Frank Mahovlich

Francis William "Frank" Mahovlich, Order of Canada (born January 10, 1938 in Timmins, Ontario) is a retired NHL player, nicknamed the "Big M." He played on six Stanley Cup-winning teams and is an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
==Playing Career==
The son of immigrants from Croatia, Mahovlich was scouted by several National Hockey League teams while playing for the Schumacher Lions of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who sent him to one of their Ontario Hockey Association affiliates, the St. Michael's Majors. Mahovlich played there while attending St. Michael's College School from 1954–57. While at St. Michael's, he received instruction from Joe Primeau, who Mahovlich would later call the best coach he ever had. Mahovlich received the Red Tilson Trophy as the top player in the Junior A OHA for the 1956–57 season, in which he scored 52 goals in 49 games.
He joined the Leafs in 1957 and was a 20-goal scorer in his first season, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year in what was otherwise a rough season with the last-place Leafs,Punch Imlach was hired to run the Leafs and soon became head coach and general manager.
In the 1960–61 season, Imlach put Mahovlich on a line with Red Kelly and Bob Nevin. The three immediately clicked and were the team's top three scorers that year, led by Mahovlich's 48 goals—a Leaf record that would stand for 21 years. The following season, the Leafs won the Stanley Cup, and repeated as champions in 1963 and 1964. Mahovlich led the team in goals scored in all three seasons.
Initially, Mahovlich and Imlach got along well, but their relationship deteriorated after a few seasons, particularly when Mahovlich's contract was up for renewal in 1962. He felt the Leafs gave him a low-ball offer and walked out on the team during training camp in September. Red Burnett at the Toronto Star described the situation as a "cold war" between Imlach and Mahovlich.
At that time, the National Hockey League All-Star Game was played at the beginning of the season, and during a reception in Toronto attended by team executives in the days before the game, Chicago Black Hawks owner James D. Norris offered the Leafs $1 million for Mahovlich. He believed he had an agreement with Leafs co-owner Harold Ballard and paid $1,000 as a deposit with the balance to be delivered by cheque the next morning. The next day, the Leafs gave Mahovlich the money he had been asking for, and told the Black Hawks that their apparent agreement the night before had been a misunderstanding. The Leafs returned the $1,000 deposit. The Black Hawks accused the Leafs of reneging on a deal. Conn Smythe, at this point a minority shareholder in the Leafs, was adamant that the deal should be rejected.
Mahovlich also had a rocky relationship with fans at Maple Leaf Gardens and was often booed at home games. Imlach—who mispronounced Mahovlich's name for years—became a constant critic and, under pressure from fans and management, Mahovlich was admitted to Toronto General Hospital in November 1964, suffering from what was publicly described as "constant fatigue" but diagnosed as acute Clinical depression. Mahovlich was flooded with well-wishes from fans during his time off. He returned to the lineup a month later and was still able to lead the Leafs in scoring in the 1964–65 season, despite missing 11 games. Mahovlich led the Leafs in scoring again in the 1965–66 season.
The Leafs won one final Stanley Cup in the 1966–67 season, with Mahovlich having his lowest-scoring year in seven seasons. Early into the next season, Mahovlich was again admitted to hospital, although this time it was acknowledged publicly as depression and tension. "Mahovlich is a sensitive, easily-bruised individual," wrote Milt Dunnell in a page-one story in the Toronto Star. On March 3, 1968 in a blockbuster trade, Mahovlich was sent to the Detroit Red Wings with Pete Stemkowski, Garry Unger, and the rights to Carl Brewer for Norm Ullman, Paul Henderson, Floyd Smith and Doug Barrie.
Mahovlich had a strong finish to the season with the Red Wings, and the following year put up his best point totals in eight seasons, playing on a line with Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio and setting his personal record for goals in a season with 49. Initially, one of his teammates on the Red Wings was his younger brother, Peter Mahovlich, who split his time between the Wings and their minor league affiliate.
In 1970–71, Red Wings general manager Sid Abel wanted to get rid of coach Ned Harkness and was overruled by team owner Bruce Norris. Once Harkness took over as general manager, he got rid of players he deemed a threat to him. On January 13, 1971, Mahovlich was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Mickey Redmond, Guy Charron and Bill Collins. He was reunited with his brother, who had become a star player himself with the Canadiens. Mahovlich spent three-and-a-half seasons in Montreal, playing on the Stanley Cup-winning teams of 1971 and 1973. In the 1971 Stanley Cup playoffs, Mahovlich was key to the Canadiens' triumph, scoring 14 goals and 13 assists in 20 games for a then-record 27 points (since broken). During the 1971–72 season, Mahovlich scored a career-high 96 points, which he nearly matched the following season with 93 points.
He also was a member of Team Canada for the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. In 1974, he left the NHL for the World Hockey Association, and represented Canada again at the 1974 Summit Series. In the WHA, he played for the Toronto Toros and the Birmingham Bulls until his retirement in 1978 at the age of 40. While with the Bulls, Mahovlich was placed on an unproductive line with Frank Beaton and Dave Hanson, one of the Hanson Brothers who had been in the movie Slap Shot. According to John Brophy, when a reporter asked Mahovlich what was wrong, he replied, “I don’t know, but I seem to play a lot better with Howe and Delvecchio.”
He attempted an NHL comeback with the Detroit Red Wings in 1979, but it was unsuccessful, and he formally retired on October 7, 1979.
Mahovlich was a First Team All-Star three times (1960-61, 1962-63, and 1972-73) and a Second Team All-Star six times (1961-62, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1968-69, and 1969-70).
==Career Statistics==
 	 	 		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
1953-54 	St. Michael's Majors	OHA 		1 	0 	1 	1 	2 	 	 	 	 	 	
1954-55 	St. Michael's Majors	OHA 		25 	12 	11 	23 	18 	 	 	 	 	 	
1955-56 	St. Michael's Majors	OHA 		30 	24 	26 	50 	55 	 	8 	5 	5 	10 	24
1956-57 	St. Michael's Majors	OHA 		49 	52 	36 	88 	122 	 	4 	2 	7 	9 	14
1956–57 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		3 	1 	0 	1 	2 	 	 	 	 	 	
1957–58 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		67 	20 	16 	36 	67 	 	 	 	 	 	
1958–59 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		63 	22 	27 	49 	94 	 	12 	6 	5 	11 	18
1959–60 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		70 	18 	21 	39 	61 	 	10 	3 	1 	4 	27
1960–61 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		70 	48 	36 	84 	131 	 	5 	1 	1 	2 	6
1961–62* 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		70 	33 	38 	71 	87 	 	12 	6 	6 	12 	29
1962–63* 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		67 	36 	37 	73 	56 	 	9 	0 	2 	2 	8
1963–64* 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		70 	26 	29 	55 	66 	 	14 	4 	11 	15 	20
1964–65 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		59 	23 	28 	51 	76 	 	6 	0 	3 	3 	9
1965–66 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		68 	32 	24 	56 	68 	 	4 	1 	0 	1 	10
1966–67* 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		63 	18 	28 	46 	44 	 	12 	3 	7 	10 	8
1967–68 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		50 	19 	17 	36 	30 	 	 	 	 	 	
1967–68 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		13 	7 	9 	16 	2 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1968–69 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		76 	49 	29 	78 	38 	 	 	 	 	 	
1969–70 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		74 	38 	32 	70 	59 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	2
1970–71 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		35 	14 	18 	32 	30 	 	 	 	 	 	
1970–71* 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		38 	17 	24 	41 	11 	 	20 	14 	13 	27 	18
1971–72 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		76 	43 	53 	96 	36 	 	6 	3 	2 	5 	2
1972–73* 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		78 	38 	55 	93 	51 	 	17 	9 	14 	23 	6
1973–74 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		71 	31 	49 	80 	47 	 	6 	1 	2 	3 	0
1974–75 	Toronto Toros 	WHA 		73 	38 	44 	82 	27 	 	6 	3 	0 	3 	2
1975–76 	Toronto Toros 	WHA 		75 	34 	55 	89 	14 	 	 	 	 	 	
1976–77 	Birmingham Bulls 	WHA 		17 	3 	20 	23 	12 	 	 	 	 	 	
1977–78 	Birmingham Bulls 	WHA 		72 	14 	24 	38 	22 	 	3 	1 	1 	2 	0
OHA totals	OHA totals 	OHA totals		105 	88 	74 	162 	197 	 	12 	7 	12 	19 	38
WHA totals	WHA totals 	WHA totals		237 	89 	143 	232 	75 	 	9 	3 	1 	4 	2
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		1181 	533 	570 	1103 	1056 	 	137 	51 	67 	118 	163
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
* * Name was engraved on the Stanley Cup.
==Post-playing Career==
Mahovlich was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981 and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1994, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
In 1998, Mahovlich was appointed to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and in the same year, he was ranked number 26 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players, the highest-ranking player who had spent at least a majority of his career with the Maple Leafs.
==Gallery==
27Oct1965-Mahovlich_Cheevers_Awrey.jpg|Frank Mahovlich, Gerry Cheevers (playing in his first game for the Bruins), Don Awrey, October 27, 1965.
Mahovlich_breaks_Orrs_collarbone-9Dec1967.gif|Frank Mahovlich breaks Bobby Orr's collarbone, December 9, 1967.
1974-Oct15-Smith-Mahovlich.jpg|Frank Mahovlich scores on Al Smith, October 15, 1974.
1975-Feb26-Mahovlich-Wakely-Dillon.jpg|Frank Mahovlich scores on Ernie Wakely as Wayne Dillon looks on, February 26, 1975.
Category:Born in 1938
Category:Calder Trophy winners
Category:Birmingham Bulls players
Category:Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Detroit Red Wings players
Category:Hockey Hall of Fame
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:Toronto Toros players
Category:St. Michael's Majors alumni
Category:1974 Team Canada
Category:1972 Team Canada players
Category:Retired in 1979
Category:Canadian ice hockey players