07-04-2022, 09:38 AM
James Joseph Pappin (September 10, 1939 – June 29, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Black Hawks, California Golden Seals, and Cleveland Barons from 1963 to 1977. He won the Stanley Cup in 1964 and 1967 with the Leafs. Pappin led the league in playoff goals and points in 1967 with four goals and six assists in the Finals, including the Cup-winning goal in Game 6 on May 2, 1967.[1]
After playing for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) in the early 1960s, Pappin played in 767 NHL games between 1963 and 1977, scoring 278 goals and 295 assists for 573 points. The 1972–73 season was his statistical best, when he scored 41 goals and 92 points with Chicago.
Pappin was born in Copper Cliff in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, on September 10, 1939.[2][3] He began his junior career by playing two seasons for the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 1958 to 1960. He then joined the Sudbury Wolves in the middle of the 1959–60 season.[3]
Pappin began his professional hockey career in 1960 with the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League (AHL).[3][4] He played on its Calder Cup-winning teams in 1965, 1966, and 1968.[5] He scored the most goals during the 1965 and 1966 playoffs,[4] including the game-winning goals in the both Cup-clinching games.[6] He went on to score 134 goals in 275 regular-season games for the Americans and was later inducted into the team's hall of fame in 1996.[4]
Pappin was added to the Toronto Maple Leafs roster during the 1963–64 season.[7] He made his NHL debut for the franchise on November 23, 1963,[8] against the Boston Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens.[9] He continued to go back and forth between the Leafs and its Rochester affiliate throughout his tenure with the franchise.[10] He won his first Stanley Cup in 1964,[7] and played in his first NHL All-Star Game later that year.[2]
During the 1966–67 season, Pappin led the league in game-winning goals (7) and finished eighth in shooting percentage (15.3) and power-play goals (6).[2] However, he had a poor relationship with general manager and coach Punch Imlach, who sent Pappin down to Rochester in February 1967 after he scored only six goals.[11] However, he was recalled to Toronto after six games, around the time when Imlach temporarily stepped aside due to illness and King Clancy became interim coach.[7][11] Pappin thrived with Clancy at the helm, scoring 15 goals in the last 22 games of the regular season.[11][12] He went on to win his second Stanley Cup championship that same season, scoring the series-winning goal in Game 6.[7] At the time of his death in 2022, it was the Leafs most recent championship-clinching goal. Although his shot was deflected in off the skate of teammate Pete Stemkowski and credit was given to the latter at first, they privately agreed to give Pappin the goal as he was in the running for a contract bonus should he score the most goals in that year's Stanley Cup playoffs.[7][13] He ultimately scored the most goals (7) and points (15), and recorded the highest shooting percentage (15.9) of any player in that series.[2] Pappin reportedly accorded Stemkowski with unlimited access to the backyard pool that he constructed with the bonus payment.[7] Pappin was also in line for a C$1,000 bonus after scoring a combined 25 goals in the NHL and AHL, but Imlach refused to honour the agreement.[11]
During the offseason, Imlach raised Pappin's salary to $22,000, which was $3,000 less than what the latter had requested.[11] He appeared in his second All-Star Game in 1968,[2] but was also sent down to the Americans again by Imlach.[11] He was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks on May 23 that same year in exchange for Pierre Pilote.[2] The move – which was instigated by Imlach[14] – aggrieved Pappin and spurred him to give his 1967 championship ring to his father-in-law.[7][15]
During his first season with the Black Hawks, Pappin finished fourth in the NHL in game-winning goals (7) and fifth in shooting percentage (17.7).[2] In the 1972–73 season – arguably Pappin's best season as a professional – he recorded career-highs in goals (41), assists (51), and points (92).[2][13] He finished third in the league in shooting percentage (22.5), sixth in goals, seventh in goals per game (0.54), eighth in points per game (1.21), and tenth in points. He was also named to his third All-Star Game that year. Pappin proceeded to lead the NHL in games played with 78 the following season, and was again selected to the All-Star Game that year.[2] He played in his fifth and final All-Star Game in 1975 and posted the second-best shooting percentage (23.1) in the league that year after Peter McNab.[2][16]
Pappin was traded to the California Golden Seals on June 1, 1975, in exchange for Joey Johnston. He played his final two seasons for the franchise, which relocated to Cleveland to become the Cleveland Barons in 1976.[2] He played his final NHL game on December 11, 1976, at the age of 37.[17] Three days later, he notified general manager Bill McCreary Sr. of his retirement.[18]
After retiring from professional hockey, Pappin worked as a scout for the Black Hawks.[19] He continued in that capacity until the middle of the 1984–85 season, when he was hired as a replacement head coach of the International Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals.[20] During his tenure, the team posted a record of 12 wins and 14 losses.[3] He subsequently returned to the Black Hawks as its director of U.S. scouting.[21] He later scouted for the St.
Aside from hockey, Pappin had a keen interest in harness racing and owned several standardbred horses.[22][23] He also ran a tennis facility in his hometown of Sudbury.[7] His 1967 Stanley Cup ring – which his father-in-law lost at a beach during the 1970s – was found in 2007 by treasure hunter Mark DesErmia in the Gulf of Mexico.[15] Pappin eventually struck a deal with the treasure hunter and the ring was returned for a reward.[24]
During the NHL offseason, Pappin operated a hockey school that also functioned as a horse-riding camp.[7] His first marriage was to Karen Kyrzakos.[25] Together, they had two children: Arne and Merrill.[11] They eventually divorced in 1982.[25] He married Peggy two years later.[15]
Pappin died on June 29, 2022, at the age of 82.[7][26]
After playing for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) in the early 1960s, Pappin played in 767 NHL games between 1963 and 1977, scoring 278 goals and 295 assists for 573 points. The 1972–73 season was his statistical best, when he scored 41 goals and 92 points with Chicago.
