Larry Jeffrey

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| image =

| image_size = 230px

| caption =

| position = Left wing

| shoots = Left

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lb = 189

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|10|12|mf=yes}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|07|18|1940|10|12|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Goderich, Ontario, Canada

| death_place=Goderich, Ontario, Canada

| career_start = 1958

| career_end = 1969

| played_for = Detroit Red Wings
Toronto Maple Leafs
New York Rangers

}}

Lawrence Joseph Jeffrey (October 12, 1940 – July 18, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played forward. He played for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League from 1961 to 1969. Jeffrey was a member of the 1967 Stanley Cup-winning Maple Leafs.

Career

Jeffrey was from Goderich, Ontario. He began playing junior ice hockey in 1956, spending five years with the Hamilton Tiger Cubs and Hamilton Red Wings of the Ontario Hockey Association. He then played for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), and the Edmonton Flyers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He won the WHL's rookie of the year award. With Hamilton, Jeffrey suffered a knee injury that tore a ligament and required surgery. Jeffrey made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut with the Detroit Red Wings in the 1961–62 season, playing in 18 regular season games.{{cite web|url=https://clintonnewsrecord.com/opinion/columnists/huron-countys-larry-jeffrey-was-part-of-maple-leafs-last-stanley-cup-win|title=Huron County's Larry Jeffrey was part of Maple Leafs' last Stanley Cup win|website=goderichsignalstar|accessdate=July 20, 2022}} He was injured in a practice and had his second knee surgery to repair a torn ligament.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/105983832/a-crutch-player/ |title=A crutch player |work=National Post|page=S1|first=Joe|last=O'Connor|via=Newspapers.com |date=February 17, 2007 |accessdate=July 20, 2022}}

In May 1965, the Red Wings traded Jeffrey, Marcel Pronovost, Aut Erickson, Eddie Joyal, and Lowell MacDonald to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Andy Bathgate, Billy Harris, and Gary Jarrett.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/105984197/unhappy-with-leafs-bathgate-joins-wings/ |title=Unhappy With Leafs, Bathgate Joins Wings In Giant Swap |newspaper=The Gazette |via=Newspapers.com |date=May 21, 1965 |page=29 |accessdate=July 20, 2022}} After struggling with coach Punch Imlach for a season, Jeffrey requested a trade, and Toronto assigned Jeffrey to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. After the Americans won the Calder Cup, the Maple Leafs promoted Jeffrey. Jeffrey played for the Maple Leafs in the 1967 Stanley Cup playoffs, though he injured his leg again in the semifinals against the Chicago Black Hawks, before the Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens in the 1967 Stanley Cup Finals.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/105990509/maple-leafs-lose-star-larry-jeffrey/ |title=Maple Leafs Lose Star Larry Jeffrey |newspaper=Arizona Republic |via=Newspapers.com |date=April 20, 1967 |page=72 |accessdate=July 20, 2022}} He participated in the trophy presentation on Maple Leaf Gardens ice following the decisive Game 6, wearing a suit and on crutches.

The Pittsburgh Penguins selected Jeffrey from the Maple Leafs in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft and traded him to the New York Rangers for three minor league players.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/42661979/?terms=%22larry%20jeffrey%22%20rangers&match=1 |title=Red Kelly Threatens To Go 'to PM' In Order To Get to Los Angeles|first=W.R.|last=Wheatley|agency=Canadian Press|work=The Ottawa Journal|page=25 |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription |date=June 7, 1967 |accessdate=July 20, 2022}} In June 1969, the Rangers traded Jeffrey to the Red Wings for Terry Sawchuk and Sandy Snow.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/105985381/wings-trade-sawchuk-for-larry-jeffrey/ |title=Wings Trade Sawchuk For Larry Jeffrey |newspaper=Lansing State Journal |via=Newspapers.com |date=June 20, 1969 |page=29 |accessdate=July 20, 2022}} Jeffrey fractured his kneecap during the preseason, requiring surgery,{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/105999295/broken-knee-idles-jeffrey/ | title=Broken Knee Idles Jeffrey | newspaper=Detroit Free Press |via=Newspapers.com| date=October 5, 1969 | page=44 }} and retired as a player in 1969 due to the worsening chronic pain in his knee.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/105989747/the-guy-on-crutches/ |title='The guy on crutches' |newspaper=National Post |first=Dave|last=Feschuk|via=Newspapers.com |date=December 3, 2001 |page=22 |accessdate=July 20, 2022}} Jeffrey had 11 knee surgeries over the course of nine years, and 14 knee surgeries in total. He played in 368 NHL games, scoring 39 goals and 62 assists. He had four goals and 10 assists in 38 postseason games. Jeffrey worked as a scout for eight years after his playing career.{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/larry-jeffrey-dies-at-the-age-of-81/c-335042090 |title=Jeffrey dies at 81, won Stanley Cup with Maple Leafs in 1967 |publisher=NHL.com |date= |accessdate=July 20, 2022}}

