Remembering Fred Stanfield and Mick Tingelhoff

I read in “my” Boston Globe headlines/come on/ad that the great Minnesota Vikings’ center Mick Tingelhoff had died at age 81 and yesterday Fred Stanfield, a center on two Boston Bruins’ title teams (’70 and ’72) and eventually traded to Minnesota (North Stars) had died.

Stanfield was the center on a Bruins’ line with Johnny’s, “Pie” McKenzie and the great “Chief” Johnny Bucyk (The Bruins had a “Chief and two titles with Mr. Bucyk before the Celtics won 3 with Robert “The Chief” Parish on its starting five).

He came to the Bruins along with the great Phil Esposito (a 5th title, 3 as a commentator on Lightning tilts and the two with the Bruins but since brother Tony, great rival Rod Gilbert and teammate Stanfield have passed on) and Ken Hodge in a famed 6 player deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Mr. Tingelhoff was an all pro center on some excellent, memorable Minnesota Vikings’ teams that were so consistently in the playoffs, albeit without a crown or even a Supe lead.

It was great to watch that team and Tingelhoff leading them as they scored memorable Saturday afternoon, home playoffs wins vs the powerful Rams in ’69 and veteran George Allen coached Washington teams in ’73 and ’76.

In ’74, Brad and I brought my portable television to his and Alan’s father, Kenny in the hospital, and he and others watched the Vikings “slot 1” the St. Louis Cardinals.

Scotty Bowman, on the left had just coached his record breaking 9th Stanley Cup winning team with the ’02 Detroit Red Wings, passing his mentor Hector “Toe” Blake.

Fred Stanfield, whose Buffalo Sabres denied Scotty’s Canadiens in the ’75 semis, before losing in 6 to the second and to this point, last Philadelphia Flyers’ team, is on the right.

I have a vivid “radio only” memory of Fred scoring on a break away in #4 vs the eventual champion, Montreal Canadiens, fifty years ago. 

Al McNeil coached that title team but was replaced by Bowman before the next season. Scotty coached 5 Canadiens’ title teams. 

The great center, Mick Tingelhoff, who in 17 seasons, all with the Vikings, never missed a game, is pictured above.