# Jack Evans (ice hockey)

William John Trevor "Jack" Evans (April 21, 1928 – November 10, 1996) was a Welsh-born Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks between 1949 and 1963. With Chicago he won the Stanley Cup in 1961. After his playing career he worked as a coach, and coached the California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, and Hartford Whalers between 1975 and 1988.

## Early life

Evans was born in Morriston, Wales, but emigrated with his parents to Drumheller, Alberta, in his youth. He spoke only the Welsh Language and no English until he entered school, and later spoke the language with an elongated drawl; the similarities between Evans' manner of speaking and the traditional American Southern accent led to him earning the nickname of "Tex" from teammates. Although he did not begin playing hockey until age 14, by age 20, Evans was a leading junior league defenceman and participated in the 1948 Memorial Cup. That same year, he signed a minor league contract with the Rangers.

## Career

Evans played five games over the next two seasons, while gaining experience in the American Hockey League. He would then spend the next four years as the Rangers' seventh defenceman, moving in and out of the lineup as needed and serving as a valuable defensive reserve. During the 1954–55 NHL season, Evans finally cracked the regular lineup and worked significant minutes for the next three years on the blue line. In 1958, he was claimed by Chicago, where he would play in a similar role for his final four seasons. He was a member of the 1961 Stanley Cup winning team making him the first Welsh born Stanley Cup Champion. Jack Evans played in 1962 NHL All Star game in Toronto also making him the first NHL All Star player originating from Wales. In 1964, the Black Hawks released Evans, but the veteran continued to play in a variety of minor leagues until he finally retired in 1972 at the age of 44.
In 1974, Evans was hired to coach the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the WHL. After one season that included coach of the year honours, he was promoted to the parent club California Golden Seals. He coached the anemic franchise in its final year in the San Francisco Bay Area and its two seasons as the Cleveland Barons before the financially-troubled organization merged with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978.
Evans returned to the ECHL bench before being hired by the Hartford Whalers in 1983. In his third season with the club, he earned a playoff berth, and in 1987, he led the club to a division title. A poor performance the following year resulted in Evans being fired midseason.

## Personal life

Evans died of prostate cancer at his Manchester, Connecticut, home in 1996 at the age of 68.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1947–48 | Lethbridge Native Sons | AJHL | 23 | 10 | 21 | 31 | 58 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| 1947–48 | Lethbridge Native Sons | WCSHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1947–48 | Lethbridge Native Sons | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 26 |
| 1948–49 | New York Rangers | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1948–49 | Lethbridge Native Sons | WCSHL | 48 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 124 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 1949–50 | New York Rangers | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1949–50 | New Haven Ramblers | AHL | 69 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 150 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1950–51 | New York Rangers | NHL | 49 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 95 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1950–51 | Cincinnati Mohawks | AHL | 16 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1951–52 | New York Rangers | NHL | 52 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1952–53 | Saskatoon Quakers | WHL | 68 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 179 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| 1953–54 | New York Rangers | NHL | 44 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 73 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1953–54 | Saskatoon Quakers | WHL | 27 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1954–55 | New York Rangers | NHL | 47 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1954–55 | Saskatoon Quakers | WHL | 22 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1954–55 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1955–56 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 99 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| 1956–57 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 116 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1957–58 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 108 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 1958–59 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 75 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1959–60 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 68 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1960–61 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 47 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 91 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| 1961–62 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 80 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| 1962–63 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 69 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 46 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1963–64 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 72 | 0 | 17 | 17 | 87 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65 | Los Angeles Blades | WHL | 69 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1965–66 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 72 | 2 | 31 | 33 | 103 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| 1966–67 | California Seals | WHL | 71 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 52 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1967–68 | San Diego Gulls | WHL | 65 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 36 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 1968–69 | San Diego Gulls | WHL | 73 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969–70 | San Diego Gulls | WHL | 67 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 46 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1970–71 | San Diego Gulls | WHL | 69 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 82 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 1971–72 | San Diego Gulls | WHL | 72 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 87 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| WHL totals | WHL totals | WHL totals | 675 | 23 | 155 | 178 | 791 | 57 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 68 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 754 | 19 | 80 | 99 | 990 | 56 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 97 |

### NHL Coaching record

| Team | Year | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Post season |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | T | Pts | Finish | Result |
| California Golden Seals | 1975–76 | 80 | 27 | 42 | 11 | 65 | 4th in Adams | Missed Playoffs |
| Cleveland Barons | 1976–77 | 80 | 25 | 42 | 13 | 63 | 4th in Adams | Missed Playoffs |
| Cleveland Barons | 1977–78 | 80 | 22 | 45 | 13 | 57 | 4th in Adams | Missed Playoffs |
| Hartford Whalers | 1983–84 | 80 | 28 | 42 | 10 | 66 | 5th in Adams | Missed Playoffs |
| Hartford Whalers | 1984–85 | 80 | 30 | 41 | 9 | 69 | 4th in Adams | Missed Playoffs |
| Hartford Whalers | 1985–86 | 80 | 40 | 36 | 4 | 84 | 4th in Adams | Lost in 2nd Round |
| Hartford Whalers | 1986–87 | 80 | 43 | 30 | 7 | 93 | 1st in Adams | Lost in 1st Round |
| Hartford Whalers | 1987–88 | 54 | 22 | 25 | 7 | 51 | 4th in Adams | Fired |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | 614 | 237 | 303 | 74 |