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Player
Sid Abel
Sid Abel was born on Feb. 22, 1918, in the city of Melville. His strong passion for the game grew as he progressed through Minor hockey. Abel’s Junior hockey resume included time spent with his hometown Melville Millionaires (S-SSHL), the Saskatoon Westleys (N-SSHL) and the Flin Flon Bombers (SSHL).
Following Abel’s Junior hockey days in Saskatchewan, he began his decorated career as a member of the Detroit Red Wings for 12 seasons. Sid totaled 183 goals, 280 assists for a total of 463 points in 570 career games played with Detroit. The Red Wings named Abel team captain from 1945 to 1952. Abel was crowned a Stanley Cup champion three times throughout his tenure with the Wings in 1943, 1950 and 1952.
Abel was a vital piece of the legendary "Production Line" alongside Ted Lindsay and Gordie Howe. The two-time All-Star (1949, 1950) also took home the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1949. Abel’s impact on the city of Detroit and the Red Wings organization earned him the opportunity to have his number 12 jersey permanently raised to the rafters of Joe Louis Arena on April 29, 2005.
Abel concluded his 14-year NHL career with two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago named Abel as their first-ever player/coach from 1952-54 and The Hockey News awarded Abel Coach of the Year honours.
In 1957, Abel decided to finally hang up the skates and focus his efforts on coaching. The Red Wings visited the Stanley Cup finals in four of the 12 seasons Abel was behind the bench. In 1963, he was named coach of the NHL All-Star Team.
Abel was part of the first group of players to be named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history in January 2017. His mark on the game will be forever remembered as he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969.