Frank Mahovlich

The Big M: six-time Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall of Famer.

Francis William Mahovlich (born January 10, 1938) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and a former Liberal Senator in the Canadian Senate. He played on six Stanley Cup-winning teams and is an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017 Mahovlich was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. Mahovlich was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. His brother Peter also played in the NHL. His nickname is 'The Big M'.

Quick Facts

Born

10 January 1938

Birthplace

Timmins, Ontario, Canada

Position

Left wing

Played for

Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Toros
Birmingham Bulls

Shoots

Left

Hall of Fame

1981

Lore & Background

Mahovlich is the son of Croatian immigrants. He was scouted by several NHL teams while playing for the Schumacher Lions of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who sent him to the Toronto St. Michael's Majors. He played there while attending St. Michael's College School from 1954 to 1957. He received the Red Tilson Trophy as the top player in the OHA for the 1956–57 season. He joined the Leafs in 1957 and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year. He was part of Stanley Cup wins in 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1971, and 1973. He was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1968, then to the Montreal Canadiens in 1971. He left the NHL for the WHA in 1974, playing for the Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls until retirement in 1979.

Reader's Guide

Mahovlich's career highlights include winning the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1958, being selected to 15 NHL All-Star Games, and being named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1961, 1963, and 1973. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981 and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. His #27 sweater was retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 15, 2016.

Did You Know?

Mahovlich set a Leaf record with 48 goals in 1960–61, a record that stood for 21 years.
He was part of a six-player trade from the Maple Leafs to the Red Wings in 1968.
Mahovlich claimed to be the first player to hoist the Stanley Cup above his head after the 1962 Cup Final.
He scored 533 goals in his NHL career, second only to Bobby Hull during that time.