Val Fonteyne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Valere Ronald "Val" Fonteyne (born December 2, 1933 in Wetaskiwin, Alberta) is a retired Canadian NHL and WHA hockey player. He played left wing in the NHL between 1959 and 1972 for the Detroit Red Wings (twice), New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, and in the WHA from 1972 to 1974 for the Alberta Oilers and later Edmonton Oilers.
He wasn't an offensive star, but a hard-working and effective third-line type. He is regarded by many hockey scholars as the cleanest player in NHL history. In 820 NHL games spanning 13 seasons, he served a remarkable total of just 28 minutes in the penalty box. He went completely unpenalized in five different seasons, including three in a row from 1965-1968. In a further 149 WHA games he was assessed only two minor penalties.
In his NHL career, he scored 75 goals and 154 assists for 229 points in 820 games. He also played in 59 playoff games, scoring 3 goals and 10 assists. He made it to the Stanley Cup finals with Detroit in 1961, 1963 and 1966 but lost each time.