Melville-born centre led Red Wings
Born in Saskatchewan in 1918, Sid Abel came from the small town of Melville and would rise to the highest heights of NHL hockey. Joining the Detroit Red Wings in 1938, he would serve as a mentor to several players, including the legendary Gordie Howe.
As the centre of the Production Line, which teamed Abel with Howe and Ted Lindsay, the trio would lead the Red Wings to seven consecutive first-place finishes and two Stanley Cups in 1950 and 1952. In all, Abel would win three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings.
During his time on the Production Line, Abel would often finish near the top in the scoring race, while picking up two NHL First Team All-Star nods and a Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player in the league in 1949.
After winning his third Stanley Cup with the team in 1952, he was suddenly traded to Chicago for cash and was named as the coach of the team. He would be the last player-coach in NHL history.
At the time of his retirement in 1954, Abel had 189 goals, 283 assists and 472 points in 612 games. In 1957, he returned as the coach of the Red Wings and would coach the team until 1970, helping to lead the team to the Stanley Cup Final four times.
He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1968. In 1995, his number 12 was retired by the Red Wings, and in 1998 he was ranked as the 85th greatest player in NHL history by The Hockey News.
Abel died on Feb. 6, 2000. In 2017, he was chosen in the first group of players to be named one of the 100 greatest NHL players in history.
As we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, the Leader-Post and StarPhoenix are telling the stories of 150 Saskatchewan people who helped shape the nation. Send your suggestions or feedback to sask150@postmedia.com.