"Marcel was the most underrated defenceman ever to play in the league.
When he hit you, you were hit. He was a tremendous skater and
defensively, he was as good as anyone. He might have been overlooked by
the press, but he was never overlooked by his teammates. Years later, I
brought him back to Detroit as a coach. He is very knowledgeable and a
very astute observer of the game."
--Hall of Fame left-winger Ted Lindsay (Pronovost's teammate from
1949-57 and 1964-65)
In the spring of 1950, Marcel Pronovost was called up from the minor
leagues to play for the Detroit Red Wings during the Stanley Cup
playoffs. The 18-year-old defenceman had never seen NHL ice time before,
but his performance in the playoffs was so impressive that he took
regular turns in the final series against the New York Rangers. That
year, Marcel Provonost became the ninth player in history to win a
Stanley Cup before playing a single regular-season NHL game.
So began Pronovost's 65-year career in pro hockey. As a Red Wing he
became a star defenceman in Detroit's golden age, winning three more
Stanley Cups between 1952 and 1955, and skating side-by-side with Gordie
Howe, Ted Lindsay, and Terry Sawchuk (who became a lifelong friend). He
played a pivotal role in the Toronto Maple Leafs' last Stanley Cup win
in 1967. He earned recognition on the NHL's First and Second All-Star
Teams. And he has continued to serve the game for decades, becoming one
of the few NHLers to have success as a player, a coach, and as a scout.
Now, with Marcel Pronovost: A Life in Hockey, this legendary
defenceman and Hockey Hall of Famer tells these and other stories for
the first time. With over 125 photos and with on-the-ice recollections
from the most exciting Original Six Era games ever played, A Life in
Hockey is a hard-hitting memoir, and an insider's take on playing,
coaching, and scouting that spans seven decades, and surveys one of the
longest hockey careers of all time. A must-have autobiography for Red
Wings fans, Leafs fans, and hockey buffs everywhere.
