Herb Boxer
Encyclopedia
Herb Boxer is a retired ice hockey
winger
. Boxer was the first ever American
born player drafted to the NHL
when he was drafted in the 2nd round (17th overall) by the Detroit Red Wings
in the 1968 NHL draft
.
at Michigan Technological University
in 1966. He had played hockey in high school and tried out for the team. His freshman year was spent on the junior team, but Boxer showed enough of his skill to make the varsity squad for his sophomore season. Playing on lines with Al Karlander
and Brian Watts, Boxer amassed 24 points in the 31 game season. But he also did much more, showing his speed and skill with the puck. Focusing on his studies toward the end of the season, Boxer had no idea that anyone else had even taken notice of his abilities.
On June 13, 1968, the sixth NHL Draft took place at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel
in Montreal
, and Herb Boxer's name was announced as the 17th player taken overall, by the Detroit Red Wings. Boxer was the first American born player ever selected in the NHL draft.
Boxer played two more seasons for Michigan Tech, including leading the team in goal scoring during the 1969–70 season, finishing with 24 goals and 14 assists. He decided to sign with the Red Wings after graduation, among other offers for his services.
Detroit offered Boxer an 8,000 USD salary to go along with a 7,000 USD signing bonus.
, reuniting with former teammate Al Karlander. Boxer had a slow start, scoring 17 points in his first season with the Wings, but turning it around with a strong second season. For the 1971–72 season, Boxer finished fourth on the team in scoring with 23 goals and 28 assists. He even tacked on six points in Fort Worth's short playoff run. After his first season in Fort Worth, Boxer was drafted again, this time by the U.S. Army; however he wouldn't end up serving.
Soon after, Boxer was moved to another minor league
affiliate when he joined the Virginia Wings
of the American Hockey League
for the 1972–73 season
. Boxer continued his great offensive play, scoring 54 points and even helped carry Virginia into the playoffs, losing in the semi-finals to the eventual Calder Cup
champions, the Cincinnati Swords
. The following season
saw more of the same as Boxer finished fifth on his team in scoring with 40 points.
Let go by Virginia after the end of the season, Boxer found a short home with the Green Bay Bobcats of the United States Hockey League
. He only played a handful of games before heading to Kalamazoo, Michigan
to play for the Kalamazoo Wings of the International Hockey League. After finishing out the season with Kalamazoo, Boxer was asked to represent the United States in the 1975 World Championship
in West Germany
. He was released from his contract in February and joined the team, where he was quickly named their Captain
.
"Bob Johnson was the coach of that team. I got to play with the team for their final six weeks. I figured that this was a great way to end my hockey playing career. I had had a good career. I ended up getting an offer to play in Sweden
the following season, but I had enough and was ready to start the next part of my life."
The U.S team took sixth place in the tournament and Boxer retired from playing ice hockey in 1975.
. He enjoyed the work and in 1976 accepted the position of assistant coach at his alma mater
, under his former coach MacInnes. He remained assistant coach for nine years under MacInnes and Jim Nahrgang
until Nahrgang resigned in February 1985 and Boxer was promoted to head coach of the Huskies. During that time, Boxer also coached with the U.S. Junior National Team in 1978 and 1979. In his first season as head coach
, Boxer coached the Huskies to a losing record of 10-26-4. His second season saw more of the same with a 15-24-1 record. However in the 1987–88 season, Boxer coached the Huskies to a 20-20-1 record and was named WCHA
Coach of the Year. After their first season without a losing record, the Huskies returned to their losing ways for the next two seasons and Boxer was let go after the 1989–90 season.
Boxer wouldn't return to coaching until 1994 when he stepped in to help the struggling Memphis RiverKings
of the Central Hockey League. Boxer helped turn the team around and make the playoffs twice in his three full seasons with the team. The RiverKings even made it to the finals in the 1996–97 season. However, Boxer was let go the following season after coaching the RiverKings to a 9-23-0 record midway through the season. Boxer decided to retire
from coaching.
as a technical recruiter
for Cook Systems International. He is also the father of Marc Boxer and Jay Boxer, both of whom played college hockey. Boxer is proud of both his hometown and the impact he has had on American born players in the NHL, as told in an interview on NHL.com;
When asked about what a player should do to make it to the NHL today, Boxer had this to say;
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
. Boxer was the first ever American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
born player drafted to the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
when he was drafted in the 2nd round (17th overall) by the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in the 1968 NHL draft
1968 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1968 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1968 NHL Entry Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-External links:* *...
.
