Claire Alexander

Claire Arthur Alexander[1] or Arthur Claire Alexander[2] (born June 16, 1945) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA) in the 1970s.

Claire Alexander
Born (1945-06-16) June 16, 1945
Collingwood, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Edmonton Oilers
EC Bad Nauheim
Zürcher SC
Playing career 1973–1982

Playing career

Claire Alexander was one of the game's last great amateur players. After a brief stint in minor-pro hockey in the mid-1960s, he returned home to Ontario and took a job as a milkman, while continuing to star with local senior amateur teams. A skilled defender with a booming shot, Alexander led the Orillia Terriers to the Allan Cup, awarded to Canada's top amateur club, in 1973.

The Toronto Maple Leafs talked Alexander into giving pro hockey another chance, and he joined their Central Hockey League (CHL) affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blazers the following year. He was an immediate hit, as he scored 60 points and was named the league's top rookie and top defender.

In 1974–75, Alexander was called up to the Leafs, making his NHL debut at the age of 29. He finished the season with 7 goals (including a hat-trick) and 17 points in 42 games. He spent most of the next two seasons on the Leafs' roster, posting 21 points in 81 games, and made his most notable contribution in the 1976 playoffs with 6 points in 9 games. Thanks to his former milkman past he was known as "The Milkman" during his Leafs' days.

For 1977–78, Alexander was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. He split the season between the Canucks and their farm team in the CHL, the Tulsa Oilers, but made a substantial contribution with 26 points in just 32 games in Vancouver. The following season, he moved to the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Edmonton Oilers, posting 31 points on a team featuring Wayne Gretzky in his first professional season. He then spent two seasons playing in Germany and one season in Switzerland before retiring in 1982. Following his retirement he served a brief stint as head coach of Toronto's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in St. Catharines.

Alexander finished his career with 18 goals and 64 points in 155 career NHL games, along with just 36 penalty minutes. He also recorded 8 goals and 31 points in 54 WHA games.

His daughter Buffy-Lynne Williams has represented Canada in rowing in international competition, including three consecutive Summer Olympics, from 2000 to 2008.

Career statistics
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1965–66 Kitchener Rangers OHA 45 2 15 17 26 — — — — —
1966–67 Knoxville/Johnstown EHL 67 17 20 37 39 — — — — —
1967–68 Collingwood Kings OHA Sr. 40 17 32 49 36 — — — — —
1968–69 Collingwood Kings OHA Sr. 39 30 32 62 16 — — — — —
1971–72 Orillia Terriers OHA Sr. 38 13 28 41 42 — — — — —
1972–73 Orillia Terriers OHA Sr. 41 17 29 46 40 — — — — —
1972–73 Tulsa Oilers CHL 5 5 1 6 9 — — — — —
1973–74 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 72 23 37 60 34 9 3 4 7 2
1974–75 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 33 8 17 25 14 — — — — —
1974–75 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 42 7 10 17 12 7 0 0 0 0
1975–76 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 43 25 31 56 22 — — — — —
1975–76 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 33 2 6 8 6 9 2 4 6 4
1976–77 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 48 1 12 13 12 — — — — —
1977–78 Tulsa Oilers CHL 46 14 42 56 22 — — — — —
1977–78 Vancouver Canucks NHL 32 8 18 26 6 — — — — —
1978–79 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 7 1 2 3 0 6 1 2 3 4
1978–79 Edmonton Oilers WHA 54 8 23 31 16 — — — — —
1979–80 EC Bad Nauheim Bund 44 32 18 50 96 — — — — —
1980–81 EC Bad Nauheim Bund 37 17 18 35 48 5 4 1 5 27
NHL totals 155 18 46 64 36 16 2 4 6 4

See also

References
  1. National Hockey League Guide and Record Book 1974-75, pg. 241
  2. Surgent, Scott (2013). The Complete World Hockey Association, 9e. Tempe, Arizona. p. 317. ISBN 978-1-490967400.
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