Connie Madigan

Cornelius Dennis "Mad Dog" Madigan (October 4, 1934 – January 2, 2024) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman notable for being the oldest rookie in National Hockey League history.

After playing several years in senior leagues in Ontario and British Columbia in the late 1950s, Madigan had a long career as a minor league star, most notably with the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League for three seasons in the early 1960s, and then for the Portland Buckaroos of the Western Hockey League for nine seasons.  He won accolades as First Team league All-Star in 1960, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969, Second Team All-Star in 1965, 1971 and 1972, as well as winning best defenceman honors in 1966.

In the 1972–73 NHL season, the St. Louis Blues of the NHL bought Madigan's rights from the Buckaroos, and he joined the Blues in January 1973 at the age of 38, becoming the oldest rookie ever.  He played for the Blues in twenty regular-season games and five playoff games, before finishing his career with Portland in parts of the two successive seasons.

At the time of his retirement, Madigan was second in minor league history in career penalty minutes, and is still 62nd in that category.

In addition to Madigan's hockey career, he had a minor role in the 1977 cult classic movie Slap Shot as legendary hockey goon Ross "Mad Dog" Madison.

Madigan died on January 2, 2024.32 Thoughts: Where things stand between the Maple Leafs and William Nylander

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Other websites


Category:1934 births
Category:2024 deaths
Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Category:Central Professional Hockey League players
Category:Cleveland Barons (1937–1973) players
Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario
Category:International Hockey League (1945–2001) players
Category:Providence Reds players
Category:Sportspeople from Thunder Bay
Category:St. Louis Blues players