College hockey
Boxer started college in nearby Houghton, MichiganHoughton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
at Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
in 1966. He had played hockey in high school and tried out for the team. His freshman year was spent on the junior team, but Boxer showed enough of his skill to make the varsity squad for his sophomore season. Playing on lines with Al Karlander
Al Karlander
Allan David Karlander is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 212 games in the National Hockey League and 269 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the Detroit Red Wings, New England Whalers, and Indianapolis Racers...
and Brian Watts, Boxer amassed 24 points in the 31 game season. But he also did much more, showing his speed and skill with the puck. Focusing on his studies toward the end of the season, Boxer had no idea that anyone else had even taken notice of his abilities.
"I remember it because it was the end of my sophomore season at Michigan Technical University, I was just finishing up final exams. I walked over to the athletic department just to check on something, I really don’t remember what it was. I ran into member of the hockey coaching staff. My coach, John MacInnesJohn MacInnesJohn J. MacInnes was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and NCAA hockey head coach. He was born in Toronto, Ontario.-Playing career:...
, told me that he had talked to the Detroit Red Wings the day before and said that they were interested in me. He told me that there was a good chance that I might be drafted the next day. But don’t count on it because so many other things can happen. I think this was on a Friday."
On June 13, 1968, the sixth NHL Draft took place at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Queen Elizabeth Hotel
The Queen Elizabeth Hotel is a grand hotel in Montreal, Quebec. Completed in 1958, it was built by the Canadian National Railway, but was later sold to Canadian Pacific Hotels, now Fairmont Hotels and Resorts...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and Herb Boxer's name was announced as the 17th player taken overall, by the Detroit Red Wings. Boxer was the first American born player ever selected in the NHL draft.
"The next day I woke up and planned on meeting some of my friends down at a local restaurant. I walked into the restaurant and I heard somebody say; 'Hey Herb, I heard you got drafted.' The person informed me that I had been drafted by Detroit. That was how I found out. There were no phone calls by Detroit. The media wasn’t covering it like they do today. Even the university didn’t cover it or announce it. I knew that I would be in college for another two years so I really took everything pretty casual. But my future wife, that was another story. She thought I had been drafted. But not by the Red Wings, but by the United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. The Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
was in full swing at the time. The U.S. Military had a draftConscription in the United StatesConscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...
at the time. Thousands of young men were being drafted by the military. So many who heard I had been drafted thought I was on my way to Vietnam.”
Boxer played two more seasons for Michigan Tech, including leading the team in goal scoring during the 1969–70 season, finishing with 24 goals and 14 assists. He decided to sign with the Red Wings after graduation, among other offers for his services.
"It was 1970 and the US team was holding their training camp, I had a good training camp with them. So what ended up happening was that I had two different hockey organizations wanting my services at the time. There were some good players on the Olympic Team at the time including Henry BouchaHenry BouchaHenry Charles Boucha is a retired American professional ice hockey centerman who played 247 games over 6 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies whose career was cut short by eye injury...
, Robbie FtorekRobbie FtorekRobert Brian Ftorek is a former NHL player and coach. He was enshrined as member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991...
and Mark HoweMark HoweMark Steven Howe is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League and 6 seasons in the World Hockey Association . He is the son of Colleen and Gordie Howe, and early in his career was a teammate of his father...
. I would have loved to have played with them. But Detroit made me an offer and I decided to go with them.”
Detroit offered Boxer an 8,000 USD salary to go along with a 7,000 USD signing bonus.
Minor league hockey
After graduation, Boxer started play with the Fort Worth Wings of the Central Hockey LeagueCentral Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
, reuniting with former teammate Al Karlander. Boxer had a slow start, scoring 17 points in his first season with the Wings, but turning it around with a strong second season. For the 1971–72 season, Boxer finished fourth on the team in scoring with 23 goals and 28 assists. He even tacked on six points in Fort Worth's short playoff run. After his first season in Fort Worth, Boxer was drafted again, this time by the U.S. Army; however he wouldn't end up serving.
"I was classified 1-A before I turned pro. I suffered a back injury that first season in the minors. By the time I was drafted, I went for my physical and failed it. I was classified 4-F. That back injury made the difference."
Soon after, Boxer was moved to another minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
affiliate when he joined the Virginia Wings
Virginia Wings
The Virginia Wings were a professional ice hockey team based in Norfolk, Virginia of the greater Hampton Roads area. They were an affiliated farm team of the Detroit Red Wings, and a member of the American Hockey League for three seasons from 1972–73 to 1974–75. The Wings were previously known as...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
for the 1972–73 season
1972–73 AHL season
The 1972–73 AHL season was the 37th season of the American Hockey League. Twelve teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Cincinnati Swords finished first overall in the regular season, and won the Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:...
