Grading The Entrants

The papers have all been graded, and there were some very good efforts put forth by a number of participants in the HBIC Exam. I won't lie when I say that this might have been one of the most interesting pieces I have put together, and I'm very happy with the results that people turned in. While the numbers were lower than I would have liked, the dozen or so people showed off a ton of hockey knowledge in figuring out some of these questions. The one thing that seemed to catch a lot of entrants was the fact that some of the answers were found in the history of the WHA. That being said, a lot of the questions were certainly NHL-based, but I found myself impressed with the efforts put forth by all of the people who submitted answers.

Pat yourselves on the back, people, because you did very well. The marks for the 11 people who entered ranged from 78% to 84% - very good marks and everyone showed a lot of knowledge. There was only one person who scored 84%, so that person will be named the winner of this HBIC Exam contest. I'll post his name below. For now, let's check out the answers.

NICKNAMES

1. What was Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Aldege Bastien better known as? Baz
2. What NHL star did Gordie Howe call "Little Beaver" after a comic strip character? Marcel Dionne
3. What was the name of the line comprised of Hooley Smith, Babe Siebert, and Nels Stewart? The S Line
4. What one-time Maple Leafs centerman answered to "Hinky"? Billy Harris
5. What New England Whalers sniper was nicknamed "Hawkeye" in the WHA? Tom Webster
6. What was Leafs forward "Mirko" Frycer's first name? Miroslav
7. What Leafs legend inspired author Vincent Lunny to call him "a Rembrandt on the ice, a Nijinsky at the goalmouth"? Syl Apps
8. What was the name of the line that featured Charlie Simmer, Marcel Dionne, and Dave Taylor? The Triple Crown Line
9. What hockey player did Bill Mazer dub "The Golden Golden" on US national TV? Bobby Orr
10. What Chicago Blackhawks defenceman answered to the name "Whitey"? Pat Stapleton
11. What Minnesota North Stars coach and GM was nicknamed "Bird"? Wren Blair
12. What Los Angeles Kings defenceman was dubbed "Captain Crunch"? Gilles Marotte
13. Which NHL coach was known as "The Fog"? Fred Shero
14. What former Blackhawk was nicknamed "Stash"? Stan Mikita
15. Which Montreal Canadiens star did Russian coach Viktor Tikhonov call the world's most technically perfect hockey player? Bob Gainey
16. What New York Rangers captain was called "Bubba"? Barry Beck
17. What was the name of the line that featured Gordie Howe, Sid Abel, and Ted Lindsay? The Production Line
18. What New York Ranger was called both "Mr. Ranger" and "Mr. Hot Rod"? Rod Gilbert
19. Red Wings goaltender Roger Crozier has what unusual nickname? The Dodger
20. What was Hockey Hall of Famer David Schriner's nickname? Sweeney
21. Chuck Rayner, Americans and Rangers goaltender, had what unique nickname? Bonnie Prince Charlie
22. Who was "The Popcorn Kid"? Mike Palmateer
23. Who did francophones call "Le Demon Blond"? Guy Lafleur
24. What was the nickname of former NHL referee Ian Morrison? Scotty
25. Which member of the French Connection line did Punch Imlach say was "the greatest natural scorer I've ever coached"? Rick Martin
    

