Al Rollins

Growing up in Moose Jaw after being born in Vanguard, Al Rollins worked his way through western Canadian pro circuits before earning a real breakthrough. A key turning point came in 1947–48 with the Edmonton Flyers, when his play helped the club capture the Allan Cup and put him on the path toward the National Hockey League.

Rollins spent several seasons in the minors and the PCHL before Toronto signed him for 1950–51. That season he shared goaltending duties with the Maple Leafs, was part of the club’s Stanley Cup-winning group and claimed the Vezina Trophy for his performance between the pipes.

In 1951–52 Toronto traded him to the Chicago Black Hawks for Harry Lumley. Over the next five years he tended goal for Chicago, frequently on teams that struggled in the standings; nevertheless, his individual play continued to stand out. The 1953–54 season was the high-water mark: he played 66 games, appeared in the NHL All-Star Game and won the Hart Memorial Trophy despite his club suffering a franchise-worst number of losses.

Chicago’s acquisition of Glenn Hall in 1957–58 relegated Rollins to the minor leagues. He returned briefly to the NHL in 1959–60 with the New York Rangers for 10 games before finishing his top-level playing career back in the minors. Even later, at age 37, he helped the Drumheller Miners win the Allan Cup in 1965–66, adding one more national amateur championship to his résumé.

After his playing days he moved into coaching, leading teams at the university level and in several professional cities — including Calgary, Spokane, Salt Lake City, Houston, Tulsa and Phoenix — and he guided the Spokane Jets to an Allan Cup as coach in 1970. His son Jerry also played in the World Hockey Association. Rollins is remembered as a durable goaltender who shouldered heavy workloads and produced standout seasons even on weak clubs.