Claire Alexander

Claire Alexander (born June 16, 1945 in Collingwood, Ontario) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association in the 1970s.
==Playing career==
Alexander was one of the game's last great senior amateur players. After a brief stint in minor-pro hockey in the mid-1960s, he returned home to Ontario and took a job as a milkman, while continuing to star with local senior amateur teams. A skilled defender with a booming shot, Alexander led the Orillia Terriers to the Allan Cup, awarded to Canada's top amateur club, in 1973. 
The Toronto Maple Leafs talked Alexander into giving pro hockey another chance, and he joined their Central Hockey League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blazers the following year. He was an immediate hit, as he scored 60 points and was named the league's top rookie and top defender. 
In 1974–75, Alexander was called up to the Leafs, making his NHL debut at the age of 29. He finished the season with 7 goals (including a hat-trick) and 17 points in 42 games. He spent most of the next two seasons on the Leafs' roster, posting 21 points in 81 games, and made his most notable contribution in the 1976 playoffs with 6 points in 9 games. 
For the 1977–78, Alexander was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. He split the season between the Canucks and their farm team in Tulsa, but made a substantial contribution with 26 points in just 32 games in Vancouver. The following season, he moved to the WHA with the Edmonton Oilers, posting 31 points on a team featuring Wayne Gretzky in his first professional season. He then spent two season playing in Germany before retiring in 1981. Following his retirement he served a brief stint as head coach of Toronto's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in St. Catharines.
Alexander finished his career with 18 goals and 64 points in 155 career NHL games, along with just 36 penalty minutes. He also recorded 8 goals and 31 points in 54 WHA games.
==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
1965–66 	Kitchener Rangers 	OHA 	 	45 	2 	15 	17 	26 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1966–67 	Knoxville/Johnstown 	EHL 	 	67 	17 	20 	37 	39 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1967–68 	Collingwood Kings 	OHA Sr. 	 	40 	17 	32 	49 	36 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1968–69 	Collingwood Kings 	OHA Sr. 	 	39 	30 	32 	62 	16 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1971–72 	Orillia Terriers 	OHA Sr. 	 	38 	13 	28 	41 	42 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1972–73 	Orillia Terriers 	OHA Sr. 	 	41 	17 	29 	46 	40 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1972–73 	Tulsa Oilers 	CHL 	 	5 	5 	1 	6 	9 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1973–74 	Oklahoma City Blazers	CHL 	 	72 	23 	37 	60 	34 	 	9 	3 	4 	7 	2
1974–75 	Oklahoma City Blazers	CHL 	 	33 	8 	17 	25 	14 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1974–75 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	42 	7 	10 	17 	12 	 	7 	0 	0 	0 	0
1975–76 	Oklahoma City Blazers	CHL 	 	43 	25 	31 	56 	22 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1975–76 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	33 	2 	6 	8 	6 	 	9 	2 	4 	6 	4
1976–77 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	48 	1 	12 	13 	12 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1977–78 	Tulsa Oilers 	CHL 	 	46 	14 	42 	56 	22 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1977–78 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	32 	8 	18 	26 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1978–79 	Dallas Black Hawks 	CHL 	 	7 	1 	2 	3 	0 	 	6 	1 	2 	3 	4
1978–79 	Edmonton Oilers 	WHA 	 	54 	8 	23 	31 	16 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1979–80 	Bad Nauheim 	Bund 	 	44 	32 	18 	50 	96 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1980–81 	Bad Nauheim 	Bund 	 	37 	17 	18 	35 	48 	 	5 	4 	1 	5 	27
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	155 	18 	46 	64 	36 	 	16 	2 	4 	6 	4
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
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Category:Tulsa Oilers (1964–1984) players
Category:Born in 1945
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Dallas Black Hawks players
Category:Edmonton Oilers players
Category:Kitchener Rangers players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:Vancouver Canucks players
Category:EC Bad Nauheim players
Category:Allan Cup winners
Category:St. Catharines Saints coaches
Category:Oklahoma City Blazers (1965-1977) players