Taffy Abel

Taffy Abel
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Born	(1900-05-28)May 28, 1900 Sault Ste. Marie, MI, USA
Died	Sault Ste. Marie, MI, USA
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
Position	Defense
Shot	Left
Played for	New York Rangers Chicago Black Hawks
National team	United States
Playing career	1924–1934

Olympic medal record
Men's ice hockey
	1924 Chamonix	Team Competition

Clarence John "Taffy" Abel (May 28, 1900 – August 1, 1964) was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a member of two Stanley Cup championship teams. He was the first United States-born player to become a NHL regular. He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Playing career

Clarence "Taffy" Abel was a silver medalist on the United States in the 1924 Olympics, serving as flagbearer for the U.S. delegation. Abel scored 15 goals for the United States in the tournament.

As a member of the Minneapolis Millers of the CHL during the 1925-26 season, Abel was named to the CHL's First All-Star team at the defense position.

Abel played in the NHL for eight years. He was signed by Conn Smythe to the New York Rangers, largely based upon his strong performance at the Winter Olympics in 1924. With the Rangers, he wore sweater number 4, and, paired with defenseman Ching Johnson, was a key member of the Stanley Cup winning Rangers team in 1927-28. After the 1929 season, Abel's rights were sold to the Chicago Black Hawks, where he played five more years, wearing sweater number 2. Abel was a member of the Cup-winning Black Hawks in 1933-34, his last NHL season.

Abel returned to Sault Ste. Marie after retirement, coaching ice hockey and operating a tourist hotel. At the age of 64, on August 1, 1964, Clarence Abel died in his home in Sault Ste. Marie. Nine years later, he was inducted into the United States Hall of Fame as a player.

The home rink for the Lake Superior State University hockey program is named after Taffy Abel.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1924	United States (Olympics)			5	15	0	15			—	—	—	—	—
1924–25	St. Paul Hockey Club	USAHA		39	8	0	8	n/a		—	—	—	—	—
1925–26	Minneapolis Millers	CHL		23	0	1	1	28		—	—	—	—	—
1926–27	New York Rangers	NHL		44	8	4	12	78		2	0	1	1	6
1927–28	New York Rangers	NHL		23	0	1	1	28		9	1	0	1	14
1928–29	New York Rangers	NHL		44	3	1	4	41		6	0	0	0	8
1929–30	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		38	3	3	6	42		2	0	0	0	10
1930–31	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		43	0	1	1	45		9	0	0	0	8
1931–32	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		48	3	3	6	34		2	0	0	0	2
1932–33	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		47	0	4	4	63		—	—	—	—	—
1933–34	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		46	2	1	3	28		8	0	0	0	8
NHL totals				333	19	18	37	359		38	1	1	2	56

External links

• Taffy Abel's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Taffy Abel's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Find A Grave.com

• http://pressbox.teamusa.org/Pages/Luge-Athlete-Mark-Grimmette-Selected-as-Flag-Bearer-for-2010-U-S--Olympic-Team.aspx
• Podnieks, p. 3