( Photo Credit: Find A Grave )
By: Mark Allred | Follow Me On Twitter @BlackAndGold277
Martin “Pat” Egan was born in Blackie, Alberta, Canada, on April 25th, 1918. The 5′-10″ 195-pound right-shooting defenseman spent six seasons with the National Hockey Leagues Boston Bruins. Joining the Boston club via trade with the Detriot Redwings on January 5th, 1944, for left shooting defenseman Flash Hollett.
Boston’s history of mind-boggling trades and scouting moves goes way back particularly with the trade for Egan and Hollett. Flash who was traded to the Boston Bruins in 1936 for cash from the Toronto Maple Leafs went onto post 84-115-199 numbers in 9 years of service (353 Games) with Boston for a defenseman to trading for a smaller blueliner in Egan who would go onto contribute 47-85-132 numbers in 294 games for the Bruins. Egan’s goal highs for his career would go no higher than seven while Hollett had five years in Boston posting above 10 goals in those nine years.
( Photo Credit: WorthPoint.com )
Egan played in over 20 years of professional hockey seasons posting 77-153-230 totals in 554 career games in the NHL. Ending his NHL career in 1951 with the New York Rangers, he did what most players did back in the day and continued to grind it out in the minors a practice that many current veterans that can’t secure an NHL roster spot in present time. The European hockey option wasn’t readily available for players back in the day like overseas competition does today.
After leaving the New York Rangers organization and the National Hockey League for good, Egan would play for the Bruins minor pro affiliate the Providence Reds four seasons posting 25-78-103 numbers in 187 games in the state of Rhode Island. Per an article written HERE, the former Bruins defenseman was credited with inventing the modern-day slap shot by hockey historians.
( Photo Credit: hockeydb.com )
Following his hockey career, Egan worked at Northeastern University for the Huskies in Boston for 22 years. Per the hyperlinked NHL.com article, he also coached the NHL Bruins minor league club, the Springfield Indians to three consecutive Calder Cup Championships from 1961 to 1963. Pat passed away in June of 2008 at the age of 90, and although he was from the Alberta, Canada area, he spent the majority of his life residing in Arlington, Massachusetts
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 175 that we recorded below on 4-19-20! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
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