John Ferguson Sr.

John Ferguson Sr.
John Ferguson Sr, Montreal Canadiens
Born	(1938-09-05)September 5, 1938 Vancouver, BC, CAN
Died	July 14, 2007(2007-07-14) (aged 68) Windsor, ON, CAN
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	178 lb (81 kg; 12 st 10 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1959–1971

John Bowie "Fergy" Ferguson Sr. (September 5, 1938 – July 14, 2007) was a professional ice hockey player and executive. Ferguson played as a left-winger for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1971. After retiring from active play, he became a coach, and later a general manager.

Ferguson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on September 5, 1938. His father died when he was 9, and he was raised by his mother near the Pacific National Exhibition grounds. Ferguson loved horses and hung around Hastings Park as a child. Aside from his interest in horses and hockey, he also played lacrosse. Ferguson's hockey career began as a stickboy for the Vancouver Canucks, then of the Western Hockey League. He became interested in the role of enforcer when he saw the more talented Canucks players get hit repeatedly, without having their team-mates attempt to respond or dissuade their opponents.

Ferguson played his junior hockey in Western Canada, with the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in 1956–57, and 1958–59. In 1959–60, he was playing professionally with the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League. In 1960, he moved to the American Hockey League and the Cleveland Barons.

In 1963–64, he was promoted to the Canadiens as an "enforcer" to protect captain Jean Beliveau from aggressive defenders—merely twelve seconds into his first NHL game, he was in a fight with Ted Green of the Boston Bruins; Ferguson won the fight. It was said that his unexpected retirement in 1971 caused problems for the Canadiens, who then started getting roughed up by other teams. Rumours persisted that General Manager Sam Pollock wanted to bring him out of retirement. [1]