![]() Then Fleming intercepted a pass and raced down the ice to beat Hank Bassen and tie the score. The Hawks were trailing by a goal, and Detroit was pressing, but Hawks goalie Glenn Hall made a number of amazing stops His biggest goal was as a Blackhawks rookie during the 1961 Stanley Cup final against Detroit. He was also a good penalty killer.Īnd during his only full season with the Bruins and most of his Rangers career, Reg would annually hit double digits in goals. He was traded by the Hawks, he lined up against his old teammate Bobby Hull. Against the Rangers, he skated against Andy Bathgate. ![]() When they played the Maple Leafs, he shadowed Frank Mahovlich. … (his high stick on Shack, a frequent sparring partner, started that one, which Bob Baun of Toronto avenged - a textbook example of fighting’s role in that era).īut when the Hawks played the Red Wings, Fleming was assigned to left wing to check Gordie Howe. When Fleming’s name came up in conversation, especially early in his career, these were the scenes that came to mind… That mark has long since been broken, by Randy Holt, a next-generation tough guy whose skill level was minimal. Then Fleming fought off Blueshirt defenseman John Hanna. Threw his goal stick to help Shack, who had lost his, but hit Fleming in the head instead. 19, 1960, at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers, Fleming set the record for most penalty minutes in a game (37 - one minor, three majors, a misconductĪnd a game misconduct), which began with him fighting Eddie Shack and continued with him mauling Rangers goalie Jack McCartan (the 1960 United States Olympic hero who was not an N.H.L.-caliber netminder) after McCartan of the early ’60sĮarly in his rookie season with the Blackhawks, on Oct. On the rugged Blackhawks team that won the Stanley Cup in 1961 - the most physical team in the six-team N.H.L. It was merely integral to the game, an internal mechanism of policing a sport that could veer off into violence.įleming was a good, versatile N.H.L.’er who could play defense or wing. In Reg Fleming’s day, before the mid-’70s Flyers elevated it to a strategic weapon, that role was never questioned. Today, the role of fighting is hotly debated. What Reg Fleming did best was fight and agitate. ![]() He was also the subject of one of the best pieces of hockey writing ever and of a series of emotional YouTube videos recorded by his son. In an era when guys who were frequent fighters could actually play hockey, Reggie was an effective and enthusiastic pugilist, a very reliable defensive player who - especially during his years with the Rangers You either booed or cheered him, but you always noticed him, his thick body and his brush cut hairstyle. If you are a fan of a certain age, you know well who Reggie Fleming was. He was no superstar, but Reggie Fleming, who died over the weekend, deserves not to be forgotten with the passage of time. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |