| Tom Mellor | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1950-01-27)January 27, 1950 (age 76) Cranston,Rhode Island, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Defense | ||||||||||||||||
| Shot | Right | ||||||||||||||||
| Played for | Detroit Red Wings London Lions Västra Frölunda IF | ||||||||||||||||
| National team |  United States | ||||||||||||||||
| NHL draft | 68th overall,1970 Detroit Red Wings | ||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1973–1977 | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
Thomas Robert Mellor (born January 27, 1950) is an American former professionalice hockeydefenseman. He played 26 games in theNational Hockey League with theDetroit Red Wings during the1973–74 and1974–75 seasons. Internationally, Mellor played for theAmerican national team at the1972 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.
Before being drafted by theDetroit Red Wings, Mellor played hockey forBoston College. In the 1968–69 season, he scored nine goals and 19 points in his 17-game rookie season. In his sophomore season, he scored 21 goals and 44 points in 26 games. He scored ahat trick for Boston College in a 13–6 win overRensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[1] In his junior year in theNCAA he had 40 points in 25 games for the Boston Eagles.[2] During his years at Boston College, he led Boston College in assists on two occasions (1971: 30; 1973: 45) and was ranked third for most assists in a season at Boston College. He was also a two-time recipient (1971, 1973) of Boston College's Norman F. Dailey Memorial Award as the team's Most Valuable Player. He was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980.[3]
Mellor was drafted 68th overall by theDetroit Red Wings in1970 NHL Amateur Draft and played 26 regular-season games in theNational Hockey League for Detroit between 1973 and 1975. Mellor also played in theAmerican Hockey League for theVirginia Wings; in theInternational Hockey League for theToledo Goaldiggers; and in theSwedishElitserien withVästra Frölunda. As a player in the IHL, he was named to the First-Team All-Star Team, he won theJames Gatschene Memorial Trophy and theGovernor's Trophy in 1977, his last season as a professional player before retiring.[3]
As an amateur, Mellor represented theUnited States national team at the1972 Winter Olympics inSapporo, winning a silver medal.[4] Mellor also played in the 1971, 1972 and 1973Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments.[2]
Mellor was formally inducted into the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022. At the same enshrinement ceremony, his 101-year-old father, Don Mellor, a pioneer youth hockey organizer, was honored by the Hall with the Malcolm Greene Chace Memorial Trophy for "Lifetime Achievement of a Rhode Islander to the game of hockey."
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1966–67 | Northwood School | HS-NY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | Northwood School | HS-NY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1968–69 | Boston College | ECAC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Boston College | ECAC | 26 | 21 | 23 | 44 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | Boston College | ECAC | 25 | 10 | 30 | 40 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | United States National Team | Intl | 18 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | United States National Team | Intl | 7 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Boston College | ECAC | 30 | 6 | 45 | 51 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 25 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | Virginia Wings | AHL | 23 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | London Lions | Intl | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Virginia Wings | AHL | 73 | 17 | 35 | 52 | 147 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 17 | ||
| 1975–76 | Västra Frölunda IF | SWE | 34 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Toledo Goaldiggers | IHL | 13 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 1976–77 | Toledo Goaldiggers | IHL | 75 | 13 | 61 | 74 | 118 | 19 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 16 | ||
| NHL totals | 26 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | United States | WC | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1972 | United States | OLY | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 1973 | United States | WC-B | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| Senior totals | 26 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 8 | |||
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| All-ECAC HockeySecond Team | 1969–70 1970–71 | [5] |
| All-ECAC HockeyFirst Team | 1972–73 | [5] |
| AHCAEast All-American | 1972–73 | [6] |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year 1969–70 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | ECAC Hockey Player of the Year 1972–73 | Succeeded by |
