By: Steve McClure | Follow me on Twitter / X @stmcclure1993
Happy birthday to former Boston Bruins’ center Gregg Sheppard! The North Battleford, Saskatchewan native turns 75 today.
The 5’8”, 170-pound center made an immediate impact as a rookie for the Bruins in 1972-73. His 24-26-50 over the course of 64 games placed him eighth on the team in offensive production, and he received the sixth-most votes in the Calder Trophy voting for NHL Rookie of the Year.
Sheppard tallied 30+ goals for three straight seasons—from 1975 through 1977. During the 1974-75 campaign, seven of his 30 goals were short handed strikes. Gregg was a skilled penalty killer and he stands in the Bruins’ top ten ‘short handed goals’ leaders all-time.
Sheppard was a notable playoff performer. As high as his .90 points-per-game average was during his regular season tenure in Boston, his .94 points-per-game average in the playoffs was even better. Centering a line with Johnny Bucyk and Bobby Schmautz, Sheppard scored 11 playoff goals during the 1973–74 postseason, in which the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup finals. In addition, Sheppard’s four career shorthanded goals in the playoffs are third on the Bruins all-time list behind Derek Sanderson and Ed Westfall.
This past fall, Greg Shepherd was named to the Bruins’ top 100 Centennial team. “I was completely surprised when I learned of the announcement, and while I am excited, it is pretty humbling. It was awesome playing with the guys there, and it is an experience I will never forget,” reflected Sheppard.
*Special thanks to freelance writer Sherri Solomko for the Sheppard quotation.
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