Gerry Cheevers

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Gerald Michael "Gerry" Cheevers (born on December 7, 1940, in St. Catharines, Ontario) is a former goaltender in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association between 1961 and 1980.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Regular season 3 Awards 4 International play 5 Miscellaneous

[edit] Overview

Cheevers' professional hockey career began in 1956 at the age of 16 when he played for the St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey Association. He was owned by the Toronto Maple Leafs until the Boston Bruins drafted him in 1965. He spent six years in all in the minors until, by 1967, he was the team's number one goalie. He was a member of both the 1970 and 1972 Stanley Cup winning teams, gaining a reputation as a driven, "money" goaltender.

In 1971-72, he set a record, going undefeated in 33 consecutive games.

Cheevers' unusual stitch-pattern goaltender mask came after he had been a puck flipped up and hit him in the face during practice. Cheevers, never one to miss an opportunity to skip out of practice, went to the dressing room. Bruins coach Harry Sinden followed him to the dressing room, where he found Cheevers enjoying a beer and smoking a cigarette. Sinden told Cheevers, who wasn't injured, to get back on the ice. In jest, John Forestall, the team trainer, painted a stitch mark on his mask. Ever after, any time he was similarly struck, he would have a new stitch-mark painted on. The mask became one of the most recognized of the era, and the original mask is now on the wall of his grandson's bedroom. Another version is on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In the fall of 1972, he jumped to the fledgling World Hockey Association, playing three and a half seasons for the Cleveland Crusaders as one of the league's best goalies, winning First Team All-Star honors in 1973 and Second Team honors in 1974 and 1975.

Returning to the Bruins during the 1976 season after financial disputes with Cleveland management, Cheevers finished out his playing career at the end of the 1980 season. After hanging up his pads, he became the Bruins' coach, a position he held for four and a half seasons.

Cheevers was not afraid to stray from the crease both to cut down the shooter's angle and to act as a "third defenseman". He was very aggressive with opposing players who strayed into or near the crease. Not a "stand-up" goalie, Cheevers could often be found on his knees or even his side.

His cumulative NHL goals against average was 2.89. He recorded 230 NHL wins, played in 419 NHL games, and recorded 26 NHL shutouts. He was also second in the WHA's history in career GAA and shutouts, despite playing in only half the league's seasons.

After his departure as Bruins' coach, Cheevers has devoted his time to his interests in thoroughbred horse racing and as a hockey scout; he retired from the Bruins' scouting staff after the 2005-06 season.

[edit] Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA
1956-57	Toronto St. Mike's	OHA		1	0	0	0	60	4	0	4.00
1957-58	Toronto St. Mike's	OHA		1	0	0	0	60	3	0	3.00
1958-59	Toronto St. Mike's	OHA		6	0	0	0	360	28	0	4.67
1958-59	Toronto St. Mike's	OHA		36	18	13	5	2160	111	5	3.08
1959-60	Toronto St. Mikes	OHA		36	18	13	5			5	3.08
1960-61	Toronto St. Mikes	OHA		30	12	20	5			2	3.18
1960-61	Toronto St. Mikes	OHA		9	7	2	0			1	2.33
1961-62	Pittsburgh Hornets	AHL		5	2	2	1			0	4.20
1961-62	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	EPHL		29	13	13	3			1	3.55
1961-62	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		2	1	1	0			0	3.00
1961-62	Rochester Americans	AHL		19	9	9	1			1	3.63
1962-63	Rochester Americans	AHL		19	7	9	3			1	3.95
1962-63	Sudbury Wolves	EPHL		51	17	24	10			4	4.15
1963-64	Rochester Americans	AHL		66	38	25	2	4359	195	3	2.84
1964-65	Rochester Americans	AHL		72	48	21	3			5	2.68
1965-66	Boston Bruins	NHL		7	0	4	1			0	6.00
1965-66	Oklahoma City Blazers	CPHL		30	16	9	5			3	2.49
1966-67	Boston Bruins	NHL		22	5	10	6	1284	72	1	3.33
1966-67	Oklahoma City Blazers	CPHL		26	14	6	5			1	2.80
1967-68	Boston Bruins	NHL		47	23	17	5	2646	125	3	2.83
1968-69	Boston Bruins	NHL		52	28	12	12	3112	145	3	2.80
1969-70	Boston Bruins	NHL		41	24	8	8	2384	108	4	2.72
1970-71	Boston Bruins	NHL		40	27	8	5	2400	109	3	2.73
1971-72	Boston Bruins	NHL		41	27	5	8	2420	101	2	2.50
1972-73	Cleveland Crusaders	WHA		52	32	20	0	3144	149	5	2.84
1973-74	Cleveland Crusaders	WHA		59	30	20	6	3562	180	4	3.03
1974-75	Cleveland Crusaders	WHA		52	26	24	2	3076	167	4	3.26
1975-76	Cleveland Crusaders	WHA		28	11	14	1	1570	95	1	3.63
1975-76	Boston Bruins	NHL		15	8	2	5	900	41	1	2.73
1976-77	Boston Bruins	NHL		45	0	4	46	0	4	1
1976-77	Boston Bruins	NHL		45	30	10	5	2700	137	3	3.04
1977-78	Boston Bruins	NHL		21	10	5	2	1086	48	1	2.65
1978-79	Boston Bruins	NHL		43	23	9	10	2509	132	1	3.16
1979-80	Boston Bruins	NHL		42	24	11	7	2479	116	4	2.81

[edit] Awards

• 1964-65 Harry (Hap) Holmes Memorial Award, which goes to the AHL goalie with the best goals against average.
• Played in the 1969 NHL All-Star Game.
• 1973 WHA First Team All-Star, won Ben Hatskin Award for best goaltender.
• 1979-80 Runner-up for the NHL's Vezina Memorial Trophy (Top goaltender).
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.

[edit] International play

• 1974 Played for Team Canada at the Summit-74 series
• 1976 Spare goaltender for Team Canada in the Challenge Cup
• 1979 Played for NHL All Stars in the Challenge Cup vs. Team Soviet Union

[edit] Miscellaneous

Two bands have songs about Cheevers :

• Chixdiggit! included a song on their first album called "I feel like Gerry Cheevers (Stitch Marks on My Heart)".
• Cheeky Monkey covered the Chixdiggit! song on their 1997 album Four Arms To Hold You,
• NHL lore states that at one time he signed a contract which had a clause allowing him to drink a beer between periods. Cheevers has confirmed this is not true.

Preceded by Harry Sinden

Head Coaches of the Boston Bruins 1980-1985

Succeeded by Harry Sinden

Boston Bruins Head Coaches
Ross • Denneny • F. Patrick • Weiland • Clapper • Boucher • L. Patrick • Schmidt • Watson • Sinden • Johnson • Guidolin • Cherry • Creighton • Cheevers • Goring • O'Reilly • Milbury • Bowness • Sutter • Kasper • Burns • Keenan • Ftorek • O'Connell • Sullivan • Lewis