Howe rival, ex-Ranger ‘Leapin’ Louie’ Fontinato dead at 84

Former Rangers defenseman Lou Fontinato died Sunday at the age of 84, outliving his fierce rival Gordie Howe by less than a month. No cause of death was provided. In one of the NHL’s most legendary fights, Fontinato skated off the ice at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 1, 1959, with a broken nose and dislocated jaw after a bloody brawl against Mr. Hockey. The feud had been brewing for years, but this run-in was by far the most violent and left Fontinato’s nose as crooked as the stick he dropped seconds after charging Howe.

Howe, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2012, died on June 10 at the age of 88. He also suffered a major stroke in 2014.

Fontinato — a fan favorite known as “Leapin’ Louie” — played nine seasons in the NHL and was one of the most penalized players in the league. During the 1955-56 season, he had a leagueleading 202 penalty minutes, becoming the first NHL player to spend more than 200 minutes in the box. He led the Rangers in penalty minutes in all six of his full seasons with them.

In 1961 Fontinato was traded to the Canadiens for defenseman Doug Harvey in a highly publicized deal. His two-year run with the Habs ended in March 1963 when Fontinato missed a check on Rangers left wing Vic Hadfield and suffered a career-ending neck injury. He was paralyzed for a month afterward and didn’t regain feeling in his arms for four months.

Fontinato concluded his NHL career with 26 goals, 104 points and 1,247 penalty minutes over 535 games. He ranks seventh in Rangers’ history in penalty minutes. Fontinato’s great-nephew, Greg McKegg, is currently a forward for the Panthers.

Upon his retirement, Fontinato returned to southwestern Ontario and took up farming near his hometown of Guelph. He is survived by his two children, Paula and Roger.