HUGH COFLIN

ALTHOUGH HIS NAME IS ENGRAVED ON THE STANLEY CUP, HUGH COFLIN NEVER PLAYED IN A NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFF GAME. HERE IS HIS STORY.

Born in Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan on December 15, 1928, Hugh Jay Alexander Coflin died on April 30, 2021. He passed away in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, at the age of 92.

With the creation of the six team Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) on October 9, 1946, 17 year old Hugh Coflin became a member of the Humboldt Indians. Coflin was brought onboard to be part of the Humboldt's blueline. The Indians played in the Northern Division with the Prince Albert Black Hawks and the Saskatoon Junior Quakers. 

Humboldt got their season underway on November 30, 1946, when they faced the Black Hawks in Prince Albert. In a close contest, the Indians fell by a 2-1 score to the home team. On two occasions, the police had to intervene to keep peace. In the first circumstance, a fan attempted to engage two of the visitor's while they were in the penalty box. Then, late in the game, several fans stormed the ice while a fight between two players was going on. The police took charge and led the spectators off the ice. 

In his only year with the Indians, Coflin registered 13 points in 23 games. As for the team, they finished last in the standings.

The following season, Coflin took his game to Moose Jaw where he joined the Canucks. This time around, Coflin had more success than he experienced with the Humboldt Indians in his rookie year in the SJHL. In the semi-final, the Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Humboldt and advanced to the final. Moose Jaw won the SJHL championship when they swept the Regina Pats in the best-of-five final. In the hunt for the Memorial Cup, the Canucks failed to reach the Western Canada final, as they were ousted by the Lethbridge Native Sons in their semi-final series.

Changes came in 1948-49, with the formation of the Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCJHL). The new league was made up of two teams from Saskatchewan and four from Alberta. Coflin and his teammates moved from the SJHL to the WCJHL. The second Saskatchewan team was the Regina Pat's.

Before the regular season got underway, Coflin participated in his second consecutive hockey school conducted by the Chicago Black Hawks. Tiny Thompson, Chicago's head scout, ran the proceedings with the intention of evaluating the prospects in the Hawks organization.

As the 1948 school came to a close, a collection of Hawk rookies and the Canucks held an exhibition game in Moose Jaw. In the second period, Coflin's goal turned out to be the game-winner in Moose Jaw's 4-3 victory. The Hawks wouldn't forget his performance.

At the end of the season, Moose Jaw and the Calgary Buffaloes finished in a tie for first-place.

In the playoffs, the Canucks won the best-of-seven semi-final series 4-3 over the Regina Pats. In the WCJHL final, the Buffaloes swept Moose Jaw to win the WCHL championship.

Then, came the provincial playoffs. Of note, the Saskatchewan Southern Division series was cancelled, which led to Moose Jaw going straight through to face the Prince Albert Minto's, who won the Northern Division. The Canucks captured Saskatchewan's Provincial title, and once again, battled the Calgary Buffaloes, the Alberta Provincial champs.

The Moose Jaw Canucks Memorial Cup dreams burst when the Buffaloes trampled them in the semi-final series. Calgary met the Brandon Wheat Kings in the final, with Brandon winning the right to represent the West in the Memorial Cup. In the East-West match-up, the Montreal Royals defeated Brandon to win junior hockey's biggest prize.

During his stay with the Moose Jaw Canucks, Coflin earned the reputation as a hard-hitting defender, who didn't backdown from a confrontation. This led to Coflin signing with the Calgary Stampeders of the Western Canada Senior Hockey League (WCSHL) on September 29, 1949. Also, for the third straight year, he was part of the Chicago Black Hawks hockey school, which took place in North Bay, Ontario. 

One newspaper account noted that Tiny Thompson rated Coflin as "a coming professional star in a year or two."

Meanwhile, Coflin went about his business on Calgary's defence and made a huge impact. If anyone attempted to steam-roll over a Stampeder, Coflin, who was six feet tall and weighed 190 pounds, made them pay for their aggression. He led the league in penalty-minutes with 133. Also, he was tops in the playoffs with 35 penalty-minutes.

When the WCSHL awards were handed out for the 1949-50 season, Coflin took home the CKUA Cup (named after a local radio station) as the top rookie. Another accolade came his way, when Coflin was named to the second all-star team. 

Also, it wasn't a bad year for the Stampeders, as they advanced to the Allan Cup final, but lost out to the Toronto Marlboros. On the trail to the Allan Cup, Coffin produced 14 points in 15 games.

In 1950-51, 21 year old Coflin reached the goal that all hockey players work for, he turned pro with the Chicago Black Hawks. On October 10, Coflin signed his contract with Chicago and was scheduled to start the year with the Milwaukee Seagulls of the United States Hockey League (USHL). But Coflin caught a break as three Chicago defencemen were sidelined with injuries at the start of the NHL season.

