Fred Stanfield

Frederic William Stanfield (May 4, 1944 – September 13, 2021) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who spent 14 seasons in the National Hockey League, from 1964 to 1978. He helped the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972. Throughout his career, he was recognized for his clean style of play; in only one season did he accumulate more than 14 penalty minutes.

Stanfield was born in Toronto and had six brothers, most of whom also became professional hockey players. Following the standard practice of the era, he was signed by the Chicago Black Hawks at age 16, along with his brothers Jim and Jack, and was assigned to the St. Catharines Teepees (later the St. Catharines Black Hawks) of the Ontario Hockey Association. Playing alongside future NHL stars such as Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, Roger Crozier, Chico Maki, Dennis Hull, and Poul Popiel, Stanfield spent three seasons with St. Catharines. He led the team in scoring in his final two seasons, and in 1964 he finished third in the league with 109 points, also earning the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the league’s most sportsmanlike player.

Stanfield joined the Chicago Black Hawks for the full 1964–65 season, then split the next two years between Chicago and their St. Louis minor league affiliate. In May 1967, he was traded to the Boston Bruins along with Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge in exchange for defenceman Gilles Marotte, centre Pit Martin, and minor league goaltender Jack Norris. This trade became widely viewed as one of the most lopsided in hockey history, as Boston transformed from a last-place team into a powerhouse.

While Esposito became a superstar and Hodge an All-Star, Stanfield centered the Bruins’ second line with wingers John Bucyk and Johnny McKenzie—a line considered by many the best second line in hockey—and also played the left point on Boston’s top power play unit. The Bruins led the league in power play goals every year from 1969 to 1972. Stanfield scored 20 or more goals in each of his six seasons with Boston, and the team led the league in total goals every year during that stretch.

He became known for his powerful slap shot, most notably in the first game of the 1970 Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues, when a shot of his split goaltender Jacques Plante’s mask in half, giving Plante a concussion that kept him out for the rest of the playoffs.

Stanfield’s best seasons came between 1971 and 1973. In 1971, he recorded 76 points, finishing ninth in league scoring, and received the Bruins’ 7th Player Award, voted by fans for the player who most exceeded expectations. The following season, he scored 23 goals and 56 assists for 79 points, ranking fourth in the league in assists and 12th in points. He added 7 goals and 9 assists in 15 playoff games to help the Bruins win the Stanley Cup. He was a leading candidate for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, finishing behind winner Jean Ratelle and teammate Johnny Bucyk. In 1973, he scored 20 goals and 58 assists for 78 points, was named to the All-Star Game as an injury replacement, and finished seventh in the league in assists.

After losing goaltenders Gerry Cheevers to the World Hockey Association and Dan Bouchard to the Atlanta Flames in the 1972 expansion draft, Boston’s goaltending relied on 36-year-old career minor leaguer Ross Brooks and 44-year-old Jacques Plante. New general manager Harry Sinden traded Stanfield to the Minnesota North Stars for goaltender Gilles Gilbert. Playing right wing for the centre-rich North Stars, Stanfield’s production dropped significantly over a season and a half.

Midway through the 1974–75 season, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for Norm Gratton and a third-round draft pick. He quickly broke out of his slump, scoring 33 points in 32 games and helping the Sabres reach the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers. Stanfield played three more seasons with Buffalo, ending his NHL career in 1978. He then played part of the next season with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League before retiring as a player to become the team’s interim coach for the remainder of the season.

His final coaching role came in 1980, when he took over as mid-season head coach of the Niagara Falls Flyers of the OHA.

Stanfield played 914 NHL games, recording 211 goals and 405 assists for 616 points. Two of his brothers, Jim and Jack, also played in the NHL, while his youngest brother, Vic, was a two-time All-American at Boston University. Stanfield maintained a home in Mississauga, Ontario, as of 1969, later lived in the Buffalo area, and owned an office furniture store. He was active in the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association and organized several alumni tournaments. He died on September 13, 2021. In 2023, he was named one of the Top 100 Best Bruins Players of All Time.