96: Jim Neilson-NHL
Sports' Forgotten Heroes
English - December 29, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MB - ★★★★★ - 27 ratingsSports afl billycannon budadams charlesdegravelles collegefootball heismantrophy houstonoilers jimweathersby losangelesrams louisianastateuniversity Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
On November 6, 2020, the National Hockey League lost a great one, Jim Neilson. A phenomenal defenseman for the New York Rangers for 12-years of his 16-year career, Neilson was the quintessential stay-at-home defenseman who made opponents pay. He’d stand them up at the blueline, hit hard, made opposing forwards think twice before planting themselves in front of the net. One fo Jim’s proudest accomplishments was when his teammates, Eddie Giacomin and Gilles Villemure won the Vezina Trophy in 1971. Neilson’s contributions to the their stellar goals-against-averages played an important role in their winning that trophy. But Jim was more than just a contributor. He was a leader. One of the team’s most important cogs as the Rangers went from pretender to contender and nearly pulled off the impossible when they took the Bobby Orr-led Boston Bruins to six games in the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals. Perhaps, had the Rangers found a way to win, Jim Neilson might be better remembered. But the fact is, he’s not, and that’s truly a shame, because he was as good as anyone. An all-star, Norris Trophy finalist, Jim’s back-story makes his accomplishments even more remarkable. His mother was Cree Big River First Nation, making Jim one of the first indigenous people to play in the NHL. The remarkable part to this story is that Jim was raised in an orphanage and, despite the odds stacked against him, overcame his challenging upbringing to make it on one of hockey’s biggest stages – Madison Square Garden. In fact, so many of his contemporaries recognize just how good – or great – Neilson was, and think he should be a member of the pro hockey Hall of Fame. However, as the years have passed, Jim’s opportunities for enshrinement have faded. On this special episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, Jim’s children, Dana Neilson, Darcy Wade and David Neilson, along with former Rangers captain Vic Hadfield, discuss the great career of Jim and why he merits more consideration for induction.
Links:
Sports' Forgotten Heroes website
Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page
Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter
© 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes