Sarnia Jr. 'B' Successes

by Dan McCaffery
 

Sarnia is the most successful Jr. 'B' franchise in Western Ontario when it comes to sending players to the National Hockey League.

Indeed, the club, which has gone under the nicknames Legionnaires, Sailors, Bees, Steeplejacks and Blast over the past 60 years, has seen 23 of its alumni graduate to the NHL. Two others have played big league hockey with the old WHA.

What's even more impressive is the caliber of players it has produced. They include a Hockey Hall of Fame centre, a Calder Tropher winner as NHL rookie of the year and an all-star defenceman with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Almost as astounding is the fact that 10 of the Legionnaires who made it to the NHL did so during the days when there were only six big league squads!

And on top of all that, one of the team's coaches – Ted Garvin – went on to become a bench boss with the Detroit Red Wings.

Here's a list of Sarnia's Jr. 'B' legends:

• Phil Esposito: Espo, who played for the Legionnaires in 1961, made it to the Hall of Fame after scoring 717 NHL goals and 873 assists for 1,590 points.

• Pat Stapleton led the Legionnaires to two championships before becoming an all-star with the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored 43 NHL goals and added 294 assists.

• Dino Ciccarelli scored 604 goals in the National Hockey League.

• Tony McKegney had 320 NHL goals to go with 319 assists. He was the first African-Canadian to play regularly in the big time.

• Eric Vail, who played with the Legionnaires in 1970, won the Calder Trophy with the Atlanta Flames.

• Bob Neely had 39 NHL goals and 54 assists while playing mostly with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

• Jerry Butler, a defensive forward and penalty killing specialist, had 99 goals and 120 assists in the NHL.

• Mike Crombeen scored 55 goals and 68 NHL assists with St. Louis and Hartford.

• Don Ward, a Legionnaire star of the 1950s, played 34 games in the six-team NHL with Chicago.

• Kirk Bowman, who played with the Legionnaires in 1970, had 11 goals and 17 assists in 88 games with Chicago.

• Duke Harris, another Legionnaire star during the Original Six era, played briefly with the Leafs. Later, he saw action in the WHA.

• Ian McKegney was a Legionnaire star of the '60s who played three NHL games in Chicago.

• Norm 'Red' Armstrong was yet another Legionnaire who had the misfortune to play at a time when there were only six NHL teams. Still, he made it to Toronto for a short time, scoring one goal for the Leafs.

• Len Fontaine played for the Legionnaires Sutherland Cup winner in 1968 before getting eight NHL goals with the Detroit Red Wings and one more in the WHA.

• Legionnaire star Henry Lehoven played four games in the NHL with the old Kansas City Scouts.

• Rumun Ndur played 69 NHL games, picking up two goals and three assists.

• Kraig Nienhuis got 20 goals and 16 assists in 87 games as a Boston Bruin.

• Mike Dark played 43 NHL games, getting five goals and six assists.

• Scott Garland was credited with 13 goals and 24 assists during a three-year NHL career with Toronto and Los Angeles.

• Robbie Moore got two shutouts while playing net for the Philadelphia Flyers.

• Goalie Tim Bernhardt played 67 NHL games, mostly with a very weak Leafs team, where he still managed to pick up 13 wins and four ties.

• Frank Beaton played 25 games in the NHL and 153 in the WHA. Among teams he suited up with were the New York Rangers and the Edmonton Oilers.

• Mike Murphy played one NHL game with the Philadelphia Flyers. He also saw action in the AHL.

• Don Gordon, who played with two Legionnaire Sutherland Cup winners in the 1960s, went on to a WHA career with the Chicago Cougars.

• Frank Blum, who played net for the Legionnaires and Bees, performed in the WHA with the Winnipeg Jets. One of his teammates was Bobby Hull.