Gordie Howe called Fern Flaman the toughest defenceman he ever faced.  If that is true, that is about as good an endorsement as anyone could ask for.

The Boston Bruins fans were not always enamored with Ken Hodge.  Actually, the Bruins coaches weren’t exactly either.  The main reason for that is that, at 6 foot 2 and well over 200 pounds, he was bigger than most players, but did not always use his physicality as he was far more comfortable with the offensive skill side of the game.  

A clutch goaltender who played his best when the lights were at their brightest, Gerry Cheevers backstopped the Bruins to two Stanley Cup wins (1970 & 1972) and the Hall of Famer might have had more NHL accolades had the man with the famous stitched mask not taken his talents to the World Hockey Association for a few years.  

Brad Park was considered by many to be the second-best defenceman of the 1970s, and he arrived in Boston at the tail end of his prime.  Park was still able to secure another full season in Boston as a First Team All-Star, and he would average 0.83 Points per Game as a Bruin, which was actually higher than it was when he was with the New York Rangers.  Park entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.