June 18, 2004 --- GERRY MCNEIL (1926-2004)
June 18, 2004Gerry McNeil
Gerard "Gerry" McNeil, a former goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, died on June 17. Cause of death was cancer. He was 78.
The Quebec City native was only 17 when he attended his first training camp in 1943. Starting with the Cincinnati Mohawks and the Montreal Royals, he honed his skills during six minor league seasons, and was named the most valuable player three years in a row.
McNeil replaced Canadiens' Hall of Famer Bill Durnan in the midst of the 1950 playoffs and backstopped the team to the Stanley Cup finals in 1951 and 1952. During the 1952-53 season, he led Montreal to a Stanley Cup win.
One of hockey's last ambidextrous goalies, McNeil lost his starting position at the end of the 1953-54 season to Jacques Plante, a young superstar who became the first goalie to don a face mask and skate behind the net to stop a puck. During the Stanley Cup finals against Detroit that year, Plante was pulled and veteran McNeil was placed on the ice to help the team win the next two games and force a seventh.
The seventh game would bring about McNeil's downfall. In overtime, he allowed an easy shot to get past him. The missed goal, which earned Detroit the Stanley Cup, crushed McNeil's confidence. He bailed out of the sport for a season to teach junior hockey, but eventually returned to Montreal as Plante's back-up.
Although McNeil was part of the Canadiens when the team won the Stanley Cup in the 1956-57 season, he never again played as an NHL starter. After retiring from hockey, McNeil spent 20 years working at the Seagram Distilleries.
More Replies:
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Re: June 18, 2004 --- GERRY MCNEIL (1926-2004)
Vincent MacNeil 6/22/04
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Re: June 18, 2004 --- GERRY MCNEIL (1926-2004)
Dicky 6/23/04
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Re: June 18, 2004 --- GERRY MCNEIL (1926-2004)
Vincent MacNeil 6/23/04
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Re: June 18, 2004 --- GERRY MCNEIL (1926-2004)
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Re: June 18, 2004 --- GERRY MCNEIL (1926-2004)