Sid Abel

Sidney Gerald Abel
Born	(1918-02-22) 22 February 1918 Melville, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died	8 February 2000(2000-02-08) (aged 81)
Other names	"Old Bootnose"
Occupation(s)	Ice hockey player, coach, general manager, broadcaster
Years active	1936–1976 (playing and coaching career)
Known for	NHL player, coach and general manager; inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame; Detroit Red Wings No. 12 retired; Hart Memorial Trophy winner

Sidney Gerald Abel (February 22, 1918 – February 8, 2000) was a distinguished Canadian ice hockey figure inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. His career in the National Hockey League was primarily associated with the Detroit Red Wings, where he excelled as a player, coach, and general manager. Abel contributed to Stanley Cup victories in the 1943, 1950, and 1952 seasons. In 2017, he was honored as one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" of all time.

Playing career

Originating from Melville, Saskatchewan, Abel earned the nickname "Old Bootnose" during his early years playing junior hockey with the Flin Flon Bombers. He joined the Detroit Red Wings roster in 1938. After alternating between the Red Wings and their American Hockey League affiliates for two seasons, he secured a permanent spot on the team in 1940 and was appointed captain in 1942.

In 1943, Abel temporarily left the NHL to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force amid World War II, where he continued to play hockey with the RCAF team based in Montreal. He returned to Detroit late in the 1946 campaign and resumed his leadership role as captain.

By 1947, under head coach Jack Adams, Abel was part of a forward line alongside Ted Lindsay and rookie Gordie Howe. Despite facing illness toward the end of that season, this trio secured a playoff spot. The following year, they dominated team scoring charts and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Known as the "Production Line," this unit led Detroit to an unprecedented seven straight first-place finishes by 1949—a record that still stands in NHL history. That year, Abel ranked tied for third in league scoring and led goal-scoring despite injuries sidelining Lindsay and Howe. His outstanding performance earned him the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player and a selection to the First All-Star team.

Throughout the subsequent three seasons, Abel and his linemates consistently topped point totals. In 1950, all three players ranked among the league’s highest scorers, equaling a rare accomplishment previously achieved by Boston Bruins’ "Kraut Line." Abel secured his second Stanley Cup championship that year along with additional All-Star recognitions.

In 1952, Abel was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks where he took on dual responsibilities as player-coach—the last individual to serve full-time in both roles simultaneously in NHL history—over two seasons before retiring from playing.

Detroit honored Abel by retiring his No. 12 jersey; during his career, he wore several numbers initially but ultimately settled on 12 after returning from military duty.

Coaching

Abel’s coaching tenure began with the Chicago Black Hawks from 1952 to 1954. He later returned to lead the Detroit Red Wings behind the bench from 1957–58 through 1969–70. Concurrently, he held the position of general manager for Detroit between April 1962 and January 1971. Additionally, Abel briefly coached the St. Louis Blues and managed the expansion Kansas City Scouts during their inaugural seasons (1974–75 and 1975–76). In 1975–76, following Bep Guidolin’s resignation, he served as interim coach for three games with the Scouts.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Abel contributed as a colour commentator for Red Wings radio and television broadcasts alongside Bruce Martyn.

Legacy

Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969, Sid Abel was also ranked 85th on The Hockey News’ list of the top 100 hockey players in 1998. The Detroit Red Wings retired his No. 12 jersey in 1995 as a tribute to his enduring impact.

Abel’s family includes several prominent hockey personalities: his brother George scored Canada’s gold-medal-winning goal at the 1952 Olympics; his son Gerry and son-in-law Bob Johnson both played professionally in the NHL; his grandson Brent Johnson was an NHL goaltender; and his nephew Greg Abel holds an executive role at Berkshire Hathaway.

Sid Abel passed away on February 8, 2000, just days before reaching his 82nd birthday.

Awards and honors

• Selected twice for the NHL First Team All-Star (1949, 1950)
• Earned NHL Second Team All-Star honors on two occasions (1942, 1951)
• Secured the Stanley Cup three times (1943, 1950, 1952)
• Recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy (1949)
• Detroit Red Wings retired jersey number 12 in his honor (1995)
• Included in the inaugural list of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' announced in January 2017

Career statistics

... [Statistics continue as original] ...

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1936–37	Melville Millionaires	S-SJHL		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1936–37	Saskatoon Wesleys	N-SJHL		—	—	—	—	—		3	6	2	8	2
1936–37	Saskatoon Wesleys	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		8	8	5	13	6
1937–38	Flin Flon Bombers	N-SSHL		23	12	16	28	13		8	4	4	8	17
1937–38	Flin Flon Bombers	Al-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		7	6	1	7	4
1938–39	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		15	1	1	2	0		6	1	1	2	2
1938–39	Pittsburgh Hornets	IAHL		41	22	24	46	27		—	—	—	—	—
1939–40	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		24	1	5	6	4		5	0	3	3	21
1939–40	Indianapolis Capitals	IAHL		21	7	11	18	10		—	—	—	—	—
1940–41	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		47	11	22	33	29		9	2	2	4	2
1941–42	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		48	18	31	49	45		12	4	2	6	8
1942–43	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		49	18	24	42	33		10	5	8	13	4
1943–44 teams omitted for brevity
1945–46	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		7
NHL totals				612	189	283	472	376		97	28	30	58	79

Coaching record

... [Further coaching record entries omitted for brevity] ...

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
		G	W	L	T	Pts	Division rank	Result
CHI	(1952–53)	27 |28 |15 |69 |4th in NHL |Lost semi-finals (3-4 vs. MTL)
CHI	(1953–54)	12 |51 |7 |31 |6th in NHL |Did not qualify
DET	(1957–58)	16 |12 |5 |37 |3rd in NHL |Lost semi-finals (0-4 vs. MTL)