Bep Guidolin

Bep Guidolin
Date of birth	December 9, 1925
place of birth	Thorold , Ontario , Canada
date of death	November 24, 2008
Place of death	Barrie , Ontario , Canada
size	173 cm
Weight	79 kg
position	Left wing
Shot hand	Left
Career stations
1941-1942	Oshawa Generals
1942-1944	Boston Bruins
1944-1945	Toronto Army Shamrocks
1945-1947	Boston Bruins
1947-1948	Detroit Red Wings
1948-1952	Chicago Black Hawks
1952-1954	Ottawa Senators
1954-1955	North Bay Trappers
1955-1956	Val-d'Or Miners
1956-1958	Belleville McFarlands
1958-1959	Kingston Merchants
1960-1961	Omaha Knights

Armand "Bep" Guidolin (born December 9, 1925 in Thorold , Ontario ; † November 24, 2008 in Barrie , Ontario) was a Canadian ice hockey player (left winger) and coach who worked for the Boston Bruins , Detroit Red Wings from 1942 to 1952 and Chicago Black Hawks played in the National Hockey League . Guidolin was the youngest player ever to appear in the NHL in his first game for the Bruins.

Career

Guidolin reached the final tournament for the Memorial Cup with the Oshawa Generals in 1942 . In the following season 1942/43 he was appointed by the Boston Bruins in the NHL. During the Second World War , many Bruins players were drafted into the military, including the entire " Kraut Line " , the team's dominant assault line. Management now had to rely on young players to close the gaps that had arisen. The talented Guidolin was one of them. At 16 years and eleven months, on November 12, 1942, he was the youngest player in NHL history, a record that was not beaten even later.

Despite his youth, he knew how to please in his first season. He plays in a series of attacks with the 17-year-old Don Gallinger in the so-called "Sprout Line" . After two respectable years with the Bruins, many players returned from the war and he returned to the minor leagues for a season. From the 1945/46 season he succeeded again in asserting himself with the Bruins.

For the 1947/48 season he moved to the Detroit Red Wings , where he played for two years before he was passed on to the Chicago Black Hawks for Bud Poile, among others . With the Blackhawks he was able to set up his personal best in the 1949/50 season with 51 points. After the end of the 1951/52 season , the then 26-year-old ended his active NHL career. His intense commitment to a players' union made him unpopular with team owners. Until 1961 he played in various lower class teams.

In the mid-1960s he took over his first coaching positions. With the Oshawa Generals he trained Bobby Orr, among others . During the 1972/73 season he took over the reigning Stanley Cup winner, the Boston Bruins , as a coach. In its second year, the team led into the finals, but lost there to the Philadelphia Flyers . After disputes with the general manager of the Bruins, Harry Sinden , he left the Bruins after the final defeat. The newly formed Kansas City Scouts hired him as their first coach. There he was released during his second season. His next stop was the Edmonton Oilers , who were still playing in the World Hockey Association at the time.

He died on November 24, 2008 at the age of 82.

NHL statistics

	Seasons	Games	Gates	Assists	Points	Penalty minutes
Regular season	9	519	107	171	278	616
Playoffs	4th	24	5	7th	12	35

Sporting successes

• Allan Cup : 1961

Personal award

• Participation in the NHL All-Star Game : 1975 (as a trainer)

Records

• Youngest player to ever play in the NHL.

Web links

• Bep Guidolin at hockeydb.com (English)
• Bep Guidolin at legendsofhockey.net (English)