Dean Prentice obit

NHL legend Dean Prentice passes away at 87

 He was not on the list.

Dean Prentice is the stuff NHL legends are made of. A veteran of 22 NHL seasons, 1378 games with five NHL teams, and a story of scoring on a penalty shot with a broken back. Sadly, word has come that Prentice has passed away. He was 87-years-old.

Prentice began his career in 1953 with the New York Rangers. After close to 11 seasons with the Blueshirts, he would be traded to the Boston Bruins, where he would stay until 1966, when he was shipped to the Detroit Red Wings. He'd spend close to four seasons there before joining the Pittsburgh Pengiuns for two seasons, and then the Minnesota North Stars for another three before finally leaving the NHL during the 1973-74 season. Interestingly enough, he would come out of retirement at the age of 44 to play 28 games with the Traverse City Bays of the United States Hockey League in 1976.

While never winning a cup, Prentice did make it to the finals on one occassion, and managed to put up an impressive 860 points (391 goals, 469 assists) over 1378 NHL games. Perhaps his greatest moment came as a member of the Bruins in December of 1964, when he was awarded a penalty shot after being tripped by Chicago's Stan Makita on a breakaway. Prentice had crashed into the boards after the trip and was unconscious for a brief moment. He was going to allow someone else to take the penalty shot when Makita's teammate Bobby Hull taunted him with "Come on Dean, you are not going to let one of your dummy teammates take the penalty shot for you, are you?" Prentice took the shot and scored. He was then frozen to the bench and couldn't take another shift. He was carried to the dressing room on a stretcher and x-rays later revealed that he had a broken back.

In the 1950s, Prentice, while on the NY Rangers, skated on a line with Andy Bathgate and Larry Popein. Prentice was 10th in the league with 358 points (163 goals)from 1955-56 through 1961-62.

On February 4, 1963, Prentice was traded to the Bruins for Don McKenney and Dick Meissner.

On December 27, 1964, in Chicago Stadium, Prentice, while playing for the Bruins, was hauled down on a breakaway by Stan Mikita. Initially knocked unconscious, Prentice came to and took the awarded penalty shot, scoring on Blackhawks' goaltender Denis DeJordy. Back on the bench, Prentice was unable to leave the bench for his next shift when his back and legs locked up. After being stretchered off and undergoing x-rays, it was revealed that Prentice had scored with a broken back.

In the book "100 Ranger Greats" released in 2009, Prentice was ranked number 37.

Prentice helped the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters win the 1952 Memorial Cup. At the time the Mad Hatters were the New York Rangers' farm team, and Prentice made the jump to the parent club the following season.

 

Career statistics

                         Regular season              Playoffs

Season Team            League            GP            G            A            Pts            PIM            GP            G            A            Pts            PIM

1950–51            Guelph Biltmores            OHA-Jr.        51            20            16            36            26            4            1            1            2            15

1951–52            Guelph Biltmores            OHA-Jr.        51            48            27            75            68            23            21            10            31            28

1951–52            Guelph Biltmores            M-Cup            —            —            —            —            —            12            13            5            18            14

1952–53            Guelph Biltmores            OHA-Jr.        5            1            1            2            16            —            —            —            —            —

1952–53            New York Rangers            NHL            55            6            3            9            20            —            —            —            —            —

1953–54            New York Rangers            NHL            52            4            13            17            18            —            —            —            —            —

1954–55            New York Rangers            NHL            70            16            15            31            20            —            —            —            —            —

1955–56            New York Rangers            NHL            70            24            18            42            44            5            1            0            1            2

1956–57            New York Rangers            NHL            69            19            23            42            38            5            0            2            2            4

1957–58            New York Rangers            NHL            38            13            9            22            14            6            1            3            4            4

1958–59            New York Rangers            NHL            70            17            33            50            11            —            —            —            —            —

1959–60            New York Rangers            NHL            70            32            34            66            43            —            —            —            —            —

1960–61            New York Rangers            NHL            56            20            25            45            17            —            —            —            —            —

1961–62            New York Rangers            NHL            68            22            38            60            20            3            0            2            2            0

1962–63            New York Rangers            NHL            49            13            25            38            18            —            —            —            —            —

1962–63            Boston Bruins   NHL            19            6            9            15            4            —            —            —            —            —

1963–64            Boston Bruins   NHL            70            23            16            39            37            —            —            —            —            —

1964–65            Boston Bruins   NHL            31            14            9            23            12            —            —            —            —            —

1965–66            Boston Bruins   NHL            50            7            22            29            10            —            —            —            —            —

1965–66            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            19            6            9            15            8            12            5            5            10            4

1966–67            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            68            23            22            45            18            —            —            —            —            —

1967–68            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            69            17            38            55            42            —            —            —            —            —

1968–69            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            74            14            20            34            18            —            —            —            —            —

1969–70            Pittsburgh Penguins            NHL            75            26            25            51            14            10            2            5            7            8

1970–71            Pittsburgh Penguins            NHL            69            21            17            38            18            —            —            —            —            —

1971–72            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            71            20            27            47            14            7            3            0            3            0

1972–73            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            73            26            16            42            22            6            1            0            1            16

1973–74            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            24            2            3            5            4            —            —            —            —            —

1976–77            Traverse City Bays            USHL            28            5            22            27            20            —            —            —            —            —

NHL totals            1,378            391            469            860            484            54            13            17            30            38