Fred Bergdinon was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1906. During the Boston Bruins second year of existence, 1925-26, Bergdinon, a 6'1 right winger with a left-handed shot, suited up for two games, registering no points.Though he only played two games, Bergdinon played a role in the first-ever Bruins team to record a winning record. After a disastrous debut season that saw the B's win just six games, the 1925-26 Bruins went 17-15-4 and finished fourth in the NHL.Bergdinon did not return to the Boston Bruins or the National Hockey League level following his two-game stint.
Percy Galbraith showed immense natural hockey talent at a very young age playing in the Manitoba Senior Hockey League by the time he was just 16. Beginning in the fall of 1917 he missed two years of playing time while serving Canada in World War One. When he returned for the 1919-20 season at the age of 21, he played for a year with the Winnipeg Monarchs. In 1920-21 he began a five-year stint with Eveleth of the USAHA before joining the Bruins in 1926-27. In his rookie year Galbraith scored nine goals and 17 points while playing in all 42 games. He played in a Bruins' uniform for seven years but in 1933 Galbraith was traded to Ottawa, after just two games with the Senators he was released and was quickly re-signed by the Bruins where he played his final NHL season in 1933-34.
Charles "Bonner" Larose played six games with the Boston Bruins in 1925-26. Born in Ottawa, he played a year with the senior St. Brigids team before enlisting for a year during World War I. After the war he spent five years with several senior clubs in Ottawa and was a dangerous goal scorer. In 1924-25 Larose played with the Fort Pitt Hornets of the USAHA before moving on to the St. Paul Saints of the CHL. In February 1926 he was signed as a free agent by Boston to give them a bit more depth up front. He played six NHL games then returned to the minors for one season before retiring.
Joe Matte was an OHA-Sr First Team All-Star in 1919 as a member of the Hamilton Tigers and then played three seasons for Montreal in the MCHL before joining Hamilton in 1918-19. He went on to play parts of two seasons in Hamilton before being acquired by the Toronto St. Pats in January of 1920. After only 17 games with Toronto he was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens prior to the 1920-21 season but never suited up for the club as he was shortly re-acquired by Hamilton. After two seasons in Hamilton, Matte was traded to the WCHL's Saskatoon Sheiks and then to the PCHA's Vancouver Maroons in the fall of 1923. He went on to play two seasons in Vancouver before signing as a free-agent with the Boston Bruins in December of 1925. Three games into his season with the Bruins, Matte was claimed on waivers by the Montreal Canadiens and he went on to finish the season with Montreal, before opting to retire from hockey following the 1925-26 season.
Phil Stephens played briefly for three different NHL clubs between 1917 and 1926. He was a member of the Montreal Wanderers of the NHA for three years including when the club helped found the NHL in 1917. He then spent a year in military service and two years out of hockey before suiting up for four games with the Montreal Canadiens in 1921-22. Stephens was a solid contributor on the Saskatoon Sheiks/Crescents of the WCHL for three years before returning to the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 1925-26. Before retiring in 1932 he bounced around the minors and found a home with the Oakland Sheiks of the Cal-Pro league.
I'll move on to the Red Wings creations next, starting with some 1955-56 Parkhurst style cards. Most are well known so no bios attached.
Lorne Davis had a 14-year professional hockey career, six of which were spent in the NHL with stops in Montreal, Chicago, Detroit and Boston. He got his first taste of the NHL in 1952-53 appearing in three games with the Canadiens, scoring a goal and an assist. He played one more year in Montreal then in 1954-55, he played with both the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks. The next NHL stop was with the Boston Bruins in 1955-56, where he played in 15 games. Davis continued to play pro hockey in the American Hockey League for the next several years and did not play another NHL game until the 1959-60 season when he suited up for ten games with the Bruins. He would never get a hockey card issued, we previously created a 1952-53 Habs rookie card and a 1956-57 Bruins card, here is his Red Wings edition.
Jim Hay spent parts of three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings in the early 50s. In 1952-53 he was a solid addition to the Detroit Red Wings' blueline and was on hand when the club lost to the Boston Bruins in the semifinals. Over the next two seasons he was a utility player on the club and played more games in the minors. Hay was recalled in time for the 1955 post-season and scored a goal while helping the Motowners win the Stanley Cup. He would never get a hockey card issued so here is his '55-56 Wings CTNW creation
Red Kelly falls into the same category, here is his '55-56 Wings CTNW creation.
Marty Pavelich spent all 10 of his NHL seasons in Detroit, here is his '55-56 Wings CTNW creation.
Earl "Dutch" Reibel spent 5 seasons wearing the "Winged Wheel" before single years in Chicago and Boston, leading the Wings in scoring in 1954-55, here is his '55-56 Wings CTNW creation.
Vic Stasiuk spent 14 seasons in the NHL with 7 in a Red Wings uniform.
Benny Woit had a 7 year NHL career with his first 5 seasons in Detroit.
John Henderson toiled briefly with the Boston Bruins in the mid-50s. The Toronto native played three years with the home town Marlboros of the OHA before gaining pro experience in the AHL and QHL. During the 1954-55 season he posted five shutouts in 45 games along with a 15-14-15 record to help the Bruins reach the playoffs. He then played two games in the semifinal series they lost to the superior Montreal Canadiens. However in 1955-56 he would only play a single game in Beantown and was suspended by Boston for refusing to report to training camp, September, 1956. That was the end of his NHL career and he would never get a card issued.
Netminder Shawn Mackenzie played four games for the New Jersey Devils in 1982-83. He was a standout in junior and went on to enjoy a decent career in the minors. Born in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Mackenzie was taken 169th overall by the Colorado Rockies in 1980 after notching 17 wins as an OHA rookie with the Windsor Spitfires. The next year he led the league with 60 appearances and 3,540 minutes played then split his final season between the Spits and the Oshawa Generals. In 1982 his rights were transferred to New Jersey after the Rockies franchise relocated. During his rookie season as a pro, Mackenzie played four NHL games and made 36 appearances for the Wichita Wind of the CHL. He played another four years in the minors before retiring in 1987 due to injuries. He would never get a hockey card issued so here is his 1983-84 Devils rookie creation.
Mark LaForest was a junior standout with the Niagara Falls Flyers and North Bay Centennials. In 1983 he signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings and gained valuable seasoning with the AHL's Adirondack Red Wings and the Kalamazoo Wings of the IHL. In 1985-86, the youngster toiled admirably during 28 rookie appearances behind the last place Wings' woeful defence. He enjoyed a fine season in the minors with Adirondack in 1986-87 when he led the AHL with three shutouts and won the Baz Bastien Memorial trophy as the top goalie in the league. Laforest was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in June 1987 and later to the Maple Leafs. His official rookie card was as a Maple Leaf in the 1990-91 Upper Deck set. We have previously featured his Flyers CTNW, here is his Detroit rookie card.
Bill "Sandy" Snow played three games for the Detroit Red Wings in 1968-69. Born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Snow excelled in junior with the OHA's Hamilton Red Wings and the Weyburn Red Wings of the SJHL. He spent most of his first two pro seasons with the Fort Worth Wings of the CHL but did make it into his only three NHL games. Over the next four years he was a regular in the minors and played a few games for the senior Brantford Forresters before retiring in 1974. He would never have a hockey card issued, here is his Detroit rookie card.
Thanks to John Lehman and Bob Fulton for most of these CTNW inspirations !!!
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.