NUMBERS

1. What is a goalie's goals-against average if he yields four goals in 80 minutes of play? 3.00
2. How many Stanley Cup-winning goals did Maurice Richard score in his career? 1
3. What Canadiens goaltending legend retired with 14 career playoff shutouts? Jacques Plante
4. What Western Hockey League professional legend played a record 1425 games over 22 seasons? Guyle Fielder
5. How old was Lorne "Gump" Worsley when he stopped his last NHL shot? 44
6. What defenceman donned #5 in his first NHL All-Star Game in 1968? Bobby Orr
7. What number did Bobby Hull wear immediately before switching to his iconic #9? 7
8. What is the maximum curve, in inches, of an NHL stick's blade? 3/4"
9. Who was the first player in NHL history to score 60 or more goals and not be named to the NHL's first all-star team? Phil Esposito
10. What Red Wings centerman set a record for shorthanded goals in one season in 1974-75 with 10? Marcel Dionne
11. How many games did each NHL team's schedule increase by for the 1967-68 season? 4
12. Which team was the first North American hockey club to boast three 50-goal scorers on its roster? Quebec Nordiques
13. Of the 40 road games that the Capitals played in 1974-75, how many did they win? 1
14. Which player became the first to score 50 goals in a season without scoring a hat trick? Vic Hadfield
15. Chicago's Sam LoPresti faced 83 shots against the Bruins on March 4, 1941. How many saves did he make? 80
16. What NHL defenceman scored an NHL-record five goals against the Detroit Red Wings in 1977? Ian Turnbull
17. What number did Russian defenceman Alexander Ragulin make famous? 5
18. How many times did the Edmonton Oil Kings win the Memorial Cup during the 1960s? 2
19. Whose #11 was the first number retired by the Vancouver Canucks? Wayne Maki
20. How many times does defenceman Bill Gadsby's name appear on the Stanley Cup? Zero
21. Who was the first Maple Leaf to notch 50 goals in one season? Rick Vaive
22. What number did rugged Canadien John Ferguson wear as a member of the Canadiens? 22
23. Who scored a franchise-record 56 goals for the Hartford Whalers? Blaine Stoughton
24. How old was Gordie Howe when he won the WHA MVP in 1974? 46
25. What number did Pierre Larouche wear as a member of the Canadiens after being traded by Pittsburgh in 1977? 28
    

