Gregg Sheppard

Last updated
Gregg Sheppard
Born (1949-04-23) April 23, 1949 (age 75)
North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Boston Bruins
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 19721982

Gregory Wayne Sheppard (born April 23, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward [1] who most notably played for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He played in three Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins (1974, 1977, 1978).

Contents

Career

Sheppard was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Playing in the waning days of the period where teenagers were signed to junior league contracts by NHL teams, Sheppard played his junior hockey for the Estevan Bruins of the Western Hockey League, competing for the Memorial Cup in two seasons and being the star of his team's Memorial Cup drive in 1968. In 1969 Sheppard began a three-year pro apprenticeship with the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League, becoming a Second Team All-Star in 1971. The following season, he was named the league's most valuable player and remains the all-time leading career scorer of the franchise.

Joining the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins in 1972 as a result of the parent club losing players to expansion and the new World Hockey Association, Sheppard – showing both scoring prowess and exemplary defensive and penalty killing skills – had a fine rookie season, finishing sixth in balloting for rookie of the year honors. The following season Sheppard made his true mark in the playoffs, scoring eleven goals in sixteen playoff games as the Bruins went to the Cup finals.

He was a mainstay in Boston for six seasons in all, scoring thirty or more goals three straight years—and only a serious injury costing him much of the 1978 season cost him a fourth—as well as proving himself as one of the league's premier faceoff men and penalty killers. He was named to play in the All-Star Game in 1976, during which he won the Bruins' Seventh Player Award as the team's unsung hero and the Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy for the player judged best in home games. His best statistical season was 1975, in which he scored 78 points and finished with a plus/minus rating of +45.

Before the 1978–79 season began, Sheppard was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a three-way deal. At first holding out due to dissatisfaction at the deal, he eventually joined the team in late November 1978, although his days as a scorer were behind him. He played four seasons in all for Pittsburgh before retiring in 1982.

Sheppard played in 657 NHL games in all over ten seasons, finishing with 205 goals and 293 assists for 498 points. A notably clean player for some rough teams, he finished with 243 penalty minutes.

Career statistics

   Regular season   Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1965–66North Battleford North StarsSAHA
1965–66 Estevan Bruins SJHL1112010000
1965–66 Estevan Bruins M-Cup 11010
1966–67 Estevan Bruins CMJHL 524424681412119204
1967–68 Estevan BruinsWCJHL583546816814137206
1967–68 Estevan BruinsM-Cup1412112318
1968–69 Estevan BruinsWCJHL5442428433101780
1968–69 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 40000
1969–70 Oklahoma City BlazersCHL6526295519
1969–70 Salt Lake Golden Eagles WHL 50002
1970–71 Oklahoma City BlazersCHL682550754552355
1971–72 Oklahoma City BlazersCHL7241529343647114
1972–73 Boston Bruins NHL 642426501852130
1972–73 Boston Braves AHL 855102
1973–74 Boston BruinsNHL751631472116118194
1974–75 Boston BruinsNHL763048781933145
1975–76 Boston BruinsNHL70314374281256116
1976–77 Boston BruinsNHL77313667201457128
1977–78 Boston BruinsNHL542336592415210126
1978–79 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL60152237971230
1979–80 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL761324372051120
1980–81 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL471117284952462
1981–82 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL5811102135
CHL totals2099213122310711610169
NHL totals6572052934982438232407231

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References

  1. "Gregg Sheppard - Stats, Contract, Salary & More".
Preceded by CHL Most Valuable Player Award
1971–72
Succeeded by