Tony Leswick

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Tony Leswick
Tony Leswick.png
Leswick pictured with the Saskatoon Quakers, circa 1941
Born(1923-03-17)March 17, 1923
Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died July 1, 2001(2001-07-01) (aged 78)
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Height 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight 155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Right
Played for New York Rangers
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Black Hawks
Playing career 1942–1960

Anthony Joseph Leswick (March 17, 1923 – July 1, 2001) was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played mostly for the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Tough Tony" and "Mighty Mouse", he was known also as a little pest, in part due to his small stature, at just 5'7" tall and 160 lbs. Leswick is best known for scoring the series-winning goal in overtime of game seven of the 1954 Stanley Cup Finals.

Contents

Playing career

Minor league hockey

Leswick played his junior hockey with the Saskatoon Dodgers and Saskatoon Quakers, and quickly gained attention. In 1942, Leswick jumped to the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Cleveland Barons and scored 40 points in only 52 games. He moved onto the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL) the following season to play for the New Westminster Royals. Scoring 36 points in 19 games there, he followed up his great season by joining with HMCS Chippawa of the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve, where he helped to win the 1944–45 Basil Baker trophy for inter-service hockey. The New York Rangers had acquired him in June 1945, and based on this performance added him to their lineup for the remainder of the 1945–46 NHL season.

Professional career

Leswick scored 15 goals in his shortened rookie season for the Rangers and quickly established himself as one of the few bright spots in New York. He enjoyed agitating opponents, including Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens, and Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings. Leswick recorded consecutive 20-goal seasons in 1946–47 and 1947–48, but the Rangers as a team struggled to succeed. After scoring 44 points in 1949–50, he was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team. During this time, he formed a successful combination with Edgar Laprade and Dunc Fisher.

Detroit was impressed by Leswick's when playing against Gordie Howe, and acquired him after the 1950–51 season in a blockbuster trade on June 8, with Gaye Stewart going to New York. Leswick was added to a line with Marty Pavelich and Glen Skov, and helped lead Detroit to Stanley Cup championships in 1952, 1954, and 1955. He is best remembered for his winning goal in game seven of the 1954 Stanley Cup finals against the Montreal Canadiens. Leswick recalled in an interview with Chuck O'Donnell, [1]

"It was early in overtime, I don't know, maybe four or five minutes in. We were trying to change our forwards. I had the puck around centre ice or so and I just wanted to do the smart thing and throw it in. If I get caught with the puck and the Canadiens steal it, we may get caught and they may get an odd-man break. Just like that, the game could be over. So, I'm just thinking of lifting the puck down deep in their end, just making the safe play. So I flipped it in nice and high and turned to get off the ice. The next thing I know, everyone's celebrating. It had gone in. I said, "You've got to be kidding. It went in? Get out of here!""

Defenceman Doug Harvey went back to glove the puck, but instead deflected it past goaltender Gerry McNeil and into the net for the game-winning goal.

Following his third Stanley Cup victory in 1955, Leswick was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks along with Glen Skov, Johnny Wilson and Benny Woit for Jerry Toppazzini, John McCormack, Dave Creighton and Gord Hollingworth, on May 27. He scored 11 goals and 11 assists in the 1955–56 season for Chicago before jumping to the Edmonton Flyers of the Western Hockey League, for whom he scored 53 points in the 1956–57 season and he was named to another All-Star team. After a brief 22 games for Detroit in 1957, Leswick returned to the Edmonton Flyers until the close of the 1959 season. He played nine games the following season for the Vancouver Canucks of the WHL before retiring from playing.

Coaching

Leswick tried his hand at coaching starting in 1958, as a midseason replacement for the Edmonton Flyers in 1957–58 and continued until midseason of 1958–59. He felt he was more of a help to the team on the ice. He later coached Indianapolis Capitals/Cincinnati Wings of the Central Hockey League in the 1963–64 season. The team finished last in the league with a 12–53–7 record and Leswick subsequently retired from hockey.

Awards and achievements

Personal life

Leswick's brothers Pete and Jack also played in the NHL. Jack won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 1934.

His nephew is former Major League Baseball player Lenny Dykstra.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1939–40Saskatoon DodgersN-SJHL45271324150
1940–41Saskatoon Jr. QuakersN-SJHL111510253421672
1940–41Saskatoon QuakersS-SJHL10002—————
1940–41 Saskatoon Jr. Quakers M-Cup —————12741114
1941–42Saskatoon Quakers SSHL 322121424593584
1941–42 Saskatoon Quakers Al-Cup —————52354
1942–43 Cleveland Barons AHL 521426404343364
1942–43Victoria VMDNNDHL20220—————
1943–44Saskatoon NavySSHL1826265250432518
1943–44 New Westminster Royals NWIHL192511361020220
1944–45Winnipeg NavyWNDHL12981733672912
1945–46 New York Rangers NHL 501592426—————
1946–47 New York RangersNHL5927144151—————
1947–48 New York RangersNHL602416407663258
1948–49 New York RangersNHL6013142770—————
1949–50 New York RangersNHL69192544851224612
1950–51 New York RangersNHL70151126112—————
1951–52 Detroit Red Wings NHL709101993831422
1952–53 Detroit Red WingsNHL7015122787610111
1953–54 Detroit Red WingsNHL7061824901231418
1954–55 Detroit Red WingsNHL701017271371112320
1955–56 Chicago Black Hawks NHL7011112271—————
1956–57 Edmonton Flyers WHL 6022315310782136
1957–58 Detroit Red WingsNHL22123240000
1957–58 Edmonton FlyersWHL4210152546—————
1958–59 Edmonton FlyersWHL363131627—————
1959–60 Vancouver Canucks WHL93690110110
NHL totals7401651593249005913102391

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References

  1. ↑ "FindArticles.com - CBSi". Findarticles.com. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  2. ↑ Cohen, Russ; Halligan, John; Raider, Adam (2009). 100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters. John Wiley & Sons. p. 96. ISBN   978-0470736197 . Retrieved February 3, 2020.
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