Ed Hospodar

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Ed Hospodar
Born (1959-02-09) February 9, 1959 (age 66)
Bowling Green, Ohio, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for New York Rangers
Hartford Whalers
Philadelphia Flyers
Minnesota North Stars
Buffalo Sabres
National teamFlag of the United States.svg  United States
NHL draft 34th overall, 1979
New York Rangers
Playing career 19791988

Edward David Hospodar (born February 9, 1959) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars and Buffalo Sabres. Hospodar did not see a great deal of ice time at any point in his career, and was used primarily as an enforcer.

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He was best known for being one of the instigators of a pregame brawl between the Montreal Canadiens and the Philadelphia Flyers in the Montreal Forum prior to game six of the Wales Conference finals on May 14, 1987, an act which earned him a suspension for the remainder of that year's playoffs. [1] [2] [3]

While with the Rangers, Hospodar's face was badly damaged by Clark Gillies of the New York Islanders in a 1981 fight at Madison Square Garden. In 450 NHL games, Hospodar scored 17 goals and had 51 assists, with four goals and one assist during 44 playoff games. He acquired 1314 penalty minutes during his regular season games, and 208 penalty minutes during his playoff games. Hospodar retired from hockey in 1988. [4]

As a youth, Hospodar played in the 1972 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Toronto. [5]

Hospodar received his nickname in junior hockey after a writer deemed the force of his checks to be commensurate with that of a "runaway boxcar". Although born in the United States, Hospodar learned the game in Canada; his father was a plant manager for the Campbell's Soup Company, overseeing plants in New Jersey, Ohio, and later Ontario. [6] Hospodar's brother became a Byzantine Catholic priest. [7]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1976–77 Ottawa 67's OMJHL 5131922140193912113
1977–78 Ottawa 67'sOMJHL62726331721636978
1978–79 Ottawa 67'sOMJHL4571623131501139
1979–80 New York Rangers NHL 2001176710142
1979–80 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 253912131501139
1980–81 New York RangersNHL61514192141220293
1981–82 New York RangersNHL413811152
1982–83 Hartford Whalers NHL721910199
1983–84 Hartford WhalersNHL59099163
1984–85 Philadelphia Flyers NHL503471301811269
1985–86 Philadelphia FlyersNHL1731455
1985–86 Minnesota North Stars NHL430229120002
1986–87 Philadelphia FlyersNHL4522413650002
1987–88 Buffalo Sabres NHL4201198
1988–89 Rochester Americans AHL500010
NHL totals4501751681,31444415208

References

  1. Moran, Malcolm (May 16, 1987). "Flyers, Canadiens Pay Price for Brawl". The New York Times . p. 49, Section 1. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  2. Archives, L. A. Times (May 16, 1987). "Philadelphia defenseman Ed Hospodar was suspended for..." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  3. Kurz, Kevin. "Flyers-Canadians brawl of 1987 changed the NHL forever". The Athletic. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  4. "Ed Hospodar player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  5. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  6. "LeBow College of Business to Award John Hospodar 85 Father of Ed Boxcar Hospodar Honorary MBA | Now | Drexel University". Drexel.edu. May 20, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  7. "1979 NHL Entry Draft - Ed Hospodar". Hockeydraftcentral.com. Retrieved February 5, 2013.