Alex Faulkner

Alex Faulkner
Detroit Red Wings 1963
Born (1936-05-21) May 21, 1936 (age 88)
Bishop's Falls, Newfoundland
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 1952–1976

Selm Alexander Faulkner (born May 21, 1936) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player and was the first National Hockey League (NHL) player from Newfoundland and Labrador. He played in the NHL from 1961 to 1964 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1952 to 1976, was mainly spent in the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League.

Early life

Alex had four hockey-playing brothers, Lindy, George, Seth and Jack, and two sisters (Marie and Elizabeth). His parents were Lester, born in Bishop's Falls, and Olive who was a native of Point Leamington. Lester's mother (Svea) was born in Burträsk, Sweden and his father (William) was born in Sherbrooke, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. Alex first learned to play hockey with his brothers on the Exploits River in Bishop's Falls. His brother George was the first Newfoundlander to play professional hockey.

Playing career

Before entering the National Hockey League, Alex Faulkner was a star player in Newfoundland for the Conception Bay All Stars or Cee Bees, a team that was, for the most part, formed by his brother George. Faulkner led the league for two seasons in both goals and points.

Faulkner's big break came when the team played an exhibition game in 1960 against a St. John's senior team coached by former Toronto Maple Leafs player Howie Meeker. Meeker recommended Faulkner to the Toronto assistant general manager King Clancy.

Faulkner was invited to practice with the Leafs and was offered a contract with the Leafs' American Hockey League farm team, the Rochester Americans. In his second season in Rochester, Faulkner registered 73 points in 65 games. He was called up to the Leafs for one NHL game that season.

Faulkner's chances of landing a regular spot in the Leafs' lineup at centre were limited—the team already had Dave Keon, Red Kelly, Bob Pulford and Billy Harris at that position. The Leafs did not protect Faulkner, and he was claimed by the Detroit Red Wings in the Intra-League Draft on June 4, 1962.

That season, Faulkner found a place in the NHL on the Red Wings' third line with Larry Jeffrey and Bruce MacGregor. In his rookie season, Faulkner scored 10 goals and 20 points in 70 games while playing on the checking line.

It was in the playoffs in 1963, however, that Faulkner stood out. André Pronovost replaced Jeffrey on the line and, in that combination, Faulkner scored 5 goals in 8 playoff games, including three (two game-winners) against Chicago's Glenn Hall in the semi-finals. The underdog Red Wings eliminated the favoured Black Hawks to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup finals against Faulkner's former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Faulkner played a pivotal role in Detroit's only win in that series, picking up two goals in the third game, including the game-winner.

When Faulkner returned to Newfoundland in the off-season, the province declared "Alex Faulkner Day." Schools were closed for a parade and ceremony hosted by Premier Joey Smallwood, who presented Faulkner with a pair of gold cuff links.

Faulkner returned to Detroit for the 1963–64 season, but a broken hand and ankle-ligament damage limited his season to 30 games. Detroit asked Faulkner to start the 1964–65 season in the minor leagues, but he opted instead to return to Conception Bay for the next two seasons.

When the NHL announced expansion starting with the 1967 season, Faulkner returned to minor professional hockey in the United States with the Red Wings farm teams, the Memphis Wings, and then for three more seasons with the San Diego Gulls.

At the beginning of his fourth season with the Gulls, Faulkner decided to return to Newfoundland, where he finished his career with the St. John's Capitals, retiring after the 1971–72 season.

Faulkner returned home to work in life insurance and later ran a senior citizens' home in Bishop's Falls. He continued playing amateur hockey well into his 60s and was inducted into the Newfoundland Hall of Fame.

Career achievements

Awards and achievements

  • A member of the Grand Falls Junior All-Stars who were awarded the Veitch Memorial Trophy in 1953 as the first all-Newfoundland junior hockey champions.
  • Won five all-Newfoundland senior hockey championships including three Herders with the Grand Falls Andcos in 1955, 1956, and 1957 and two Herders with the Conception Bay CeeBees in 1960 and 1965.
  • Won two all-Newfoundland senior 'B' hockey championships with the Grand Falls Senior Bees in 1956 and 1957.
  • In December 1961, he played a game with the Toronto Maple Leafs to become the first Newfoundland-born player to play in the National Hockey League.
  • Inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame in 1994.


Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1951–52 Bishop's Falls Juniors GFSHL 8 2 4 6 0 5 11 11 22 2
1951–52 Bishop's Falls Juniors CA-HS 9 9 6 15 0 5 11 12 23 4
1952–53 Bishop's Falls Woodsmen GFSHL 12 13 11 24 2 — — — — —
1952–53 Bishop's Falls Woodsmen NLSHL 3 3 4 7 0 2 0 4 4 0
1952–53 Grand Falls All-Stars NLSHL 1 3 1 4 0 — — — — —
1953–54 Bishop's Falls Woodsmen GFSHL 14 13 17 30 5 2 1 2 3 0
1953–54 Grand Falls Bees NLSHL 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 3 3 2
1954–55 Bishop's Falls Woodsmen GFSHL 11 18 11 29 0 5 5 5 10 4
1954–55 Grand Falls All-Stars NLSHL 9 10 12 22 0 4 4 2 6 4
1955–56 Bishop's Falls Kinsmen GFSHL 12 20 17 37 8 — — — — —
1955–56 Grand Falls Andcos NLSHL 5 6 3 9 0 3 4 6 10 4
1956–57 Bishop's Falls Kinsmen GFSHL 12 20 17 37 8 — — — — —
1956–57 Grand Falls Bees NLSHL — — — — — 4 8 8 16 4
1957–58 Bishop's Falls Kinsmen GFSHL 12 38 22 60 9 5 9 9 18 0
1957–58 Grand Falls Bees NLSHL — — — — — 12 14 11 25 4
1958–59 Conception Bay Cee Bees NLSHL 25 103 49 152 32 8 23 13 36 6
1959–60 Conception Bay Cee Bees NLSHL 19 47 36 83 33 11 41 45 86 18
1960–61 Conception Bay Cee Bees NLSHL — — — — — — — — — —
1960–61 Rochester Americans AHL 41 5 13 18 6 — — — — —
1961–62 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1961–62 Rochester Americans AHL 65 19 54 73 26 2 1 1 2 0
1962–63 Detroit Red Wings NHL 70 10 10 20 6 8 5 0 5 2
1963–64 Detroit Red Wings NHL 30 5 7 12 9 4 0 0 0 0
1963–64 Cincinnati Wings CHL 11 4 8 12 6 — — — — —
1963–64 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 8 1 4 5 2 — — — — —
1964–65 Conception Bay Cee Bees NFSHL 19 22 57 79 52 11 23 22 45 12
1965–66 Conception Bay Cee Bees NFSHL 5 5 16 21 4 6 4 13 17 10
1966–67 Memphis Wings CHL 70 28 60 88 32 7 2 5 7 14
1967–68 San Diego Gulls WHL 71 26 41 67 32 7 2 2 4 2
1968–69 San Diego Gulls WHL 73 17 51 68 16 7 2 4 6 4
1969–70 San Diego Gulls WHL 60 17 48 65 14 6 0 6 6 4
1970–71 San Diego Gulls WHL 4 1 1 2 0 — — — — —
1970–71 St. John's Capitals NFSHL 36 26 47 73 18 11 9 21 30 —
1970–71 Grand Falls Cataracts Al-Cup — — — — — 5 3 4 7 2
1971–72 St. John's Capitals NFSHL 24 18 42 60 52 4 2 3 5 2
1971–72 Grand Falls Cataracts Al-Cup — — — — — 4 0 3 3 0
1973–74 Gander Flyers NFSHL 9 5 8 13 4 — — — — —
1975–76 Grand Falls Cataracts NFSHL 8 6 10 16 4 7 10 8 18 14
NHL totals 101 15 17 32 15 12 5 0 5 2

References

  • Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players:the ultimate A-Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
  • Elliott, Jerry "Stats" (2010). Newfoundland and Labrador Senior Hockey: A Trip Down Memory Lane. Jerry Elliott.