Personal life

Jeffrey married Sharon Somerville in 1964, and they had two children. He raised horses and Hereford cattle on his {{convert|120|acre|adj=on}} farm north of Goderich.

Jeffrey died in Goderich on July 18, 2022, at age 81.{{cite web|title=Larry Jeffrey Obituary|url=https://www.arbormemorial.ca/mccallumpalla/obituaries/larry-jeffrey/88828|publisher=McCallum & Palla Funeral Home|access-date=July 21, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Duff |first=Bob |date=July 20, 2022 |title=Larry Jeffrey, 81, Played In Two Stanley Cup Final Series For Red Wings |url=https://detroithockeynow.com/2022/07/20/larry-jeffrey-81-played-in-two-stanley-cup-final-series-for-red-wings/ |access-date=July 20, 2022 |work=Detroit Hockey Now |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |url=https://blackburnnews.com/midwestern-ontario/midwestern-ontario-sports/2022/07/19/goderichs-hockey-hero-passes-away/|title=Goderich's "Hockey Hero" passes away |last1=Montgomery |first1=Bob |work=blackburnnews.com |date=July 19, 2022 |access-date=July 19, 2022}}

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM
1957–58 \| Hamilton Kilty B's \| OHA-B \| —	—	—	—	— \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1957–58 \| Hamilton Tiger Cubs \| OHA \| —	—	—	—	— \| 9	0	0	0	0
1958–59 \| Hamilton Tiger Cubs \| OHA \| 54	21	20	41	149 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1959–60 \| Hamilton Tiger Cubs \| OHA \| 46	14	24	38	84 \| —	—	—	—	—
1959–60 \| Hershey Bears \| AHL \| 5	0	3	3	2 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1960–61 \| Hamilton Red Wings \| OHA \| 48	28	32	60	105 \| 12	6	3	9	39
1961–62 \| Detroit Red Wings \| NHL \| 18	5	3	8	20 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1961–62 \| Edmonton Flyers \| WHL \| 48	20	22	42	80 \| —	—	—	—	—
1962–63 \| Detroit Red Wings \| NHL \| 53	5	11	16	62 \| 9	3	3	6	8
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1962–63 \| Pittsburgh Hornets \| AHL \| 21	14	7	21	12 \| —	—	—	—	—
1963–64 \| Detroit Red Wings \| NHL \| 58	10	18	28	87 \| 14	1	6	7	28
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1964–65 \| Detroit Red Wings \| NHL \| 41	4	2	6	48 \| 2	0	0	0	0
1965–66 \| Toronto Maple Leafs \| NHL \| 20	1	1	2	22 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1965–66 \| Rochester Americans \| AHL \| 51	10	20	30	36 \| 12	6	5	11	4
1966–67 \| Toronto Maple Leafs \| NHL \| 56	11	17	28	27 \| 6	0	1	1	4
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1967–68 \| New York Rangers \| NHL \| 47	2	4	6	15 \| 3	0	0	0	0
1968–69 \| New York Rangers \| NHL \| 75	1	6	7	12 \| 4	0	0	0	2
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| NHL totals ! 368 !! 39 !! 62 !! 101 !! 293 ! 38 !! 4 !! 10 !! 14 !! 42