Glenn Hall’s Road to the Hockey Hall of Fame Started in Windsor
Editor’s note: In the second installment of a two-part series, Ontario Hockey League editor John Humphrey looks at the Hall of Fame professional hockey career of goaltender Glenn Hall, who had his number one banner raised to the rafters of the WFCU Centre in a pre-game ceremony by the Windsor Spitfires on Nov. 18, 2021. Here’s a link to part 1 of 2.
Following Glenn Hall’s graduation from junior hockey with the Windsor Spitfires following the 1950-51 Ontario Hockey Association (now Ontario Hockey League), he joined the Indianapolis Capitals of the American Hockey League for the 1951-52 season before embarking on what would be a Hockey Hall of Fame career with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1952-53 campaign.
And not long into his time in Detroit Hall actually developed the butterfly style of goaltending.
“The critics said that the goaltender had to stand with the legs together, and there was no five-hole in those days,” recalled during an interview with this writer in a story for The Hockey News in 2006. “You could not move from side to side with your legs together, as your feet have to be apart. You could move with your knees together though.
“I would get pucks on the ice that would literally run right through my stick as I was not strong enough to hold the stick,” continued Hall. “I found out that if I dropped to my knees and used my knees for my stick to go up against, that the puck wouldn’t go in.
“I also found out that I could swing my feet out by playing that way and the style eventually evolved through trial and error. But in those days, the butterfly style was considering a no-no when playing in goal.”
As a youngster living in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Hall’s goaltending idol was legendary Toronto Maple Leaf Turk Broda and as he grew older Chuck Rayner, Sugar Jim Henry and Terry Sawchuk were among his favourites.
“I wasn’t tough. When I got knocked down, I didn’t get up because I was tough,” Hall candidly admitted. “I got up because the old guys like Rayner and Sugar Jim set the standard that you couldn’t lay there on the ice and whine, but you had to get up on your skates.
“That’s why I got up.”
After starting out his NHL career in Detroit, Hall was traded along with fellow future Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay to Chicago. Lindsay was essentially shipped out by Red Wings general manager Jack Adams because he was he was helping organize the NHL players’ union.
“Adams had a reason for trading me too,” claimed Hall, matter-of-factly. “I didn’t particularly like the man.
“Jack Adams didn’t like me either,” Hall continued “Let’s get that straight.”
After a number of outstanding seasons in Chicago, including the Stanley Cup winning season of 1960-61, Hall was lured out of retirement by Hawks management, only to be made available for the NHL expansion draft in 1967. He was claimed by the St. Louis Blues, with whom he played his last four seasons in the league before retiring in 1971.
The now 90-year-old Hall, was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975. He won his second Stanley Cup when he served as the goaltending coach for the Calgary Flames in 1986.
In 1998, the former Windsor Spitfires netminde was ranked number 16 on The Hockey News’ list of the Greatest Hockey Players of All Time.
Check out Tim Jarrold’s photo gallery from Glenn Hall Night at the WFCU Centre.