. Boxer continued his great offensive play, scoring 54 points and even helped carry Virginia into the playoffs, losing in the semi-finals to the eventual Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
champions, the Cincinnati Swords
Cincinnati Swords
The Cincinnati Swords are a defunct American Hockey League team, founded in 1971, when the newly created NHL expansion team, Buffalo Sabres, exercised their option to create their own AHL farm team to replace the team they forced out of the AHL, the Buffalo Bisons...
. The following season
1973–74 AHL season
The 1973–74 AHL season was the 38th season of the American Hockey League. The league renamed its divisions, and the "East" Division became the "North" Division, and the "West" Division became the "South" Division. Twelve teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished...
saw more of the same as Boxer finished fifth on his team in scoring with 40 points.
Let go by Virginia after the end of the season, Boxer found a short home with the Green Bay Bobcats of the United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
. He only played a handful of games before heading to Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
to play for the Kalamazoo Wings of the International Hockey League. After finishing out the season with Kalamazoo, Boxer was asked to represent the United States in the 1975 World Championship
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. He was released from his contract in February and joined the team, where he was quickly named their Captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
.
"Bob Johnson was the coach of that team. I got to play with the team for their final six weeks. I figured that this was a great way to end my hockey playing career. I had had a good career. I ended up getting an offer to play in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
the following season, but I had enough and was ready to start the next part of my life."
The U.S team took sixth place in the tournament and Boxer retired from playing ice hockey in 1975.
Boxer the coach
After the World Championships, Boxer found a job as a hockey program director for a small place in Rockford, IllinoisRockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
. He enjoyed the work and in 1976 accepted the position of assistant coach at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, under his former coach MacInnes. He remained assistant coach for nine years under MacInnes and Jim Nahrgang
Jim Nahrgang
James Herbert Nahrgang is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 57 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Detroit Red Wings.- References :...
until Nahrgang resigned in February 1985 and Boxer was promoted to head coach of the Huskies. During that time, Boxer also coached with the U.S. Junior National Team in 1978 and 1979. In his first season as head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
, Boxer coached the Huskies to a losing record of 10-26-4. His second season saw more of the same with a 15-24-1 record. However in the 1987–88 season, Boxer coached the Huskies to a 20-20-1 record and was named WCHA
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
Coach of the Year. After their first season without a losing record, the Huskies returned to their losing ways for the next two seasons and Boxer was let go after the 1989–90 season.
Boxer wouldn't return to coaching until 1994 when he stepped in to help the struggling Memphis RiverKings
Memphis RiverKings
The Mississippi RiverKings are a professional minor league ice hockey team. The RiverKings are a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League, playing their first nineteen seasons from the 1992–93 season to the 2010–11 season in the Central Hockey League The Mississippi RiverKings...
of the Central Hockey League. Boxer helped turn the team around and make the playoffs twice in his three full seasons with the team. The RiverKings even made it to the finals in the 1996–97 season. However, Boxer was let go the following season after coaching the RiverKings to a 9-23-0 record midway through the season. Boxer decided to retire
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
from coaching.
Life after hockey
Boxer currently works in Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
as a technical recruiter
Recruiter
A recruiter is someone engaging in recruitment, or the solicitation of individuals to fill jobs or positions within a corporation, nonprofit organization, sports team, the military, etc. Recruiters may work within an organization's human resources department or on an outsourced basis...
for Cook Systems International. He is also the father of Marc Boxer and Jay Boxer, both of whom played college hockey. Boxer is proud of both his hometown and the impact he has had on American born players in the NHL, as told in an interview on NHL.com;
"I come from the twin-city area of Houghton and Hancock, Michigan. It’s located on a beautiful spot on Lake SuperiorLake SuperiorLake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. They say that’s where hockey was born in the United States. Cyclone TaylorCyclone TaylorFrederick Wellington "Cyclone" Taylor, OBE, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and civil servant. Taylor was one of the earliest professional players. He played professionally for the Portage Lakes Hockey Club, the Ottawa Hockey Club and the Vancouver Millionaires from 1905 to 1923...
played there in the early days of pro hockey. It has quite a history of hockey. Today, all the youngsters up there, both boys and girls, play hockey. Amateur hockey up there is pretty big as it is around other parts of the United States.”
When asked about what a player should do to make it to the NHL today, Boxer had this to say;
"Today I would tell a kid to listen to their parents and listen to their coaches. Ask a lot of questions of the better players. Learn from their mistakes. Your best friends will be your coaches and your parents. They will help you along the way. With the impact the Americans have made in hockey, it speaks volumes on how far USA Hockey has come as well. Americans are competing on a level equal to the rest of the world. There is no doubt any more that Americans are leaving their mark on the world of hockey."
Awards and achievements
- Named Captain of Team USA at the 1975 World Ice Hockey Championship
- WCHA Coach of the Year: 1987–88 (Michigan Tech)