Taffy Abel
Clarence John "Taffy" Abel (May 28, 1900 – August 1, 1964) was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a member of two Stanley Cup championship teams. He was the first United States-born player to become a NHL regular. He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
| Taffy Abel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Born |
May 28, 1900 Sault Ste. Marie, MI, USA | ||
| Died |
August 1, 1964 (aged 64) Sault Ste. Marie, MI, USA | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
New York Rangers Chicago Black Hawks | ||
| National team |
 United States | ||
| Playing career | 1924–1934 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Representing the United States | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
.svg.png.webp){kind=icon} | 1924 Chamonix | Team competition |
Playing career
Clarence "Taffy" Abel was a silver medalist on the United States in the 1924 Olympics, serving as flagbearer for the U.S. delegation.[1] Abel scored 15 goals for the United States in the tournament.[2]
As a member of the Minneapolis Millers of the CHL during the 1925-26 season, Abel was named to the CHL's First All-Star team at the defense position.
Abel played in the NHL for eight years. He was signed by Conn Smythe to the New York Rangers, largely based upon his strong performance at the Winter Olympics in 1924.[3] With the Rangers, he wore sweater number 4, and, paired with defenseman Ching Johnson, was a key member of the Stanley Cup winning Rangers team in 1927-28. After the 1929 season, Abel's rights were sold to the Chicago Black Hawks, where he played five more years, wearing sweater number 2.[4] Abel was a member of the Cup-winning Black Hawks in 1933-34, his last NHL season.
Abel returned to Sault Ste. Marie after retirement, coaching ice hockey and operating a tourist hotel.[5] At the age of 64, on August 1, 1964, Clarence Abel died in his home in Sault Ste. Marie. Nine years later, he was inducted into the United States Hall of Fame as a player.
The home rink for the Lake Superior State University hockey program is named after Taffy Abel.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1924 | United States (Olympics) | 5 | 15 | 0 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1924–25 | St. Paul Hockey Club | USAHA | 39 | 8 | 0 | 8 | n/a | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1925–26 | Minneapolis Millers | CHL | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1926–27 | New York Rangers | NHL | 44 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 78 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1927–28 | New York Rangers | NHL | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | ||
| 1928–29 | New York Rangers | NHL | 44 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 41 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 1929–30 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 38 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 42 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 1930–31 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 43 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 45 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 1931–32 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 48 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1932–33 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 47 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1933–34 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 46 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| NHL totals | 333 | 19 | 18 | 37 | 359 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 56 | ||||
References
- Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players:the ultimate A-Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
- http://pressbox.teamusa.org/Pages/Luge-Athlete-Mark-Grimmette-Selected-as-Flag-Bearer-for-2010-U-S--Olympic-Team.aspx
- "Clarence "Taffy" Abel". NHL.com. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- "Clarence "Taffy" Abel". New York Rangers. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- The National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book/2009. Triumph Books. 2007. p. 604. ISBN 978-1-60078-148-3.
- Podnieks, p. 3
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Taffy Abel at Find a Grave
| Olympic Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Pat McDonald |
Flagbearer for United States Chamonix 1924 |
Succeeded by Pat McDonald |