Today in Boston Bruins History: February 18
1928: Tom Johnson (full name Thomas Christian Johnson) is born in Baldur, Manitoba. Johnson’s name is on the Stanley Cup a total of eight times. He won as a Montreal Canadien in 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960. He was a Hab all the way from 1947 to 1963, at which point he made his way to Boston. (Guess he wanted to play both sides of the rivalry.) He played two seasons as a Bruin, but didn’t produce much because he was nearing the end of his playing years. However, those other two inscriptions on the Cup are from when he was Bruins’ assistant GM in 1970 and coach in 1972. He was a part of the Bruins organization for more than 30 years! He’s also in the Hockey Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 1970. He died November 21, 2007.
1954: Marty Howe (full name Marty Gordon Howe) is born in Detroit, Michigan. Howe, a defenseman, is a part of hockey royalty, the son of Gordie Howe. Drafted in 1974 by the Canadiens, Howe decided to join his dad and brother Mark in the Houston Aeros, then with the WHA. He didn’t play in the NHL until it absorbed WHA teams in 1979. After spending some time with the Hartford Whalers, he came to the Bruins for 1982-83, netting 12 points in 78 games. He went back to the Whalers for two seasons after that, though. After retiring, he spent five years as the assistant coach of the Chicago Wolves.
1956: Thomas Gradin (full name Thomas Kjell Gradin) is born in Solleftea, Sweden. Gradin, a center, is better known for the eight seasons he spent with Vancouver, but signed with Boston as a free agent in 1986. He spent a year as a Bruin, scoring 43 points in only 64 games, before deciding to retire from the NHL. However, he did spend time after that in the Swedish leagues, retired from there in 1990, tried for a comeback in 1996 at age 40 but then retired for real this time.
1960: Andy Moog (full name Donald Andrew Moog) is born in Penticton, British Columbia. Moog began his career with the Edmonton Oilers, at one point helping them to their first-ever Stanley Cup Final. His name is on the Cup three times from Oilers wins in 1984, 1985 and 1987. However, snubbed for the starting role, he demanded a trade and even walked out on Edmonton to go play in the 1988 Olympics. He was traded to Boston after the festivities, right as the team was starting a goalie tandem system, so he fell in with Reggie Lemelin and played very well as a Bruin from 1987 to 1993. This included sharing the Jennings Trophy with Lemelin in 1989-90. After that, he was traded to Minnesota just as they relocated to Dallas and spent four years as a Star before one last season with Montreal. He’s served as goaltending coach for Vancouver and Dallas, vice president of the NHLPA and goaltending consultant for Team Canada in 2010.
A year ago today: Tomas Kaberle becomes a Bruin in a trade involving Joe Colborne, Boston’s first-round pick in the 2011 draft and a second-round pick in 2012 if the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Finals or resigned Kaberle. (Obviously, the first one happened.) Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik also joined the Bruins organization in what was one of the last trades ever to involve the now-defunct Atlanta Thrashers, trading Mark Stuart and Blake Wheeler down South.
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[...] Mark Stuart (full name Mark Daniel Stuart) is born in Rochester, Minnesota. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins [...]
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[...] winger Kevin Stevens scored four goals against Boston Bruin‘s Andy Moog, for his first post-season hat trick with [...]
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