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1. Which of the NHL's 1967 expansion clubs was the first to advance to a Stanley Cup Final, and in what year did they perform this feat? St. Louis Blues in 1968
2. What player became the first NHLer to be assessed a triple minor penalty, and what team did he play for? John Ferguson of the Montreal Canadiens
3. What NHL expansion team modeled its uniform trim on that of the Toronto Maple Leafs? Buffalo Sabres
4. Which soon-to-be NHL bench boss coached Jean Béliveau for two seasons with the Quebec Aces? Punch Imlach
5. What NHL star was the spokesman for and user of Grecian Formula? Maurice Richard
6. What former Boston Bruins forward scored the first goal in New York Islanders history? Ed Westfall
7. Before switching to Easton's aluminum sticks, what brand of hockey stick was Wayne Gretzky famous for using? Titan
8. What Detroit centerman was awarded to the Los Angeles Kings in a compensation dispute by the Sixth US Circuit Court of Appeals? Dale McCourt
9. What Schenley Award winner with the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers spent the off-seasons playing hockey for the Toronto Maple Leafs? Gerry James
10. What former Maple Leafs star and coach represented Waterloo South as a member of parliament in Canada's House of Commons from 1951 to 1953? Howie Meeker
11. What animal appeared on the front of the jerseys for the Czechoslovakian national hockey team? A lion
12. Before Glen Sather took over behind the bench for the first time, who coached the Edmonton Oilers? Bryan Watson
13. What four men coached the Canadian team at the 1976 Canada Cup? Don Cherry, Scotty Bowman, Al MacNeil, Bobby Kromm
14. What general manager did The Globe and Mail's Dick Beddoes call "the smartest man... connected with hockey in any front-office job"? Sam Pollock
15. What player, who never could crack an NHL roster, rewrote the American Hockey League's record book for 16 seasons with the Cleveland Barons? Fred Glover
16. What Red Wings player lost the sight in his right eye after being clipped by Doug Mohns' stick in 1966? Doug Barkley
17. What former NHL coach was behind the bench for Swiss Second Division club Sierres during the 1979-80 and 1980-81 seasons? Jacques Lemaire
18. Who was the last Maple Leaf to win the NHL scoring title? Gordie Drillon
19. What rookie goaltender did Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion beat for his 50th goal during the 1960-61 season? Cesare Maniago
20. Besides $500, what did the Detroit Red Wings give Gordie Howe when he signed his first contract with them? A Red Wings jacket
21. What goaltender was the first player to make the NHL first all-star team with three different teams? Glenn Hall
22. What former rugged NHL defenceman coached the WHA's Toronto Toros in 1975-76? Bobby Baun
23. What team posted a 9-7-3 win-loss-tied record when the NHL Stanley Cup Champions played the NHL All-Stars? The NHL All-Stars
24. Who assisted on all three of Billy Mosienko's goals for the fastest hat trick in history? Gus Bodnar
25. What former Los Angeles Kings coach was once the player-manager of the Innsbruck team in the Austrian national league? Larry Regan
26. Who broke down and wept after being fired as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs? Roger Neilson
27. Whose last mask, adorned with a red maple leaf, now sits in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Jacques Plante
28. What Leafs defenceman led the NHL in penalty minutes for eight consecutive seasons staring in 1932-33? Red Horner
29. What nation shocked the hockey world by tying Canada 3-3 at the 1982 World Championships? Italy
30. What college did Tony Esposito tend nets for? Michigan Tech
31. What player was the first in professional hockey to score 50 goals in less than 50 games from the start of a season? Anders Hedberg
32. What Canadiens defenceman was offered - and rejected - an offer to tryout for baseball's Boston Braves? Doug Harvey
33. Before the goal light was introduced, what did NHL goal judges use to signal a goal? A white hankerchief
34. What innovation in hockey did referee Fred Waghorne initiate in 1900? The face-off
35. What distinction made the St. Catherines Orioles unique as a hockey team? Canada's only all-black hockey team
36. Who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the New York Islanders in overtime in 1980? Bob Nystrom
37. Who was the first player to win a scoring title as a member of the 1967 expansion teams? Marcel Dionne
38. What former NHL goaltender provided color commentary for ABC's television coverage of the 1980 Olympic hockey tournament? Ken Dryden
39. What former Penguin and Scout was sentenced to seven years in prison for cocaine importing? Steve Durbano
40. What former NHL owner was once a Canadian speedskating champion? Harold Ballard
41. What was NHL President Clarence Campbell referring to in 1968 when he coldly stated, "They are available"? Helmets
42. In the 1967 expansion draft, who did the Los Angeles Kings select as the first goaltender? Terry Sawchuk
43. What was the first NHL team to have a goal against it credited to an opposing goaltender? Colorado Rockies
44. What former Ranger was a model for Sassoon jeans? Ron Duguay
45. In the 1976 Stanley Cup Final, what did Flyers coach Fred Shero ask for a measurement on, resulting in a penalty against the Montreal Canadiens? Ken Dryden's goal pads
46. Who was the first Czechoslovakian goaltender to play for the Maple Leafs? Jiri Crha
47. Who sung the mega-hit Honky the Christmas Goose? Johnny Bower
48. Who said, "Dad taught us never to immediately rush at somebody who takes a shot at us"? Marty Howe
49. Who is the only Canadian Governor-General that has been immortalized in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Lord Stanley of Preston
50. Whose single-season NHL scoring record did Wayne Gretzky eclipse with 212 points? His own

Ok, so the person who scored 84% was David F. He did very well, scoring 24/25 in the Nicknames section, 22/25 in the Numbers section, and 38/50 in the General Knowledge section. David has been sent an email with the details of the prizing - a Buffalo Sabres "Buffa-slug" jersey and a Winnipeg Jets t-shirt - where he can choose between a couple of different styles. Once he has his selection made, the prizes will be mailed out. Well done, David, and excellent work in earning the top mark on the exam!

For everyone else, well done to you as well! You still have options for prizes, though, as the 2012 HBIC Playoff Pool is now open and awaiting your entry! Get your picks in, and you'll be eligible for prizes in this contest as well!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!