Leo Boivin
Encyclopedia
Léo Joseph Boivin is a retired Canadian professional
ice hockey
defenceman
who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League
for the Toronto Maple Leafs
, Boston Bruins
, Detroit Red Wings
, Pittsburgh Penguins
and Minnesota North Stars
.
, near Ottawa
. He planned on being a defenceman since childhood, "because defencemen got to stay on the ice longer, got to play more." His junior career consisted of a year with the Inkerman Rockets and two more seasons with the Port Arthur Bruins. In 1951–52 he began playing for the AHL's
Pittsburgh Hornets and was promoted to the Toronto Maple Leafs
. Yet, Leo was most remembered for his time with the Boston Bruins
as he helped lead them to two Stanley Cup
finals in the late 50's. Leo starred with other Boston defensive stalwarts Allan Stanley
, Fern Flaman, Doug Mohns
and Bob Armstrong
. He remained the anchor of a youthful Bruins defensive corps during the difficult reconstructive period of the early 1960s. Although just 5' 7", he was considered a very tough opponent, as Tim Horton
referred to him as "the toughest blueliner to beat in a one-on-one situation". He has also been called the last of the toothrattling body checkers. Mr. Boivin became Captain of the Boston Bruins in 1963.
Following his retirement in 1970, Boivin became a scout. He became an interim coach of the St. Louis Blues during the 1975–76 and 1977–78 seasons, and coached the Ottawa 67's
of the Ontario Hockey League
for a brief period, tutoring young defenceman Denis Potvin
. Boivin was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1986.
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
ice hockey
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...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League
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...
for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in 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...
, Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
and Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
.
Playing career
Leo Boivin began playing hockey at seven years of age on the rivers and outdoor ice surfaces of Prescott, OntarioPrescott, Ontario
Prescott is a town of approximately 4,180 people on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada. The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, 5 km east of Prescott in Johnstown, connects it with Ogdensburg, New York...
, near Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. He planned on being a defenceman since childhood, "because defencemen got to stay on the ice longer, got to play more." His junior career consisted of a year with the Inkerman Rockets and two more seasons with the Port Arthur Bruins. In 1951–52 he began playing for the AHL's
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...
Pittsburgh Hornets and was promoted to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Yet, Leo was most remembered for his time with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
as he helped lead them to two Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals in the late 50's. Leo starred with other Boston defensive stalwarts Allan Stanley
Allan Stanley
Allan Herbert Stanley was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the New York Rangers, Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League, and the Western Hockey League version of the Vancouver Canucks.-Playing...
, Fern Flaman, Doug Mohns
Doug Mohns
Douglas Allen "Diesel" Mohns is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1953–54 until 1974–75. Mohns twice won the most coveted prize in junior hockey, the Memorial Cup...
and Bob Armstrong
Bob Armstrong
Joseph Melton James is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championships throughout the Southeastern United States...
. He remained the anchor of a youthful Bruins defensive corps during the difficult reconstructive period of the early 1960s. Although just 5' 7", he was considered a very tough opponent, as Tim Horton
Tim Horton
Myles Gilbert "Tim" Horton was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in 24 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. He was also a businessman and a co-founder of Tim Hortons. He died in an...
referred to him as "the toughest blueliner to beat in a one-on-one situation". He has also been called the last of the toothrattling body checkers. Mr. Boivin became Captain of the Boston Bruins in 1963.
Following his retirement in 1970, Boivin became a scout. He became an interim coach of the St. Louis Blues during the 1975–76 and 1977–78 seasons, and coached the Ottawa 67's
Ottawa 67's
The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
for a brief period, tutoring young defenceman Denis Potvin
Denis Potvin
Denis Charles Potvin is a former defenseman and team captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League and cornerstone for the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championship teams in the early 1980s. His brother, Jean Potvin, was also an NHL defenseman and the brothers were teammates for...
. Boivin was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1986.