Willie Huber
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Heinrich Huber (January 15, 1958 – June 28, 2010), was a retired professional ice hockey
defenceman
who spent ten years in the National Hockey League
(NHL), primarily with the Detroit Red Wings
and New York Rangers
. Born in West Germany
, Huber's family moved to Canada
when he was an infant. He represented Canada in international competition. When he joined the NHL in 1978, he was the largest player (6'5", 225 lbs.) in league history.
by the Detroit Red Wings
after a decorated junior career. He won the Memorial Cup
with the Hamilton Fincups
in 1976, and represented Canada at the 1977 and 1978 World Junior Championships
. A rare blend of size and skill, Huber stepped directly into the Wings' lineup the following season, notching 31 points and being named the team's Rookie of the Year.
For most of his career (until the arrival of Kjell Samuelsson
in 1986) Huber was the largest player in the NHL at 6'5" and 228 lbs, towering over most other players in the league. Despite his size, however, Huber was primarily an offensive defender. Blessed with exceptional hands and skating ability, Huber was amongst the league's highest goal-scoring defenders in the early 1980s, and a fixture on the Detroit powerplay. While he was also solid in his own zone, fans often - unfairly - expected him to be a nasty physical presence, which did not come as naturally to him.
Huber scored at least 14 goals and 40 points for Detroit every season between 1979 and 1983, and was one of the team's top players during a comparatively lackluster period of Red Wing history. Huber and Reed Larson
formed one of the more dangerous blueline power play combinations in the league during this period. He was chosen to represent Canada at the 1981 World Championships, and helped the team to a 4th-place finish. In 1983, he was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game.
Following a contract dispute with the Red Wings, Huber was dealt to the New York Rangers in the summer of 1983. He picked up where he left off offensively, but tore ligaments in his left knee mid-way through the season and was limited to 23 points in just 42 games. The following season, he tore ligaments in his right knee. As a result, his once-excellent mobility declined considerably, as did his offensive production. By 1985–86, he scored only 15 points in 70 games. He bounced back to score 30 points in 1986–87, but was traded to the Vancouver Canucks
early in 1987–88. After a short, disappointing stint in Vancouver, he was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers
at the trade deadline, where he experienced a surprise resurgence with 13 points in 10 games.
However, following the season Philadelphia wanted him to take a paycut, and after a resulting season-long holdout he retired in 1989. He finished his 10-year career with 104 goals and 321 points in 655 career games, along with 950 penalty minutes.
Following his days in hockey, he chose to remain near the game, working at Copps Coliseum, Hamilton Place, and the Hamilton Convention Centre, in facility and event operations.
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 spent ten years 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...
(NHL), primarily with 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...
and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Born 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....
, Huber's family moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
when he was an infant. He represented Canada in international competition. When he joined the NHL in 1978, he was the largest player (6'5", 225 lbs.) in league history.
Playing career
Huber was drafted in the first round (9th overall) in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft1978 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1978 NHL Amateur Draft occurred at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec on June 15, 1978. It was the last draft to be called the "Amateur Draft" before the process was renamed to the NHL Entry Draft in 1979.-Selections by round:...
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...
after a decorated junior career. He won the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
with the Hamilton Fincups
Hamilton Fincups
The Fincups were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for 4 years, from 1974 to 1978. The team played in Hamilton, Ontario for three years, and in St. Catharines, Ontario for one.-History:...
in 1976, and represented Canada at the 1977 and 1978 World Junior Championships
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
. A rare blend of size and skill, Huber stepped directly into the Wings' lineup the following season, notching 31 points and being named the team's Rookie of the Year.
For most of his career (until the arrival of Kjell Samuelsson
Kjell Samuelsson
Kjell Samuelsson is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning...
in 1986) Huber was the largest player in the NHL at 6'5" and 228 lbs, towering over most other players in the league. Despite his size, however, Huber was primarily an offensive defender. Blessed with exceptional hands and skating ability, Huber was amongst the league's highest goal-scoring defenders in the early 1980s, and a fixture on the Detroit powerplay. While he was also solid in his own zone, fans often - unfairly - expected him to be a nasty physical presence, which did not come as naturally to him.
