Allan Stanley
Four-time Stanley Cup winner and Hall of Fame defenceman.
Allan Herbert Stanley (March 1, 1926 – October 18, 2013) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL from 1948 to 1969 for the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He won the Stanley Cup four times, was named to the NHL second All-Star team three times, and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.
Stanley played for the Boston Olympics, Porcupine Combines, and Providence Reds before joining the NHL with the New York Rangers in 1948–49, after the Rangers bought him from the Reds for about $70,000. His five years in New York were unhappy ones—fans booed him, calling him a "bum" and later nicknaming him "Sonja" after figure skater Sonja Henie, who performed at Madison Square Garden. He spent the 1953–54 season in the WHL with Vancouver, then started 1954–55 with the Rangers before being traded to the Chicago Black Hawks, where he finished that season and played the next.
Stanley played for the Boston Bruins in 1956–57 and 1957–58, then spent ten years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, serving as an alternate captain. His slow, plodding skating earned him the nicknames "Snowshoes" and "Silent Sam," but he was a strong stay-at-home defender and a key part of the Leafs teams that won four Stanley Cups in six years (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967). After the 1967 Cup win, he finished his career with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1968–69.
In 1,244 regular-season NHL games, Stanley scored 100 goals and 333 assists for 433 points, with 792 penalty minutes. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981. He was named to the NHL second All-Star team in 1960, 1961, and 1966, and won the Stanley Cup in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967. In the 2009 book *100 Ranger Greats*, he was ranked No. 60 all-time among the 901 New York Rangers who played in the team's first 82 seasons.
With his wife Barbara, Stanley started the Bee Hive Hockey School Complex, a youth hockey camp in Ontario. On October 18, 2013, while living at Specialty Care Case Manor, he was found dead at his home in Bobcaygeon, Ontario.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Defence
- Played For
- New York Rangers / Chicago Black Hawks / Boston Bruins / Toronto Maple Leafs / Philadelphia Flyers
- Shoots
- Left
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 2
- Weight Lb
- 182
- Birth Date
- 1926-03-01
- Birth Place
- Timmins, Ontario, Canada
- Death Date
- 18 October 2013 · 1926 · 3 · 1
- Death Place
- Bobcaygeon, Ontario, Canada
- Career Start
- 1946
- Career End
- 1969
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Stanley began his NHL career in 1948–49 with the New York Rangers after being acquired from the Providence Reds for roughly $70,000. He played five unhappy years in New York, where fans called him a 'bum' and later nicknamed him 'Sonja' in reference to figure skater Sonja Henie. He then spent the 1953–54 season in the WHL with Vancouver, and after starting 1954–55 with the Rangers was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks.
Stanley played for the Boston Bruins in 1956–57 and 1957–58, then spent ten years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he was named an alternate captain. He acquired the nicknames 'Snowshoes' and 'Silent Sam' for his slow, plodding skating style, though he was a strong stay-at-home defender and an important part of the Leafs teams that won four Stanley Cups in six years (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967). After the 1967 Cup win, he finished his career with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1968–69.
Reader's Guide
Allan Stanley's career spanned over two decades, from 1948 to 1969, during which he played 1,244 NHL regular-season games, scoring 100 goals and 333 assists for 433 points, with 792 penalty minutes. He was named to the NHL second All-Star team in 1960, 1961, and 1966. His four Stanley Cup championships came with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967. Despite early struggles in New York, where fans jeered him, Stanley became a key defensive presence on the dominant Leafs teams of the 1960s. His induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981 recognized his longevity and contributions as a stay-at-home defenceman. In the 2009 book '100 Ranger Greats,' he was ranked No. 60 all-time among the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons.
Did You Know?
- Stanley was nicknamed 'Sonja' by New York Rangers fans after figure skater Sonja Henie.
- He was acquired by the Rangers from the Providence Reds for roughly $70,000.
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