Ross Lonsberry

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Ross Lonsberry
Born(1947-02-07)February 7, 1947
Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died May 4, 2014(2014-05-04) (aged 67)
Santa Clarita, California, U.S.
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Boston Bruins
Los Angeles Kings
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 19661981

David Ross Lonsberry (February 7, 1947 – May 4, 2014) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. He had his best seasons in a Flyers uniform and was a member of Philadelphia's back-to-back Stanley Cup championship teams in the mid-1970s.

Contents

Playing career

Signed with the Boston Bruins organization as a teenager, Lonsberry enjoyed an outstanding junior career with the Estevan Bruins junior club of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), winning the scoring championship in his final season with 144 points in only 60 games, and following with 23 goals in 25 playoff games en route to the Memorial Cup semifinals. Starting in 1966, Lonsberry had a three-year professional apprenticeship with the Bruins' Central Professional Hockey League farm team, the Oklahoma City Blazers, while spending some time with the NHL club in each of the three seasons.

Coveted by the Los Angeles Kings, they traded for him in 1970 for two first round draft picks, and he became a steady two-way performer for Los Angeles, scoring twenty or more goals each of his two full seasons with the Kings and being named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in 1972. He played 82 games combined in a 78-game season with the Kings and Flyers in 1971-72. He is also noted for scoring the first NHL goal at the Pacific Coliseum, then the home of the Vancouver Canucks. [1]

He was acquired along with Bill Flett, Jean Potvin and Eddie Joyal by the Flyers from the Kings for Serge Bernier, Bill Lesuk and Jim Johnson on January 28, 1972. [2] The transaction was the largest in league history at the time. He would meet with the most success with the Flyers. Playing on a line with Rick MacLeish and Gary Dornhoefer, his hard-nosed two-way style fit in perfectly with the "Broad Street Bullies," scoring over twenty goals in three of his six and a half seasons in Philadelphia and participating in both of the Flyers' Stanley Cup championships. His best season was 1974, the first such championship, where he had a career high 32 goals and followed with 13 points in 17 playoff games.

In 1978, Lonsberry was dealt for the final time to the Pittsburgh Penguins, remaining an effective player for his three years with that club. With Pittsburgh in a youth movement and declining to renew his contract, he retired after the 1981 season.

Lonsberry finished his career with 256 goals and 310 assists for 566 points in 968 games, adding 806 penalty minutes. He also played in 100 playoff games, scoring 21 goals and 25 assists.

After his playing career, Lonsberry went into the commercial insurance business in the Los Angeles area. [3] He died of cancer on May 4, 2014. [4]

Career statistics

   Regular season   Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1962–63 Estevan Bruins SJHL 10110
1963–64Estevan BruinsSJHL611826445511691523
1963–64 Estevan Bruins MC 51128
1964–65Estevan BruinsSJHL56405696130635815
1964–65 Minneapolis Bruins CPHL 2000051014
1964–65 Estevan BruinsMC1920103023
1965–66Estevan BruinsSJHL596777144109121361926
1965–66 Estevan BruinsMC131091917
1965–66 Edmonton Oil Kings MC62136
1966–67 Oklahoma City Blazers CPHL46121022831132531
1966–67 Buffalo Bisons AHL 71124
1966–67 Boston Bruins NHL 80112
1967–68 Oklahoma City BlazersCPHL1922412733622
1967–68 Boston BruinsNHL1922412
1968–69 Oklahoma City BlazersCHL6528396716912481221
1968–69 Boston BruinsNHL60002
1969–70 Los Angeles Kings NHL76202242118
1970–71 Los Angeles KingsNHL7625285380
1971–72 Los Angeles KingsNHL509142339
1971–72 Philadelphia Flyers NHL32771422
1972–73 Philadelphia FlyersNHL7721295059114379
1973–74 Philadelphia FlyersNHL753219514817491318
1974–75 Philadelphia FlyersNHL80242549991743710
1975–76 Philadelphia FlyersNHL8019284787164372
1976–77 Philadelphia FlyersNHL75233255431012329
1977–78 Philadelphia FlyersNHL7818304845122246
1978–79 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL802422463870229
1979–80 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL761518333652132
1980–81 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL801733507650002
CPHL/CHL totals15456671233683511132478
NHL totals96825631056680610021254687

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References

  1. "Los Angeles Kings vs. Vancouver Canucks Box Score: October 9, 1970".
  2. William Flett (RW) 19711974 Philadelphia Flyers. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  3. Jay Greenberg, "Where Are They Now?: Ross Lonsberry, CSN Philadelphia, September 29, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  4. "Ross Lonsberry dies at 67; former hockey player for Kings, Flyers". Los Angeles Times . 2014-05-06.