Sid Abel

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Lore & Background

Born in Melville, Saskatchewan, Abel, or "Old Bootnose" as he was known, played junior hockey with the Flin Flon Bombers and joined the Red Wings in 1938. He split the next two seasons between the Red Wings and their affiliates in the International-American Hockey League before becoming a full-time player in 1940. He was named captain of the Red Wings in the 1942-43 season. In 1943, Abel left the Red Wings to serve with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. During this time, he skated with the RCAF team in Montreal. Abel was demobilized in time for the 1945-46 regular season; he rejoined the Red Wings and regained the team captaincy. In 1947, Red Wings' coach Jack Adams placed Abel and Ted Lindsay on a forward line with rookie right winger Gordie Howe. Although Abel was slowed down by an attack of pleurisy late that season, the line led the team to a playoff berth. The following season, Lindsay, Abel, and Howe finished first, third, and fourth respectively, in team scoring, and led the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup Final. By the 1949 season, the newly dubbed "Production Line" led the Wings to the first of seven consecutive first-place finishes, an NHL record still standing today. However, Howe and Lindsay were hampered by severe injuries, which cost them much playing time. Abel finished third in NHL scoring and recorded career highs in goals and assists, though he did not lead the league in goals. He was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player, and was named to the First All-Star team. The next three seasons saw Abel lead the Production Line over all other forward lines in points, and in 1949-50 Lindsay, Abel, and Howe finished in the top three in league scoring, equalling the feat of the famed "Kraut Line" of the Boston Bruins in 1939–40. In 1950, Abel was again named to the First All-Star team and won his second Stanley Cup, and in 1951, he was named Second Team All-Star. Abel was sold to the Chicago Black Hawks in 1952, and was named coach of his new team. He served as player-coach for the next two seasons, the last full-time player-head coach in NHL history. Though his No. 12 was honoured by the Wings, Abel also wore 4, 7, 9, 12, 14, 19, and 20 throughout his career. He wore most of these numbers during his first two seasons, when he split time between the Red Wings and the minors, before settling on number 12.

In Their Own Story

In 1950, the forward line of Lindsay, Abel, and Howe achieved a rare feat: all three finished in the top three of league scoring, equaling the Boston Bruins' "Kraut Line" performance from 1939–40. That season marked Abel's second First Team All-Star selection and his second Stanley Cup victory as a player-coach for Chicago after being sold there in 1952. His transition to coaching was historic; he became the last full-time player-head coach in NHL history with the Black Hawks, serving from 1952 to 1954. Later, returning to Detroit as head coach through the 1967–68 season, he guided the team to a first-place finish in 1964–65 but faced four Stanley Cup Final losses (1961, 1963, 1964, 1966). He briefly returned to coaching in 1969–70 and later managed the expansion Kansas City Scouts.

Reader's Guide

Abel was the head coach of the Chicago Black Hawks for two seasons from 1952 to 1954, which had one playoff appearance. He returned to the Red Wings in 1957–58 and served as Detroit's head coach through the 1967–68 season; he added GM duties in 1962. In eleven seasons, the Red Wings made the playoff seven times, which included a 1st place NHL finish in the 1964-65 season. Success in the Stanley Cup Final eluded the Wings, who lost in the Final four times under Abel (1961, 1963, 1964, 1966). He resigned as coach to focus on his GM duties, although he returned in the 1969–70 season after the first two games. He left in 1971. Later that year, he served as coach of the St. Louis Blues but was fired after ten games. In 1974 Abel was named general manager of the expansion Kansas City Scouts and served through the 1975–76 season, after which the franchise relocated to Denver to become the Colorado Rockies. Abel served as coach of the Scouts for three games in 1975-76 following the resignation of Bep Guidolin. In the 1970s and 1980s, Abel worked as a colour commentator on Red Wings radio and television broadcasts beside play-by-play announcer Bruce Martyn.

Did You Know?

• Sid Abel was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969.
• In 1998, he was ranked 85 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
• Abel's older brother George played for Canada's hockey team at the 1952 Olympics in Oslo, Norway. George scored the winning goal in the final game, securing a gold medal for Canada in a year when the nation won multiple
• Sid's son Gerry played briefly in the NHL, and Bob Johnson—a forward, not a goaltender—was another notable figure from that era.

The Production Line Era

Formed by coach Jack Adams in 1947, the line paired Abel with Ted Lindsay and rookie Gordie Howe. Despite Abel suffering from pleurisy late that season, the trio led Detroit to a playoff berth. When injuries limited Lindsay and Howe, Abel stepped up, leading the league in goals and tying for third in scoring while winning the Hart Memorial Trophy. In 1950, all three finished in the top three of league scoring, a feat matching Boston's 1939–40 "Kraut Line," and secured another Stanley Cup.

Military Service and Captaincy

Abel captained the Red Wings starting in 1942 but left for Royal Canadian Air Force duty in 1943, skating with the RCAF team in Montreal. He was demobilized late in the 1946 season, rejoining Detroit just for the playoffs and regaining the captaincy. During his absence, Joe Carveth wore number 12; Abel returned wearing number 9 until Carveth's trade to Boston allowed him to reclaim number 12 in 1946.

Transition to Coaching and Management

Sold to the Chicago Black Hawks in 1952, Abel became a player-coach, serving two seasons as the NHL's last full-time player-head coach. He returned to Detroit in 1957–58, coaching through 1967–68 and becoming GM in 1962. His tenure included four Stanley Cup Final losses and a first-place finish in 1964–65. He briefly coached the St. Louis Blues (10 games) in 1971 and the Kansas City Scouts (3 games) in 1975–76 before moving to management for the Scouts from 1974 to 1976.

Family Legacy and Hall of Fame Honors

Abel's brother George scored Canada's winning goal at the 1952 Olympics. His son Gerry played briefly in the NHL, as did his grandson Brent Johnson (goaltender). Son-in-law Bob Johnson was also an NHL goaltender. Nephew Greg Abel is the current CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Sid Abel died on February 8, 2000, fourteen days before his 82nd birthday. His number 12 was retired by Detroit in 1995.