Huber scored at least 14 goals and 40 points for Detroit every season between 1979 and 1983, and was one of the team's top players during a comparatively lackluster period of Red Wing history. Huber and Reed Larson
Reed Larson
Reed David Larson is a retired professional ice hockey defenseman and former captain of the Detroit Red Wings who played 904 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1976 and 1990...
formed one of the more dangerous blueline power play combinations in the league during this period. He was chosen to represent Canada at the 1981 World Championships, and helped the team to a 4th-place finish. In 1983, he was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game.
Following a contract dispute with the Red Wings, Huber was dealt to the New York Rangers in the summer of 1983. He picked up where he left off offensively, but tore ligaments in his left knee mid-way through the season and was limited to 23 points in just 42 games. The following season, he tore ligaments in his right knee. As a result, his once-excellent mobility declined considerably, as did his offensive production. By 1985–86, he scored only 15 points in 70 games. He bounced back to score 30 points in 1986–87, but was traded to the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
early in 1987–88. After a short, disappointing stint in Vancouver, he was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
at the trade deadline, where he experienced a surprise resurgence with 13 points in 10 games.
However, following the season Philadelphia wanted him to take a paycut, and after a resulting season-long holdout he retired in 1989. He finished his 10-year career with 104 goals and 321 points in 655 career games, along with 950 penalty minutes.
Following his days in hockey, he chose to remain near the game, working at Copps Coliseum, Hamilton Place, and the Hamilton Convention Centre, in facility and event operations.
Death
Willie Huber died on June 28, 2010 in Hamilton, Ontario of a suspected heart attack at age 52. At the time of his death, he left behind his spouse, step daughter, and son.Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1975–76 | Hamilton Fincups Hamilton Fincups The Fincups were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for 4 years, from 1974 to 1978. The team played in Hamilton, Ontario for three years, and in St. Catharines, Ontario for one.-History:... |
OMJHL 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.... |
58 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 64 | 14 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 28 | ||
| 1976–77 | St. Catharines Fincups | OMJHL | 36 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 111 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 29 | ||
| 1977–78 | Hamilton Fincups | OMJHL | 61 | 12 | 45 | 57 | 168 | 20 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 45 | ||
| 1978–79 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 68 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 114 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Kansas City Red Wings Kansas City Red Wings The Kansas City Red Wings were a professional hockey team that operated in the Central Hockey League for two season, 1977–78 and 1978-79. They were the top farm team of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.-1977-78 season:... |
CHL | 10 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 76 | 17 | 23 | 40 | 164 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 1979–80 AHL season The 1979–80 AHL season was the 44th season of the American Hockey League. Ten teams were scheduled to play 80 games each. The New Haven Nighthawks finished first overall in the regular season... |
Adirondack Red Wings Adirondack Red Wings The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, USA at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... |
AHL 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... |
4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 80 | 15 | 34 | 49 | 130 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 74 | 15 | 30 | 45 | 98 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 74 | 14 | 29 | 43 | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 42 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 60 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | ||
| 1984–85 | New York Rangers | NHL | 49 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 55 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1985–86 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 85 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 16 | ||
| 1986–87 | New York Rangers | NHL | 66 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 68 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1987–88 | New York Rangers | NHL | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
NHL | 35 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 10 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 655 | 104 | 217 | 321 | 950 | 33 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 35 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | P | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 1977 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships -Scoring leaders:-Tournament awards:... |
Canada | WJC World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world... |
7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13 | |
| 1978 1978 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships -Blue group:-Group B:-Group A:-Gold medal game:-Leading scorers:-Tournament awards:-Blue group:-Group B:-Group A:-Gold medal game:-Leading scorers:-Tournament awards:-Blue group:... |
Canada | WJC | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1981 | Canada | WC 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... |
7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |
| Junior int'l totals | 13 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 15 | |||
| Senior int'l totals | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |||
All-Star Games
| Year | Location | G | A | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 35th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 35th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on February 8, 1983, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, home to the New York Islanders. In the game, Edmonton Oilers' centre Wayne Gretzky set an All-Star Game record by scoring all of his four goals in the third... |
Uniondale New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
| All-Star totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
- All stats taken from NHL.com