On October 12, 1950, Hugh Coflin made his National Hockey League debut when the Hawks kicked-off their regular season at the Forum in Montreal. He was teamed with Jack Stewart, the former Detroit Red Wings star, who was acquired in the off-season.

When the Hawks played their home opener on October 15, Coflin made a quick impression on the 13,776 spectators that filled Chicago Stadium. At the 6:11 mark of the first period, Coflin earned an assist on a goal by Vic Stasiuk. It was the first of three points, all assists, he would record in the NHL. 

As the injured troops returned to the line-up, Coflin was assigned to the Seagulls for their game on  October 29. He was recalled by Chicago to replace Jack Stewart, who suffered a season-ending back injury, for an encounter on December 16 at Maple Leaf Gardens. 

On January 30, the NHL revealed that Coflin was Chicago's only candidate for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. 

Coflin remained on the Hawks' roster until February 12, 1951, when the parent club summoned defenceman Jim Bedard from Milwaukee.

He skated in a total of 66 games in 1950-51, 31 with the Chicago Black Hawks and 35 with the Milwaukee Seagulls. His points total in the USHL was 17.

At the conclusion of the 1950-51 season, the Chicago Black Hawks retained their title as the NHL's perennial cellar-dwellers. They finished in last-place with 36 points and a 13-47-10 record in 70 games. On August 20, 1951, Chicago made a multi-player trade with Detroit to shake up their roster. Coflin was dealt to the Red Wings on September 1, to complete the transaction. 

Detroit's defensive core was stocked with a talented mix of young skilled defencemen, like Red Kelly and Marcel Pronovost, and experienced veterans, like Bob Goldham. Thus, it came as no surprise when Coflin was slotted to join the Wings AHL farm team, the Indianapolis Capitals, after training camp.

In 68 games with the Capitals, Coflin strung together 28 points, but his new club failed to make the playoffs.

The same couldn't be said of the Red Wings, who advanced to the 1952 Stanley Cup final after they swept the Toronto Maple Leafs in their semi-final series. 

As they waited for the winner of the Montreal-Boston series, the Red Wings stable of defencemen was reduced when Leo Reise, Jr., suffered an injury in practice. Also, Red Kelly was hampered with a nagging wrist problem.

Not wanting to be shorthanded, Detroit decided to take action. Jack Adams immediately made a phone call to Hugh Coflin in Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan, to bolster their back end. 

The Stanley Cup final got underway on April 10, 1952, in Montreal. It was up to coach Tommy Ivan to make a game time decision concerning Coflin's possible insertion into the line-up.

As fate would have it, the Cup final was a short one, as the Red Wings pulled off another sweep. In a stingy display of defensive hockey, the Wings only allowed two Montreal goals, with Terry Sawchuk shutting the barn door in games three and four at the Olympia in Detroit. 

Although Coffin never played a regular season or playoff game with Detroit, his name was engraved on the Stanley Cup. This is an indication of how Jack Adams felt about Coflin and the role he could have played if his services were required at such a crucial time. In the picture below, his name appears on the third row, at the bottom, between Marcel Pronovost and Bob Goldham. 

Hugh Coflin closed out his hockey career with the Edmonton Flyers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He played with them from 1952-53 to 1959-60.

Coflin was a WHL champion with the Flyers as they won the Lester Patrick Cup in 1953 and 1955. Their victory in 1955, entitled them to play for the Edinburgh Trophy. The trophy was donated by Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh in 1954. It pitted the WHL winner against the Quebec Hockey League winner. Edmonton was defeated by the Shawinigan Falls Cataracts.

The Flyers, who were sponsored by the Detroit Red Wings, underwent several key changes in the summer of 1957. They were announced by Jack Adams on June 8, 1957. In the shake-up, Bud Poile, who coached the team for five seasons, was promoted to the position of general manager. Poile was replaced by captain Tony Leswick, who took on the role of player-coach.

At the start of the 1957-58 campaign, Hugh Coflin was named captain. "I regard Hugh as an excellent choice," Poile said following Coflin's appointment. "He has the seniority with the club, and is popular with his teammates and fans alike."

Word of Hugh Coflin's retirement came at a news conference held at Edmonton's Mayfair Golf Club on Wednesday, June 15, 1960. While talking about several subjects, Bud Poile revealed Coflin's departure from the game. Coflin, then 31 years old, advised Poile of his decision to hang up his skates during a discussion which took place on the weekend prior to the presser.

"Naturally, we are sorry to see Hughie go," Poile said in his address to the media. "I've said before that he is the greatest competitor I've ever had play under me, and I'm sticking to it. I like to think I have had some good ones in that department, too."