gold star for USAHOF

1976 Hockey Inductees

Our made up analytic of ICPW (Induction Class per Worthiness) is not particularly high for 1976. Johnny Bower and Bill Quackenbush are fine entries, but not exactly household names (except for Bower for old time Leaf fans), but the class is dragged down by former Chicago Blackhawks owner, Bill Wirtz, whose overall tenure as an owner is one of the worst in NHL history….especially the years AFTER he got inducted.
An excellent two way Defenceman, Bill Quackenbush was one of the most disciplined players in the National Hockey League. Quackenbush rarely made mistakes on the ice. This was not just shown by his acumen with the puck, but his ability to stay out of the penalty box. He would become the first Defenceman to win the Lady Byng Trophy in a season in which he received…
Let’s talk about the good first. Bill Wirtz took over a lot of the operations of the Chicago Blackhawks in the late 50’s and the Hawks won a Stanley Cup in 1961. He would become the team President, and though Chicago did not win another Cup that decade, they remained a competitive and stacked franchise. Wirtz also served on numerous committees including the NHL Expansion, the…
A decent Hockey player himself, Jack Gibson entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builders category for his early organizing ability during the infancy of organizing the game. Gibson starred, and recruited and formed a very good Portage Lake squad, but it was in Northern Michigan where his contributions to the game really came to life. Gibson was the brainchild behind the International Hockey League,…
Considering that Johnny Bower spent over a decade in the minors before cracking an NHL roster at the age of 29, it is remarkable that he was able to have a Hall of Fame career. Bower debuted in the big league with the New York Rangers, but it was when he was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Inter League Draft (whom ironically, Bower…
Philip Ross’ entry to the Hockey Hall of Fame can be traced to the Stanley Cup itself. Ross was actually a decent player, as he played for the Ottawa Hockey Club but he served the game by helping to form the Ontario Hockey Association and actually competed in the championship game in 1891. A few years later, he was named as one of the trustees…