Taffy Abel
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Taffy Abel | ||||||||||||||||
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File:Taffyabel.jpg | ||||||||||||||||
Born |
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, U.S. | May 28, 1900|||||||||||||||
Died |
August 1, 1964 Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, U.S. | (aged 64)|||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | |||||||||||||||
Weight | 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb) | |||||||||||||||
Position | Defense | |||||||||||||||
Shot | Left | |||||||||||||||
Played for |
New York Rangers Chicago Black Hawks | |||||||||||||||
National team |
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Playing career | 1924–1934 | |||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Clarence John "Taffy" Abel (May 28, 1900 – August 1, 1964) was an American professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks between 1926 and 1934. Born in 1900 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States, as a Native American Ojibwe, he was forced to hide his Native American ancestry until 1939. He was a silver medalist in ice hockey at the 1924 Winter Olympics and the U.S. flagbearer for those games, being the first known Native American to be a US Olympic flagbearer. Taffy Abel became the first non-white player in the league, breaking the NHL color barrier in 1926, when he played for the New York Rangers. He was a member of two Stanley Cup championship teams. He was the first United States-born Native American player to become an NHL regular. He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.[1][2]
Playing career
Clarence "Taffy" Abel was a silver medalist on the United States in the 1924 Olympics, serving as flagbearer for the U.S. delegation.[3][1] Abel scored 15 goals for the United States in the tournament.[4]
As a member of the Minneapolis Millers of the CHL during the 1925–26 season, Abel was named to the CHL's First All-Star team at the defense position.
Abel played in the NHL for eight years. He scored his first NHL goal on December 7, 1926 in the New York Rangers' 1-0 road victory over the Boston Bruins.
He was signed by Conn Smythe to the New York Rangers, largely based upon his strong performance at the Winter Olympics in 1924.[5] With the Rangers, he wore sweater number 4, and, paired with defenseman Ching Johnson, was a key member of the Stanley Cup winning Rangers team in 1927-28.[1] After the 1929 season, Abel's rights were sold to the Chicago Black Hawks, where he played five more years, wearing sweater number 2.[6] Abel was a member of the Cup-winning Black Hawks in 1933-34,[1] his last NHL season.
Abel returned to Sault Ste. Marie after retirement, coaching ice hockey and operating a tourist hotel.[7] At the age of 64, on August 1, 1964, Clarence Abel died in his home in Sault Ste. Marie. Nine years later, he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as a player.[1]
The home rink for the Lake Superior State University hockey program is named in his honor.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1918–19 | Michigan Soo Nationals | TBSHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1919–20 | Michigan Soo Wildcats | TBSHL | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1920–21 | Michigan Soo Wildcats | TBSHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1921–22 | Michigan Soo Wildcats | TBSHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1922–23 | St. Paul Athletic Club | USAHA | 18 | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1923–24 | St. Paul Athletic Club | USAHA | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1924–25 | St. Paul Saints | USAHA | 39 | 8 | 0 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1925–26 | Minneapolis Millers | CHL | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1926–27 | New York Rangers | NHL | 44 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 78 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
1927–28 | New York Rangers | NHL | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | ||
1928–29 | New York Rangers | NHL | 44 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 41 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
1929–30 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 38 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 42 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
1930–31 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 43 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 45 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
1931–32 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 48 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
1932–33 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 47 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1933–34 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 46 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
NHL totals | 333 | 19 | 18 | 37 | 359 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 56 |
International
Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1924 | United States | OLY | 5 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 8 | |
Senior totals | 5 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 8 |
References
- ^ a b c d e Adams, Jim (February 3, 2022). "A Forgotten Olympic First: Taffy Abel, U.S. hockey's initial American Indian player, won a silver medal at the inaugural Winter Games almost a century ago". Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ "The first Native American in the Winter Olympics hid his identity to stay safe". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ https://www.teamusa.org/Media/News/USOPC/Luge-Athlete-Mark-Grimmette-Selected-as-Flag-Bearer-for-2010-US-Olympic-Team
- ^ "Clarence "Taffy" Abel". NHL.com. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ "Clarence "Taffy" Abel". New York Rangers. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ The National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book/2009. Triumph Books. 2007. p. 604. ISBN 978-1-60078-148-3.
- ^ Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players: The Ultimate A-Z Guide of Everyone Who Has Ever Played in the NHL. Doubleday Canada. p. 3. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from
- NPR: Taffy Abel medaled in the 1924 Olympics. Few knew of his Indigenous heritage.
- Taffy Abel at Find a Grave
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- 1900 births
- 1964 deaths
- 20th-century Native Americans
- American men's ice hockey defensemen
- Chicago Blackhawks players
- Central Hockey League (1925–1926) players
- Ice hockey players at the 1924 Winter Olympics
- Ice hockey players from Michigan
- Medalists at the 1924 Winter Olympics
- Native American sportspeople
- New York Rangers players
- Olympic silver medalists for the United States in ice hockey
- People from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
- St. Paul Athletic Club ice hockey players
- Stanley Cup champions
- United States Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
- Ojibwe people