Johnny Gottselig

Johnny Gottselig
Born	June 24, 1905 Klosterdorf, Russian Empire
Died	May 15, 1986 (aged 80) Chicago, IL, USA
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	158 lb (72 kg; 11 st 4 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Chicago Black Hawks (NHL) Kansas City Americans (AHA) Winnipeg Maroons (AHA)
Playing career	1928–1945

Johannes Gottselig (Russian: Иван Гоцелиг) (24 June 1905 – 15 May 1986) was a professional ice hockey left winger who played 17 seasons for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1928 and 1946. He was the second player born in the Russian Empire to play in the NHL, as well as the first European-born head coach in the league's history. He won two Stanley Cups in his playing career: in 1934, and 1938 (as captain). He was also with Chicago in 1961, as Director of Public Relations, when the Black Hawks won their third Stanley Cup. Gottselig was included on the team, but his name was not engraved onto the Stanley Cup.

Background

Gottselig was born along the banks of Dnieper River in a tiny German Catholic village of Klosterdorf in the Swedish district in the Kherson Governorate of the Russian Empire (now part of Ukraine) and emigrated to Canada the same year. He grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan. In later years, he would say he was from the better-known city of Odessa which was the largest centre in the general vicinity of his birthplace. His parents were Albert Gottselig and Margarethe Weber.

Career

He played junior hockey with the Regina Pats before joining Chicago. Gottselig's entire NHL career was with Chicago, playing 589 career NHL games, scoring 176 goals and 195 assists for 371 points. After his hockey playing career was finished, he became the team's head coach. After coaching, he stayed on as the team's Director of Public Relations.

Gottselig also served for several years as a manager of women's baseball teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. He guided the Racine Belles in 1943–1944, the Peoria Redwings in 1947 and the Kenosha Comets in 1949–1950. He later became an executive with the Elmhurst Chicago Stone Company.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1923–24	Regina Pats	S-SJHL		6	6	0	6	6		—	—	—	—	—
1924–25	Regina Pats	S-SJHL		5	18	2	20	0		—	—	—	—	—
1924–25	Regina Victorias	S-SSHL		1	1	0	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
1925–26	Regina Victorias	S-SSHL		16	8	1	9	2		—	—	—	—	—
1926–27	Regina Capitals	PrHL		32	23	7	30	21		2	1	0	1	0
1927–28	Winnipeg Maroons	AHA		39	15	4	19	24		—	—	—	—	—
1928–29	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		44	5	3	8	26		—	—	—	—	—
1929–30	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		39	21	4	25	28		2	0	0	0	4
1930–31	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		42	20	12	32	14		9	3	3	6	2
1931–32	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		44	13	15	28	28		2	0	0	0	2
1932–33	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		41	11	11	22	6		—	—	—	—	—
1933–34	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		48	16	14	30	4		8	4	3	7	4
1934–35	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		48	19	18	37	16		2	0	0	0	0
1935–36	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		40	14	15	29	4		2	0	2	2	0
1936–37	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		47	9	21	30	10		—	—	—	—	—
1937–38	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		48	13	19	32	22		10	5	3	8	4
1938–39	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		48	16	23	39	15		—	—	—	—	—
1939–40	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		39	8	15	23	7		2	0	1	1	0
1940–41	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		5	1	4	5	5		—	—	—	—	—
1940–41	Kansas City Americans	AHA		13	9	6	15	2		8	3	1	4	2
1941–42	Kansas City Americans	AHA		40	25	35	60	22		6	2	5	7	2
1942–43	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		10	2	6	8	12		—	—	—	—	—
1943–44	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		45	8	15	23	6		6	1	1	2	2
1944–45	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				589	176	195	371	203		43	13	13	26	18
AHA totals				92	49	45	94	48		14	5	6	11	4

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
		G	W	L	T	Pts	Division rank	Result
CHI	1944–45	49	13	29	7	33	5th in NHL	DNQ
CHI	1945–46	50	23	20	7	53	3rd in NHL	Lost in first round
CHI	1946–47	60	19	37	4	42	6th in NHL	DNQ
CHI	1947–48	28	7	19	2	16	6th in NHL	Fired
Total		187	62	105	20	144

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.

External links

• http.www.ancestry.com for John B. Gottselig's birthplace, immigration and parentage
• Johnny Gottselig's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Johnny Gottselig's biography at Legends of Hockey