How we remember him: After playing parts of four seasons with the Wings in the late 1960s to start his 16 year career, Frank Mahovlich’s younger brother Peter blossomed in Montreal as a high scoring center while winning four Stanley Cups, three of them under Scotty Bowman. He is remembered for his spectacular shorthanded goal in game 2 of the famous 1972 Russia/ Canada Summit Series, a turning point for Team Canada, and for coming off the ice in the closing seconds of game 8 that allowed Paul Henderson to score the Summit series winning goal. The 6’5” “Little M”, a noted fun loving prankster, also played two seasons in Pittsburgh before ending his NHL career in Detroit.
After the Wings: Mahovlich finished his playing career in the minors with the Adirondack Red Wings in ’81-’82 and briefly as a player-coach with Toledo in ’85-’86. He also coached in the minors with Forth Worth, Denver, and Cape Breton, was a color commentator for Montreal and later served as a scout with Edmonton for two years.
Today: A resident of Glens Falls, New York, Mahovlich is in his tenth season as a pro scout for the Atlanta Thrashers. A few years ago he and his 1972 Team Canada teammates were inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in Toronto.
On playing for the Wings: “I enjoyed the people there, but it was frustrating not getting much of an opportunity to play in Detroit when my career started. The second time around I initially enjoyed it, playing with guys like Dale McCourt and Mike Foligno. I thought we would make the playoffs. Ted Lindsay (GM) tried to do the right thing but I don’t think he got the right support from the owner.” (Bruce Norris.)
On his favorite hockey memories: “ The 1972 Summit series experience, winning four Stanley Cups and playing in my first NHL game. The Wings called me up for a game in Boston which we won 1-0 and I assisted on Jimmy Peter’s goal. The Boston Gardens locker room had a bulb hanging down a string and there were two little shower heads sprinkling water. Let me tell you, there was no carpeting.”
On his all time favorite prank: “We were in the Chicago airport and the hockey writer Red Fisher was reading the paper. I snuck up and lit his newspaper. As the flame starts to climb up, I yelled, ‘there’s hot news Red!’……..We’re still friends.” (While playing for Montreal under coach Scotty Bowman, Mahovlich was given a $100 fine for missing curfew. When Mahovlich went up to Bowman to give him his money he handed the Hall of Fame Coach $200. “That’s for the next time Scotty” he said with a grin.
