Réal Chevrefils

Joseph Maurice Roger Réal "Chevy" Chevrefils (May 2, 1932 – January 8, 1981) was a Canadian ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings between 1951 and 1959.

Réal Chevrefils
Born (1932-05-02)May 2, 1932
Timmins, Ontario, Canada
Died January 8, 1981(1981-01-08) (aged 48)
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Boston Bruins
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 1951–1964

Playing career

Chevrefils was a member of the 1951 Memorial Cup champion Barrie Flyers. His stats for the OHA regular season in 1950-51 were 54 games played, 52 goals, 51 assists, for 103 total points.[1] He was ranked as the second best junior hockey player in Canada, behind Jean Béliveau of the Quebec Citadelles. His brother, Maurice, a one-time player with the Johnstown Jets from the International Hockey League, played with the Barrie Flyers as well.[2]

When Chevrefils became a professional, his career was affected by alcohol. His first experiences with alcohol came while playing for the Hershey Bears in 1951. While in Hershey, Chevrefils notched 20 goals and 28 assists for 48 points in just 34 games.[1] Chevrefils started his National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Boston Bruins in 1951 too.

Chevrefils scored his first NHL goal at Chicago Stadium on February 17, 1952 in the first period of Boston's 5-2 victory. He notched his second gal in the same game.

Bruins’ teammates such as Leo Labine, who had also played with Chevrefils on the Barrie Flyers, mentioned that Chevrefils would be hung over in the dressing room.[3] According to Lou Bendo, who played on Chevrefils’s last team, the 1963 Allan Cup winning Windsor Bulldogs, the Bruins organization felt Chevy was too small at 170 pounds and asked him to bulk up by having a few beers with supper.[4]

Despite the drinking issues, Chevrefils was also known for a sense of humour. In the 1951 Memorial Cup playoffs against the Quebec Citadelles, Jean Béliveau shot the puck so hard that it went through the net. The officials did not see it, and Chevrefils skated up to Beliveau and said, “Hey, big Jean, don’t shoot so hard next time.” [5]

In 1955, Lynn Patrick, who had succeeded Art Ross as General Manager of the Boston Bruins predicted that Chevrefils "...will be an all-star within three years, and within five years, he’ll be one of the best left wings ever to play in the league."[6] In 1955, the Bruins traded him to the Detroit Red Wings, after being part of the trade for Terry Sawchuk.[4]

Jack Adams, the Detroit General Manager tried to get Chevrefils to go to Alcoholics Anonymous. Reports indicated that Adams hired private detectives to keep tabs on Chevrefils. Out of frustration, Adams traded Chevrefils back to Boston in January 1956.[4]

Chevrefils played only one full, injury free season in 1956–57. He had scored 31 goals, was selected to play in the All-Star Game and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team.[6] Over the next 2 seasons, Chevrefils only scored 10 goals, and by his 27th birthday, was out of the NHL. In the end, he had scored 104 goals in 387 regular season games, which were spread over parts of 8 seasons (1951–52 to 1958–59) and scored 5 more goals in 30 playoff games.[3] He would retire after the 1959 season.

Chevrefils was married to Claudette Roy, but the two had a troubled relationship. This was exemplified when Chevrefils played for the Los Angeles Blades with childhood friend, Danny Belisle. The team owners flew out Claudette to look after Chevy. The result was that the two of them would drink and fight.[2] Eventually, the two separated in 1962; they had six children.[7]

In later years, Chevrefils lived in Windsor and had qualified for an NHL pension worth $130 a month but received an extra $200 a month from a special fund for needy ex-players, courtesy of Jimmy Skinner, an executive with the Detroit Red Wings.[7] A lot of his time was spent at Windsor’s Downtown Mission. He would shovel snow with other men for less than a dollar an hour.[8]

Chevrefils died on January 8, 1981, at Windsor’s Hotel-Dieu Hospital.[9] At the funeral, six of his pallbearers were former teammates with the Windsor Bulldogs, including Lou Bendo and Jack Costello, who was on a hockey tour of Europe with Chevrefils.[10] On his grave, a small stone lies flat and reads: "Chevy, number 12, May 2, 1932-January 8, 1981". On an upper corner is the Boston Bruins emblem.[10]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1948–49 Barrie Flyers OHA 4313132636 8671316
1948–49 Barrie Flyers M-Cup ————— 782108
1949–50 Barrie Flyers OHA 4827325995 9671316
1950–51 Barrie Flyers OHA 545251103104 1214112516
1950–51 Barrie Flyers M-Cup ————— 119101914
1951–52 Boston Bruins NHL 33817258 71126
1951–52 Hershey Bears AHL 3420284814 —————
1952–53 Boston Bruins NHL 6919143344 70116
1953–54 Boston Bruins NHL 144152 —————
1954–55 Boston Bruins NHL 6418224030 52134
1955–56 Detroit Red Wings NHL 3834724 —————
1955–56 Boston Bruins NHL 251181910 —————
1956–57 Boston Bruins NHL 7031174838 102134
1957–58 Boston Bruins NHL 44991821 10000
1957–58 Springfield Indians AHL 1578150 110332
1958–59 Boston Bruins NHL 301568 —————
1958–59 Providence Reds AHL 61120 —————
1958–59 Quebec Aces QHL 122796 —————
1959–60 Sudbury Wolves EPHL 6523365926 1466124
1960–61 Kingston Frontenacs EPHL 3716203616 —————
1960–61 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 1967132 —————
1961–62 Los Angeles Blades WHL 6922325412 —————
1962–63 San Francisco Seals WHL 61120 —————
1962–63 Windsor Bulldogs OHA Sr 4225487318 —————
1962–63 Windsor Bulldogs Al-Cup ————— 947112
1963–64 Windsor Bulldogs IHL 481922418 62242
NHL totals 38710497201185 3054920

References
  1. All Roads Lead to Hockey, Bill Boyd, p. 11, Key Porter Books, 2004, ISBN 1-55263-618-6
  2. All Roads Lead to Hockey, Bill Boyd, p. 35, Key Porter Books, 2004, ISBN 1-55263-618-6
  3. All Roads Lead to Hockey, Bill Boyd, p. 31, Key Porter Books, 2004, ISBN 1-55263-618-6
  4. All Roads Lead to Hockey, Bill Boyd, p. 33, Key Porter Books, 2004, ISBN 1-55263-618-6
  5. All Roads Lead to Hockey, Bill Boyd, p. 34, Key Porter Books, 2004, ISBN 1-55263-618-6
  6. All Roads Lead to Hockey, Bill Boyd, p. 30, Key Porter Books, 2004, ISBN 1-55263-618-6
  7. All Roads Lead to Hockey, Bill Boyd, p. 38, Key Porter Books, 2004, ISBN 1-55263-618-6
  8. All Roads Lead to Hockey, Bill Boyd, p. 39, Key Porter Books, 2004, ISBN 1-55263-618-6
  9. All Roads Lead to Hockey, Bill Boyd, p. 40, Key Porter Books, 2004, ISBN 1-55263-618-6
  10. All Roads Lead to Hockey, Bill Boyd, p. 41, Key Porter Books, 2004, ISBN 1-55263-618-6
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