olympics of the Eastern Amateur Hockey League. Rittinger returned to the Olympics line up for the 1944-45 season and would spend another 7 years in pro hockey, none in the NHL, before he retired from the game following the 1951-52 season.
Frank Brimsek was one of the greatest players ever to hail from the United States. In a decade of NHL service, the accurately nicknamed "Mr. Zero" registered 40 shutouts and won 252 regular-season games. He led all netminders in shutouts, goals-against average and wins twice each, and he backstopped Boston to Stanley Cup wins in 1939 and 1941. After 9 seasons in Boston the Bruins sold Brimsek to the Chicago Black Hawks in September 1949. He played all 70 games in the expanded NHL schedule behind a weak squad and retired after the team failed to qualify for the post-season. His only hockey cards were issued in sets that were produced after 2000, here is his custom Bruins 1951-52 Parkhurst rookie creation.
Galen Head was a right-winger who made it to the NHL for one game with the Detroit Red Wings in 1967-68. He scored 50 goals in 56 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WCJHL in 1966-67. Apart from his one game call to Detroit he spent the bulk of the next season with the Johnstown Jets of the EHL. Head scored 53 goals as a rookie pro then led the league with 67 goals for Johnstown in 1968-69. After spending the 1969-70 season with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the WHL, Head returned to Johnstown and played another six years before retiring. He would never get a hockey card issued.
The last 4 creations for this post are actually upgrades of 4 1959-60 Topps cards that were originally issued with Topps' famous airbrush photos.
Barry Cullen joined the Detroit Red Wings for 55 games in 1959-60 after seeing duty in 4 seasons with the Maple Leafs. It would be the last stop for his NHL career, he spent 4 more years in the AHL retiring after the 1963-64 season.
Murray Balfour was traded to Chicago from Montreal in 1959, put on a line with Bobby Hull and Billy Hay, and the troika was dubbed the Million Dollar Line. Balfour paid back the Habs in the 1960-61 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring in triple overtime in the third game of the semifinal series. The Hawks won the Stanley Cup that year, although Balfour, who outscored his flashier linemates in the playoffs, had to watch the final game from the hospital after crashing into the Detroit net and breaking his arm in the fifth game. Balfour was traded to the Boston Bruins in 1964 but was sent down to the minors due to have health problems. Exploratory surgery in 1965 revealed a tumor in his lung that was inoperable and he died less than eight weeks later.
Thanks to John Lehman for the Boston Bruins order, James "Hawk" Haubrich for finding 3 more 1968-69 "Missing Links" and Len Ryan for the 1959-60 Topps upgrade request.
You can purchase these cards, or any of my Missing Link creations, for $10 each postpaid, or $7.95 each for 3 or more. Email me at: [email protected], volume discounts available on larger orders.