Tony Leswick
| Tony Leswick | |||
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Leswick pictured with the Saskatoon Quakers, circa 1941
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| Born |
March 17, 1923 Humboldt, SK, CAN |
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| Died | July 1, 2001 (aged 78) Coquitlam, BC, CAN |
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| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | ||
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
New York Rangers Detroit Red Wings Chicago Black Hawks |
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| Playing career | 1942–1960 | ||
Anthony Joseph Leswick (March 17, 1923 – July 1, 2001) was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played mostly for the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. Nicknamed "Tough Tony" and "Mighty Mouse", he was known also as a little pest. Little, because he stood just 5'7" tall and weighed 160 lbs. He is most famous for scoring the final goal in overtime of game seven of the 1954 Stanley Cup final.
Leswick played his junior hockey in Saskatoon with the Dodgers and Quakers, and quickly started turning heads. In 1942, Leswick finally jumping into the AHL with the Cleveland Barons and scored 40 points in only 52 games. He moved onto the PCHL in the following season to play for the New Westminster Royals. Scoring 36 points in 19 games there, he followed up his great season by joining with HMCS CHIPPAWA of the Winnipeg Navy, where he helped to win the 1944–1945 Basil Baker trophy for inter-service hockey. The New York Rangers (who acquired him in June 1945) had seen enough and brought him into their lineup for the remainder of the 1945–46 season.
Leswick delivered. He scored 15 goals in his shortened rookie season for the Rangers and quickly established himself as one of the few bright spots in New York. He loved getting under peoples skin, including that of Montreal Canadiens' Rocket Richard, and Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings. Leswick recorded consecutive 20-goal seasons in 1947 and 1948, but the Rangers continued to miss the playoffs or get knocked out in the early rounds. After scoring 44 points in 1949–50, he was named to the NHL second all-star team. During this time, he formed a successful combination with Edgar Laprade and Dunc Fisher.
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