Pappin was born in Copper Cliff in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, on September 10, 1939.[2][3] He began his junior career by playing two seasons for the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 1958 to 1960. He then joined the Sudbury Wolves in the middle of the 1959–60 season.[3]
Pappin began his professional hockey career in 1960 with the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League (AHL).[3][4] He played on its Calder Cup-winning teams in 1965, 1966, and 1968.[5] He scored the most goals during the 1965 and 1966 playoffs,[4] including the game-winning goals in the both Cup-clinching games.[6] He went on to score 134 goals in 275 regular-season games for the Americans and was later inducted into the team's hall of fame in 1996.[4]
Pappin was added to the Toronto Maple Leafs roster during the 1963–64 season.[7] He made his NHL debut for the franchise on November 23, 1963,[8] against the Boston Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens.[9] He continued to go back and forth between the Leafs and its Rochester affiliate throughout his tenure with the franchise.[10] He won his first Stanley Cup in 1964,[7] and played in his first NHL All-Star Game later that year.[2]
During the 1966–67 season, Pappin led the league in game-winning goals (7) and finished eighth in shooting percentage (15.3) and power-play goals (6).[2] However, he had a poor relationship with general manager and coach Punch Imlach, who sent Pappin down to Rochester in February 1967 after he scored only six goals.[11] However, he was recalled to Toronto after six games, around the time when Imlach temporarily stepped aside due to illness and King Clancy became interim coach.[7][11] Pappin thrived with Clancy at the helm, scoring 15 goals in the last 22 games of the regular season.[11][12] He went on to win his second Stanley Cup championship that same season, scoring the series-winning goal in Game 6.[7] At the time of his death in 2022, it was the Leafs most recent championship-clinching goal. Although his shot was deflected in off the skate of teammate Pete Stemkowski and credit was given to the latter at first, they privately agreed to give Pappin the goal as he was in the running for a contract bonus should he score the most goals in that year's Stanley Cup playoffs.[7][13] He ultimately scored the most goals (7) and points (15), and recorded the highest shooting percentage (15.9) of any player in that series.[2] Pappin reportedly accorded Stemkowski with unlimited access to the backyard pool that he constructed with the bonus payment.[7] Pappin was also in line for a C$1,000 bonus after scoring a combined 25 goals in the NHL and AHL, but Imlach refused to honour the agreement.[11]
During the offseason, Imlach raised Pappin's salary to $22,000, which was $3,000 less than what the latter had requested.[11] He appeared in his second All-Star Game in 1968,[2] but was also sent down to the Americans again by Imlach.[11] He was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks on May 23 that same year in exchange for Pierre Pilote.[2] The move – which was instigated by Imlach[14] – aggrieved Pappin and spurred him to give his 1967 championship ring to his father-in-law.[7][15]
During his first season with the Black Hawks, Pappin finished fourth in the NHL in game-winning goals (7) and fifth in shooting percentage (17.7).[2] In the 1972–73 season – arguably Pappin's best season as a professional – he recorded career-highs in goals (41), assists (51), and points (92).[2][13] He finished third in the league in shooting percentage (22.5), sixth in goals, seventh in goals per game (0.54), eighth in points per game (1.21), and tenth in points. He was also named to his third All-Star Game that year. Pappin proceeded to lead the NHL in games played with 78 the following season, and was again selected to the All-Star Game that year.[2] He played in his fifth and final All-Star Game in 1975 and posted the second-best shooting percentage (23.1) in the league that year after Peter McNab.[2][16]
Pappin was traded to the California Golden Seals on June 1, 1975, in exchange for Joey Johnston. He played his final two seasons for the franchise, which relocated to Cleveland to become the Cleveland Barons in 1976.[2] He played his final NHL game on December 11, 1976, at the age of 37.[17] Three days later, he notified general manager Bill McCreary Sr. of his retirement.[18]
After retiring from professional hockey, Pappin worked as a scout for the Black Hawks.[19] He continued in that capacity until the middle of the 1984–85 season, when he was hired as a replacement head coach of the International Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals.[20] During his tenure, the team posted a record of 12 wins and 14 losses.[3] He subsequently returned to the Black Hawks as its director of U.S. scouting.[21] He later scouted for the St.
Aside from hockey, Pappin had a keen interest in harness racing and owned several standardbred horses.[22][23] He also ran a tennis facility in his hometown of Sudbury.[7] His 1967 Stanley Cup ring – which his father-in-law lost at a beach during the 1970s – was found in 2007 by treasure hunter Mark DesErmia in the Gulf of Mexico.[15] Pappin eventually struck a deal with the treasure hunter and the ring was returned for a reward.[24]
During the NHL offseason, Pappin operated a hockey school that also functioned as a horse-riding camp.[7] His first marriage was to Karen Kyrzakos.[25] Together, they had two children: Arne and Merrill.[11] They eventually divorced in 1982.[25] He married Peggy two years later.[15]
Pappin died on June 29, 2022, at the age of 82.[7][26]
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.