Marcel Pronovost
Marcel Pronovost ( born June 15, 1930 in Lac- à -la- Tortue, Quebec ) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player (defender) and coach, from 1949 to 1970 for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League played.
Career
Pronovost grew up as one of twelve children. After his family had moved to Shawinigan, he played for his school team at the Shawinigan Tech, where he was the outstanding striker. The Montreal Canadiens, who had a privilege to players in Quebec, however, showed no interest in him. When the Detroit Red Wings with Larry Wilson took a young player under contract who played for the Shawinigan High, they recommended this, also look at Pronovost throw. The Red Wings took him in her junior team to the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey Association, where you retrained him as the defender. Early on, you put him sporadically at senior level at the Detroit Auto Club in the International Hockey League.
He was appointed for the playoffs 1949/50, the Red Wings to the end of his first season at senior level in the Omaha Knights in the United States Hockey League. There Gordie Howe had violated, and after being displaced for Red Kelly in the attack, Pronovost was allowed to take the place of Kelly in defense. So he came before his rookie season to his first Stanley Cup. In the following season, he moved between Detroit and Indianapolis Capitals in the American Hockey League. In the season 1951/52, he then sat down in the final squad of the Red Wings laid. Defensively, he was robust and uncompromising, but the more he handed out before his own goal, he had to put up with his offensive actions. Up to end of his career he had to be treated 14 times because of a broken nose. As one of the most dominant defenders of his time, he was appointed from 1958 to 1961 four times in a row to the NHL All-Star team.
For the 1965/66 season they gave him away together with Lowell MacDonald and three other players to the Toronto Maple Leafs, acquiring, among others Andy Bathgate and Billy Harris. In Toronto he was in season 1966/67, the oldest team could ever win the Stanley Cup. After seven games in the season 1969/70 he finished his NHL career, because he no longer fit enough for this league.
He played a few more years for the Tulsa Oilers in the CHL, and collected there his first experiences as a player-coach.
Punch Imlach, who was his coach at the Maple Leafs, had now taken over the Buffalo Sabres General Manager. He undertook Pronovost there as a coach. In 1977/ 78, the Sabres reached outstanding 105 points, but when failed to success in the following year, he had to vacate his seat. That same season he took over the Hull Olympiques in the QMJHL. As an assistant coach, he returned to the NHL and stood behind the band of the Detroit Red Wings. His last coaching position was with the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League.
He worked subsequently as a scout for Central Scouting Service of the NHL and later for the New Jersey Devils. With the Devils, he came as a scout so far to three other mentions on the Stanley Cup.
Also, some of his brothers were successful hockey player. Jean was with nearly 1,000 missions, mainly for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the most successful, but also Claude came as a goalkeeper for three inserts.
NHL stats
Sporting successes
- Stanley Cup: 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955 and 1967 ( as a player ); 1995, 2000 and 2003 ( as a scout )
Personal Awards
- First All -Star Team: 1958 and 1959
- Second All-Star Team: 1960 and 1961