Fred Hucul
Born (1931-12-04) December 4, 1931
Tuberose, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Chicago Black Hawks
St. Louis Blues
Playing career 19511969

Frederick Albert Hucul (born December 4, 1931) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 164 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Black Hawks and St. Louis Blues between 1951 and 1968. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1951 to 1969, was spent in the minor leagues. He shares the NHL record for the longest gap between NHL appearances, 13 years, along with his former Chicago teammate, Larry Zeidel.

Career

A star in junior hockey with the Moose Jaw Canucks and Regina Capitals, he immediately broke in with the Chicago Black Hawks and played for them for four seasons. He then was sent to the minors and spent the bulk of his professional career in the Western Hockey League with the Calgary Stampeders and Victoria Maple Leafs. For six years in Calgary and in Victoria, he was teamed with his brother Sandy Hucul. In the 1955-56 season Hucul scored 21 goals and 38 assists. Upon the NHL's expansion, Hucul signed with the St. Louis Blues and began their inaugural season on the Blues blue line. However, before the playoffs he was sent to the Blues' minor league team the Kansas City Blues in the Central Hockey League where he replaced Doug Harvey as the Kansas City Blues coach and general manager, after Harvey was called up to the parent Blues for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Amid conflict and interference with Scotty Bowman and Cliff Fletcher, manager and assistant manager of the parent St. Louis Blues, over how to run the team, Hucul guided the Kansas City Blues through two losing seasons before being replaced.[1] He gave coaching one more try in 1971–72 and led the Victoria Cougars of the WCHL to an 18-48-2 record before being fired and retiring to his cattle ranch in Alberta. He currently resides in Tucson, Arizona.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1948–49 Wetaskiwin Canadians EJrHL
1948–49 Wetaskiwin Canadians M-Cup 312314
1949–50 Moose Jaw Canucks WCJHL 278111959 41238
1950–51 Moose Jaw Canucks WCJHL 37192746165
1950–51 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 31012
1950–51 Regina Capitals WCSHL 50224
1951–52 St. Louis Flyers AHL 92358
1951–52 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 34371037
1952–53 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 55571225 610110
1953–54 Calgary Stampeders WHL 15741112
1953–54 Quebec Aces QSHL 13461026 1213410
1953–54 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 2703319
1954–55 Calgary Stampeders WHL 5112233559
1955–56 Calgary Stampeders WHL 7021385985 814519
1956–57 Buffalo Bisons AHL 906611
1957–58 Calgary Stampeders WHL 6118405851 1414527
1958–59 Calgary Stampeders WHL 647364361 81019
1959–60 Calgary Stampeders WHL 667465332
1960–61 Calgary Stampeders WHL 679425155 50009
1961–62 Calgary Stampeders WHL 5319375642 70442
1963–63 Calgary Stampeders WHL 7016415756
1963–64 Denver Invaders WHL 698495758 63476
1964–65 Victoria Maple Leafs WHL 518202867 1214528
1965–66 Tulsa Oilers CHL 71014
1965–66 Victoria Maple Leafs WHL 6116435956 14871514
1966–67 Victoria Maple Leafs WHL 1336912
1967–68 St. Louis Blues NHL 432131530 14871514
1968–69 Kansas City Blues CHL 20110
WHL totals 711151425576646 74152742114
NHL totals 162113041113 610110

References

  1. "Parent Club Had its Hand in Blues Failure". The Kansas City Star. Monday, March 23, 1970. Retrieved Saturday, April 8, 2023.
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