Hy Buller Hyman ( Hymie or Hy ) Buller ( 15 March 1926 – 3 August 1968 ) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman . Nicknamed the “ Blueline Blaster ” because of his penchant for hitting opposing players above the skate toe and below the pads , Hy Buller was one of two Jewish professional hockey players in the 1940s and 1950s . He was on the Eastern Hockey League ’ s ( EHL ) Second All - Star Team in 1943 , the American Hockey League ’ s ( AHL ) First All - Star Team in 1949 and 1951 , the National Hockey League ’ s ( NHL ) Second All - Star Team in 1952 , and he played in the 1952 NHL All - Star Game . Hy Buller was greatly admired by hockey legends Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard , and other contemporaries not only for his solid plays but also for his good sportsmanship . He played in five NHL seasons , first for the Detroit Red Wings and later for the New York Rangers , before retiring in 1954 . He died from cancer in 1968 . He was born in Montreal but his fanily moved to Saskatoon , Saskatchewan in 1929 . In the 1930s and ‘ 40s , there was one team in Saskatoon that scouts would come to see . The boys in this club were required to attend weekly church services and Hy Buller , as a Jew , was not eligible to join . However , Hy ’ s natural abilities were too exceptional to overlook and in 1942 , at the age of 16 , he was offered a spot in the New York Rangers ’ Winnipeg training camp . Hy ’ s parents were hesitant at first because he was an excellent student . He had graduated two years early and could easily have gone to university . But Hy ’ s zeal for hockey could not be shaken and in the fall of 1942 he began playing for the Eastern Hockey League ’ s New York Rovers along with two other Saskatoon boys , Vic Lynn and David Livingston . After one season with the New York Rovers , Hy Buller made his debut in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings . In 1944 , there were only six teams in the NHL so space was limited ; because of this Hy Buller was demoted to the American Hockey League in the 1944 - 1945 season . He was sold to the Hershey Bears and played for them for three seasons , during which they were runners - up for the pennant twice before eventually winning the title in 1946 - 1947 . Hy was traded to the Cleveland Barons mid - season and helped them set a league record of thirty undefeated games , as well as win the championship . Hy Buller spent a total of eight years in the American Hockey League . In his final year with the Cleveland Barons they won the Calder Cup , and Hy , who at that time held the record for most all - time points scored by a defenseman , was awarded a spot on the AHL All - Star Team , a position he had held a couple of years before in 1948 - 1949 . In 1951 Hy was traded to the New York Rangers , and after much deliberation moved his young family to the city . In his first year Hy played defense alongside Allan Stanley and his performance matched the Rangers ’ record for a defenseman . He won the West Side Association of Commerce Trophy as the Rangers ’ most valuable player and came in second for the Calder Trophy ; he was also the first rookie defenseman to be chosen for the NHL All - Star second team . Hy Buller ’ s connection to the large Jewish population in New York was used by the Rangers ’ management to attract a new audience to the home games . Banners emblazoned with the Star of David were hung from Madison Square Garden and his faith was frequently reinforced by sports writers . In 1954 , Hy was traded to the Montreal Canadiens but before the season began he announced his retirement from hockey . Hy retired mostly because he did not want to uproot his family again but also because an NHL salary was not substantial . And his physical condition was weakened as a result of the injuries he had suffered throughout the course of his career .