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The game lost one of its original great ones Wednesday night.
Just days after being named to the 'First 33', the first of a two-part NHL-created list that will name the 100 Greatest Players of all time and one that focused on the game’s all-timers in its first 50 years of existence, Bruins legend Milt Schmidt passed away at Newton-Wellesley Hospital at the age of 98.
“Milt’s impact in Boston, as both a player and a coach, will forever be felt amongst hockey fans,… Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs said through a statement released by the team. “He was a legendary personality in the Bruins organization and goes down in history as the ultimate Bruin.
“We should all be envious of the longevity and meaningfulness of his life.… Nicknamed the Ultimate Bruin, Schmidt devoted nearly 40 years of his career to the Bruins in some capacity -- be it as a player, coach, or as a general manager -- and then devoted almost any four decades as an ambassador for the Black and Gold and influence to this modern day of B’s skaters.
“Milt has been one of the most respected and friendly human beings that I have ever met and spent time with. Losing Milt, who spent his life dedicated to the game of hockey, is a great loss for the Bruins organization and the entire hockey community,… Zdeno Chara said. “I will always cherish the times we had together listening to him reminisce about old time hockey as well as our conversations on today's style of the game – the game that he just loved so much. My deepest condolences go out to his entire family and closest friends. Milt will be greatly missed but never forgotten.…
A two-time Stanley Cup winner with the B’s as a player, in 1939 and ‘41, and then a four-time winner by way of two Cup wins as the team’s general manager in ‘70 and ‘72, Schmidt made memories as both a talent and a front office exec (a rarity). With 229 goals and 575 points in 776 games, Schmidt currently ranks 12th on the B’s all-time scoring list, and did so in spite of missing three seasons in the prime of his career as he served in World War II. As a GM, he was the one that scouted Bobby Orr when Orr was just 12 years old, and later orchestrated the trade that brought Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, and Fred Stanfield to the Black and Gold from the Blackhawks.
“He was like a big brother to me in his coaching days and his GM days and ever since after that we were very close friends,… B’s legend Johnny Bucyk admitted. “He just loved the Bruins, to this day. He watched the games and we’d bring him to games. He was just a great man. [I consider him] right on top [as the greatest Bruin] along with Bobby [Orr] – to me, they’d be the two favorites. Milt was my first coach, my first GM. He was such a great person, I just can’t say enough about him.…
“When people today talk about ‘Bruins Hockey’ they talk about the style that Milt created, and generations of Bruins after him tried to emulate,… Bruins team president Cam Neely said Wednesday. “After his playing and coaching days were over, he remained incredibly giving of his time and the wealth of knowledge that he had accumulated over his career to everyone associated with the Bruins and the game of hockey. He will be dearly missed. On behalf of the Bruins organization, I would like to extend our most sincere condolences to Milt’s family and friends.…
Schmidt is survived by his son, Conrad, and his daughter, Nancy. Ty Anderson is the Boston Bruins beat writer for WEEI.com, and has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010. He can be heard on the Saturday Skate program on 93.7 WEEI (Boston), can also be found in the New England Hockey Journal magazine, and has been part of the Boston Chapter of the PHWA since 2013. Contact him on Twitter or send him an email at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.