Terry Harper

Terrance Victor Harper
Born	(1940-01-27) January 27, 1940 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Occupation	Professional ice hockey defenseman
Years active	1962–1981
Known for	NHL player for Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Rockies; five-time Stanley Cup champion; NHL All-Star

Terrance Victor Harper (born January 27, 1940) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman whose National Hockey League career spanned from 1962 until 1981. Throughout his tenure, he played with the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, and Colorado Rockies.

Early life

Raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Harper overcame severe third-degree burns sustained during childhood, which necessitated seven years of skin graft treatments. As part of his recovery process to strengthen his leg muscles, he engaged in playing hockey. He competed for Regina’s local team affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens and advanced to the 1958 Memorial Cup finals, facing a formidable Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens squad overseen by Sam Pollock.

Playing career

Harper’s initial ten years in the NHL were spent with the Montreal Canadiens, making his debut in 1963 and securing five Stanley Cup titles between 1963 and 1972. A notable incident involving a confrontation while in the penalty box prompted the NHL to introduce separate penalty boxes for opposing teams.

Before the 1972–73 season, Harper was traded to the Los Angeles Kings where he became a defensive cornerstone and was appointed team captain for three consecutive seasons. He earned an All-Star selection in 1973 and scored a crucial game-tying goal. Under his captaincy, the Kings reached the playoffs twice but were eliminated in the opening round on both occasions.

In June 1975, Harper and Dan Maloney were traded to the Detroit Red Wings in a significant transaction that brought Marcel Dionne to Los Angeles. Harper took on the role of captain with Detroit and achieved a personal best of eight goals during the 1975–76 campaign. After four seasons with Detroit, he concluded his playing days with two final seasons split between the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Rockies, retiring in 1981 in his early forties.

Across 19 NHL seasons, Harper accumulated 35 goals, 221 assists, 1,362 penalty minutes, and maintained a plus/minus rating of +169—highlighting his defensive contributions despite limited offensive production.

Coaching career

During the 1980–81 season, Harper worked as an assistant coach for the Colorado Rockies.

Playing style

Harper was recognized as a stay-at-home defenseman who prioritized defensive responsibilities and physicality, regularly logging over 90 penalty minutes per season. His skill in clearing opponents away from the crease made him a valuable asset to goaltenders and an integral part of penalty-killing formations. Although frequently involved in fights and known for toughness, he often found himself on the receiving end of physical challenges. Offensively, scoring was rare for Harper; his term "Harper hat trick" humorously referred to netting three goals in one season—a milestone he reached five times—with his highest single-season goal total being eight during the 1975–76 season with Detroit.

Personal life

Harper was married for six decades until his wife passed away. He currently lives in Folsom, California, close to his children and grandchildren. His daughter resides in Folsom while his sons live in West Sacramento and Stockton. Despite his age, he continues to play hockey twice weekly.

Awards and achievements

• Stanley Cup champion with Montreal Canadiens (1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971)
• Captain of Los Angeles Kings (1973–1975)
• Captain of Detroit Red Wings (1976)
• Selected for four NHL All-Star Games (1965, 1967, 1973, 1975)
• Inducted into Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016

Regular season and playoffs

NHL career totals !۱,۰۶۶ !۳۵ !۲۲۱ !۲۵۶ !۱,۳۶۲ !۱۱۲ !۴ !۱۳ !۱۷ !۱۴۰

				Regular Season						Postseason
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1957–58	Regina Pats	SJHL		51	6	10	16	74		12	2	3	5	12
1957–58 (Memorial Cup)	Regina Pats	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		16	3	2	5	8
1958–59	Regina Pats	SJHL		48	1	19	20	79		9	1	2	3	6
1959–60	Regina Pats	SJHL		59	17	21	38	56		13	3	7	10	6
1960–61	Montreal Royals	EPHL		69	3	14	17	85		—	—	—	—	—
1961–62	Hull-Ottawa Canadiens	EPHL		65	2	18	20	101		12	0	1	1	15
1962–63	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		14	1	1	2	10		5	1	0	1	8
1962–63	Hull-Ottawa Canadiens	EPHL		52	6	31	37	83		—	—	—	—	—
1963–64	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		70	2	15	17	149		7	0	0	0	6
1964–65	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		62	0	7	7	93		13	0	0	0	19
1965–66	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		69	1	11	12	91		10	2	3	5	18
1966–67	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		56	0	16	16	99		10	0	1	1	15
1967–68	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		57	3	8	11	66		13	0	1	1	8
1968–69	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		21	0	3	3	37		11	0	0	0	8
1968–69	Cleveland Barons	AHL		28	2	4	6	21		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		75	4	18	22	109		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		78	1	21	22	116		20	0	6	6	28
1971–72	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		52	2	12	14	35		5	1	1	2	6
1972–73	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		77	1	8	9	74		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		77	0	17	17	119		5	0                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
1974–75	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		5 |21 |26 |120	0 |0 |0 |2
1975–76	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		8 |25 |33 |59
1976–77	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		4 |8 |12 |28
1977–78	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		2 |17 |19 |85
1978–79	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		0 |6 |6 |58
1978–79	Kansas City Red Wings	CHL		0 |13 |13 |36
_1979–80_	_St. Louis Blues_	_NHL_		_1_ |_5_ |_6_ |_6_	_۰_ |_۰_ |_۰_ |_۲_
_198۰-۸۱_	_Colorado Rockies_	_NHL_		_۰_ |_۲_ |_۲_ |_۸_	_—_ |_—_ |_—_ |_—_

See also

• List of NHL players who have appeared in 1,000 games

External links

• Note: During the majority of the 1975–76 season, Harper assumed the role of Red Wings captain while Danny Grant was sidelined due to injury.