Reg Fleming

Reggie Stephen "The Ruffian" Fleming, (born April 21, 1936 in Montreal, Quebec) was a professional hockey player in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres. He also played for the Chicago Cougars of the World Hockey Association, as well as a number of minor league teams in other professional leagues. His professional career spanned over 20 years. He was known as an aggressive and combative player who could play both forward and defence, as well as kill penalties.

After a junior career for two seasons with the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the Quebec Junior Hockey League(QJHL) and one year with St. Michael's of the Ontario Hockey Association(OHA), Fleming began his minor-pro career in the Hab's farm system with Shawinigan of the Quebec Senior League(QHL), followed by stops in Rochester (AHL) and Kingston (EPHL). His rugged style of play earned him a three game tryout with the Canadiens late in the 1959-60 season. That summer Montreal and the Chicago made a large nine player trade and Fleming became a member of the Black Hawks.

Fleming played four full seasons on a talented Chicago club with stars like Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Glenn Hall and Pierre Pilote. Fleming's aggressive style of play added an important physical presence to the Black Hawks and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1960-61, Fleming's first in Chicago. Fleming scored an important goal in the final game of the NHL semi-finals against Detroit that year. He assisted on Bobby Hull's 50th goal the following season, helping Hull match the NHL record. A popular player with Chicago, he was known for his grit and team spirit. His involvement in a number of notorious incidents gave him a reputation around the league as a tough customer and an intense competitor.

Prior to the 1964-65 season, Chicago dealt Fleming to the Boston Bruins. Used primarily as a forward, he recorded personal highs of 18 goals and 23 assists in 1964-65. Midway through the next season, he was traded to the New York Rangers. He would spend the remainder of that year and the following three with a rapidly improving Ranger club. Although a popular and consistent performer with the Rangers, he was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 1969-70 season. His experience and combativeness helped the small and unaggressive Flyer team. Left unprotected in the 1970 expansion draft, Fleming joined the Buffalo Sabres, where he recorded his career high in penalty minutes in 1970-71, his last NHL season.

After minor league stints with Cincinnati(AHL) and Salt Lake(WHL) in 1971-72, Fleming returned to Chicago, joining the Cougars of the newly-formed WHA. After scoring 23 goals and playing his usual rugged style in 1972-73, injuries began to reduce his effectiveness the following season, his final season in the WHA. After playing for a few more seasons in the minors in the mid-western United States, Fleming retired in 1978.

External links

*hockeydb|1705
*legendsofhockey|12603