In 2012, the hockey world lost a great. Fernie Flaman played over 900 games on the blue line in the National Hockey League, long before an 82 game schedule was the norm. It took the Hockey Hall of Fame nearly 30 years after he retired to finally recognize his accomplishments.
Fernie Flaman – Player
Flaman played 910 regular season games in the National Hockey League from 1944-45 to 1960-61, scoring just 34 goals and assisting on 176 for 210 points. In the Stanley Cup playoffs Fern played an additional 63 games, adding 12 points. Although he played his first game with the Bruins in 1944-45, he wasn’t a regular with the club until midway through the 1946-47 season.
Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in November, 1950, along with Phil Maloney and Kenney Smith for Bill Ezinicki and Vic Lynn, Flaman was just in time to win his only Stanley Cup championship. Despite the Detroit Red Wings finishing first overall, it was the Maple Leafs and Canadiens facing off in the finals. Toronto came away with the Cup in finve games. The series was won by a goal by Bill Barilko in the last NHL game he would play before his untimely death.
Fern Flaman Collection
In July, 1954, Fernie was sent back to Boston in exchange for Dave Creighton. With the Bruins, he played in two consecutive Stanley Cup finals in 1956-57 and 1957-58. However, the opponent was the mighty Montreal Canadiens in the midst of their dynasty and the Bruins came out on the losing end.
Probably nothing to do with the fact he led the NHL in penalty minutes in 1954-55 with 150, Flaman was named team captain of the Bruins the following season. He remained captain until retiring after leaving the team after the 1960-61 season. Three times over that second stint with Boston, Fernie was named a Second Team All-Star defenseman.
His pro career finished up with three years in the American Hockey League with the Providence Reds from 1961-62 to 1963-64. Not only was he a player / head coach, Flaman also took on the role of general manager of the Reds.
In 1990, Fernie Flaman was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Entering with him were two well deserving players in Bill Barber and Gilbert Perreault. Barber and Perreault didn’t have to wait nearly as long to enter.
Fernie Flaman – Coach
After he dropped ‘player’ from his title with Providence after the 1963-64 season, Flaman lasted just one year behind the bench with the Reds. Despite Ed Giacomin playing 59 of the team’s 72 games in net, Providence won just 20 and tied two while losing 50 games during the regular season. The Reds finished last overall in the nine team league and out of post season contention.
Next stop was Los Angeles, California for Fernie. He coached the Los Angeles Blades of the WHL for just one season, 1966-67. Despite a group of NHL calibre players, the team finished sixth in the seven team league and out of the playoffs.
He found a bit of success as a professional head coach with the Fort Worth Wings of the Central Hockey League in 1967-68 and 1968-69. In 1967-68, with players like Pete Mahovlich and Roger Crozier making appearances during the regular season, Forth Worth placed second in the four team Southern Division and third overall in the eight team league.
The Wings reached the finals where they faced off against the Tulsa Oilers. The Oilers made an easy go of it, sweeping their cross-state rivals in four games.
Flaman moved into the world of U.S. college hockey in 1972-73 and was head coach of Northeastern University until 1988-89. In 1981-82, he was named U.S. College Coach of the Year.
Fernie Flaman – Rookie Card
The Fernie Flaman rookie card appears as number 80 in the 1951-52 Parkhurst set. Of some significance, Flaman’s first appearance on cardboard is valued at over twice that of a common card.
The set, of course, was highlighted by the rookie cards of Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard. Virtually all cards in the set were considered rookie cards as hockey cards had been absent from the market for over a decade.
Fern Flaman Career Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1943-44 | Boston Olympics | EHL | 32 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 31 |
| 1943-44 | Brooklyn Crescents | EHL | 11 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 12 |
| 1944-45 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-45 | Boston Olympics | EHL | 46 | 16 | 27 | 43 | 75 |
| 1945-46 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-46 | Boston Olympics | EHL | 45 | 11 | 23 | 34 | 80 |
| 1946-47 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 38 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 64 |
| 1946-47 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 23 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 41 |
| 1947-48 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 56 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 69 |
| 1948-49 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 60 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 62 |
| 1949-50 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 69 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 122 |
| 1950-51 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 37 |
| 1950-51 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 11 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 24 |
| 1950-51 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 39 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 64 |
| 1951-52 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 61 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 110 |
| 1952-53 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 66 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 110 |
| 1953-54 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 62 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 84 |
| 1954-55 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 70 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 150 |
| 1955-56 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 62 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 70 |
| 1956-57 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 68 | 6 | 25 | 31 | 108 |
| 1957-58 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 66 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 71 |
| 1958-59 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 70 | 0 | 21 | 21 | 101 |
| 1959-60 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 60 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 112 |
| 1960-61 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 62 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 59 |
| 1961-62 | Providence Reds | AHL | 65 | 3 | 33 | 36 | 95 |
| 1962-63 | Providence Reds | AHL | 68 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 65 |
| 1963-64 | Providence Reds | AHL | 22 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 21 |
| NHL Totals | 910 | 34 | 176 | 210 | 1370 |