Johnny Gottselig

Johannes “Johnny” Gottselig (Russian: Иван Гоцелиг) (June 24, 1905 – May 15, 1986) was a professional ice hockey left winger who played 16 seasons for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1928 and 1945.^[1] He was the second player born in the Russian Empire to play in the NHL, as well as the first European-born head coach, and captain of a cup-winning team, in the league's history. He won two Stanley Cups in his playing career: in 1934, and 1938 (as captain). He was also with Chicago in 1961, as Director of Public Relations, when the Black Hawks won their third Stanley Cup. Gottselig was included on the team, but his name was not engraved onto the Stanley Cup.

Background[]

Gottselig was born along the banks of Dnieper River in a tiny German Catholic village of Klosterdorf in the Swedish district in the Kherson Governorate of the Russian Empire and emigrated to Canada the same year. He grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan. In later years, he would say he was from the better-known city of Odessa which was the largest centre in the general vicinity of his birthplace. His parents were Albert Gottselig and Margarethe Weber.^{[citation needed]}

Career[]

He played junior hockey with the Regina Pats before joining Chicago. Gottselig's entire NHL career was with Chicago, playing 589 career NHL games, scoring 176 goals and 195 assists for 371 points. After his hockey playing career was finished, he became the team's head coach. After coaching, he stayed on as the team's Director of Public Relations.

Gottselig also served for several years as a manager of women's baseball teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. He guided the Racine Belles in 1943–1944, the Peoria Redwings in 1947 and the Kenosha Comets in 1949–1950. He later became an executive with the Elmhurst Chicago Stone Company.

Career statistics[]

Coaching record[]

References[]

• Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players: The Ultimate A-Z Guide of Everyone Who Has Ever Played in the NHL. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.

External links[]

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database