| Bryan Hextall | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1969 | |||
 | |||
| Born | (1913-07-31)July 31, 1913 Grenfell, Saskatchewan, Canada | ||
| Died | July 25, 1984(1984-07-25) (aged 70) Poplar Point, Manitoba, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | New York Rangers | ||
| Playing career | 1933–1948 | ||
Bryan Aldwyn Hextall (July 31, 1913 – July 25, 1984) was a Canadian professionalice hockeyforward who played for theNew York Rangers in theNational Hockey League (NHL). Considered one of the topwingers of the 1940s, he led the NHL in goal scoring twice and in points once. Additionally, he was named afirst-team All-Star three times, and a second-team All-Star once.
Hextall scored the overtime-winning goal that clinched the1940Stanley Cup for the Rangers. He is the father of one of hockey's greatestfamilies, as his sonsBryan Jr. andDennis, and grandsonRon all had lengthy NHL careers. Bryan Sr. was elected to theHockey Hall of Fame in 1969.
Born inGrenfell, Saskatchewan in 1913, Hextall grew up inPoplar Point, Manitoba. He played his first hockey there, winning the Manitoba juvenile championship in 1929–30.[1] He played junior hockey with theWinnipeg Monarchs in 1931–32 before switching to thePortage Terriers with whom he won theManitoba Junior Hockey League scoring title in 1932–33.[2]
Hextall began his professional career in 1933–34 with theVancouver Lions of theNorth West Hockey League (NWHL). He played three seasons in Vancouver,[3] leading the NWHL in scoring with 27 goals in 1935–36. He moved on to thePhiladelphia Ramblers of theInternational-American Hockey League the following year, again leading the league with 27 goals.[1]
TheNew York Rangers brought Hextall up for three games in 1937. He made the team full-time in1937–38.[4] A left-handed shooter, Hextall played his "off wing" –right wing – at a time before it was common practice.[1] He scored at least 20 goals seven times in his career, mainly while playing on the Rangers' top line withPhil Watson andLynn Patrick.[4]
Hextall led the NHL in goal scoring and was named afirst-team All-Star for the first time in1939–40.[1] He was one of the Rangers' top players during the1940 Stanley Cup Finals against theToronto Maple Leafs. Hextall scored ahat trick against the Leafs and added an assist to lead the Rangers to a come-from-behind victory in game two of the series,[5] and scored the overtime winning goal in the sixth game that clinched the thirdStanley Cup championship in Rangers history.[6] The Rangers would not win another for 54 years.[1]
A second All-Star selection followed in1940–41 as Hextall again led the NHL in goal scoring and finished in a tie for second in overall points.[7] He led the league in points in1941–42; his total of 56 standing seven better than second place.[8] Additionally, he was named to the first All-Star team for the third consecutive season.[9]
Hextall scored career highs in goals, 27, and points, 59, in1942–43 and was again named a post-season All-Star, this time on the second team.[3] In addition to being a top scorer, Hextall was also durable. He appeared in 340 consecutive games for the Rangers between 1937 and 1944.[4] His streak came to an end in 1944 when Canadian war authorities denied him a permit to cross into the United States.[10] The Rangers' attempts to regain his services were unsuccessful,[11] Unable to play in the NHL, Hextall regained his amateur status and played senior hockey briefly with theSt. Catharines Saints in theOntario Hockey Association's senior division.[4]
The conclusion ofWorld War II allowed Hextall to return to the Rangers in1945–46, however, his return was short-lived. He was hospitalized with a liver ailment,[1] an illness that ruled him out of season after just three games, and led to fears it would end his career.[12] Hextall overcame doctors expectations,[4] appearing in all 60 games for the Rangers in1946–47.[1] After a final season in the NHL in1947–48, Hextall split the1948–49American Hockey League season between theCleveland Barons andWashington Lions before announcing his retirement.[3]
Hextall was inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame in 1969,[1] and is an honoured member of theManitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. Additionally, the Manitoba hall named him to its all-century second All-Star team.[2]
He was the first ofthree generations of Hextalls in the NHL.[4] His sonsBryan Jr. andDennis both had long careers, and his grandsonRon was a longtime goaltender in the league.[13]
Hextall battled circulation problems in his lower legs following his retirement, an ailment that ultimately led to the amputation of both legs below the knee in 1978. Artificial legs allowed him to maintain his hobby of hunting.[4] He died of a heart attack at his home in Poplar Point, Manitoba, in 1984.[4]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1931–32 | Winnipeg Monarchs | WJrHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1932–33 | Portage Terriers | WJrHL | 12 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1933–34 | Portage Terriers | MJHL | 7 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1933–34 | Vancouver Lions | NWHL | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1934–35 | Vancouver Lions | NWHL | 32 | 14 | 10 | 24 | 27 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 1935–36 | Vancouver Lions | NWHL | 40 | 27 | 9 | 36 | 65 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 15 | ||
| 1936–37 | Philadelphia Ramblers | IAHL | 48 | 29 | 23 | 52 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1936–37 | New York Rangers | NHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1937–38 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 17 | 4 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1938–39 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 20 | 15 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||
| 1939–40 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 24 | 15 | 39 | 52 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 11 | ||
| 1940–41 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 26 | 18 | 44 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1941–42 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 24 | 32 | 56 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1942–43 | New York Rangers | NHL | 50 | 27 | 32 | 59 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1943–44 | New York Rangers | NHL | 50 | 21 | 33 | 54 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1944–45 | St. Catharines Saints | OHA Sr | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1945–46 | New York Rangers | NHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1946–47 | New York Rangers | NHL | 60 | 20 | 10 | 30 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1947–48 | New York Rangers | NHL | 43 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1947–48 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 32 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1947–48 | Washington Lions | AHL | 25 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 449 | 187 | 175 | 362 | 227 | 37 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 19 | ||||
| Preceded by | NHL Scoring Champion 1942 | Succeeded by |