Lorne Ferguson - First Hometown Boy in the NHL
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Lorne Ferguson had a long, eventful career, with a few interruptions along the way that saw him suit up for three different NHL clubs. Ferguson, born in Palmerston, Ontario on May 26, 1930, played his junior hockey with the Guelph Biltmores then turned pro with the Tulsa Oilers in 1949.
That season, he went from the Oilers up to the NHL with the Boston Bruins, getting into three games and scoring a goal and an assist. The next season was Ferguson's first full year with the Bruins, and he posted 16 goals and 33 points in 70 games. In 1951-52, "Fergie's" third year with the B's, he found himself playing just 27 games as a result of his offensive struggles, and by season's end he had eight games in the minors to his credit. Ferguson spent two more full campaigns in the minor leagues with the Hershey Bears before he resurfaced with Boston. After leading the American Hockey League in goal production in 1953-54, Ferguson rejoined the Bruins in 1954 playing 69 games. That year, he registered his only NHL 20-goal season and also hit a career high with 34 points. In January of the following year, after playing 32 games with the Bruins, Ferguson was sent to the Detroit Red Wings in a two-for-two trade. Ferguson finished that year with the Wings and spent all of the next campaign with Detroit, but he was on the move again on December 17, 1957. The Red Wings traded Ferguson to the Chicago Black Hawks in a nine-player trade. |
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The 1958-59 season was Lorne Ferguson's only full season as a Chicago Blackhawk, and it was also be his last year in the NHL; cut short by reoccurring shoulder injuries. Despite being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 1960, the rest of Ferguson's career was spent at the minor pro level.
Ferguson spent two years in the American Hockey League, then joined the Kingston Frontenacs of the Eastern Professional Hockey League for two more seasons before retiring in 1962 because of nagging shoulder problems. In 1965, he came out of retirement and joined the Kingston Aces. The following year, he hung up his skates again and took the coaching reigns of the Aces, but by '67-'68 he was on the ice again for Kingston.
He stepped away from the game for another year, but 1969 saw another comeback as Ferguson joined the Bellville Mohawks for nine games in what would prove to be his final season.
In 422 NHL games, Ferguson scored 82 goals and 80 assists. He also scored 6 goals and 3 assists in 31 playoff games. After coaching in the Jr’s Ferguson began scouting for the Chicago Black Hawks and has since been inducted into the Kingston Sports Hall of Fame.
Ferguson spent two years in the American Hockey League, then joined the Kingston Frontenacs of the Eastern Professional Hockey League for two more seasons before retiring in 1962 because of nagging shoulder problems. In 1965, he came out of retirement and joined the Kingston Aces. The following year, he hung up his skates again and took the coaching reigns of the Aces, but by '67-'68 he was on the ice again for Kingston.
He stepped away from the game for another year, but 1969 saw another comeback as Ferguson joined the Bellville Mohawks for nine games in what would prove to be his final season.
In 422 NHL games, Ferguson scored 82 goals and 80 assists. He also scored 6 goals and 3 assists in 31 playoff games. After coaching in the Jr’s Ferguson began scouting for the Chicago Black Hawks and has since been inducted into the Kingston Sports Hall of Fame.