Marcel Pronovost was one of 12 kids, growing up and one of nine boys in the Pronovost family. Marcel is the oldest of four of those nine boys that appeared in the National Hockey League, along with Andre Pronovost, Claude Pronovost and Jean Pronovost. Marcel is the only family member to have a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame, entering in 1978.
Marcel Pronovost – Playing Career
Pronovost played junior hockey for the Windsor Spitfires in 1947-48 and 1948-49. Intermingled were semi-pro games with the Detroit Auto Club of the IHL during both years. This is not the same Windsor Spitfires team that exists today. Rather, the Spitfires that Marcel played for are the ancestors of the present day Erie Otters.
His first National Hockey League action came in 1949-50 when he joined the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Marcel played nine games for the Wings and the won the championship with a victory over the New York Rangers in the finals. It was his first of five Stanley Cup wins over his NHL career.
Pronovost did not immediately make the jump to full-time NHL defenseman but it didn’t take long. He played for the Omaha Knights of the USHL in 1949-50. Marcel followed that up by splitting the 1950-51 season between the Indianapolis Capitals of the American Hockey League and Detroit in the NHL.
Marcel played in the NHL until the 1969-70 season. He appeared in 1,206 regular season games, scoring 88 goals and assisting on 257 for 345 points. His standing for most NHL games played in a career has been taking a beating in 2013-14. He started the year in 91st spot but has been overtaken by Radek Dvorak, Ryan Smyth, Daniel Alfredsson and Patrick Marleau. Subsequently, Pronovost has dropped to 95th overall.
Marcel Pronovost Collection
In the Stanley Cup playoffs, Marcel played an additional 134 games, scoring eight and assisting on 23 for 31 points. He was part of four Stanley Cup championship teams in Detroit. As mentioned, in his first year the Wings took out the New York Rangers in the finals with the series going the full seven games.
Detroit won in 1951-52, 1953-54 and 1954-55. Each year, their opponent in the finals was the Montreal Canadiens. The first year, Detroit swept the Habs in a famous playoff run that saw the Wings sweep their way to the championship. In each of the following championships, Detroit had to work a lot harder with each series going seven games.
Montreal was once again Marcel’s opponent when he won his fifth and final Stanley Cup, this time as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1966-67. Toronto took out the Canadiens in six games to win the last championship in franchise history.
Four other times with Detroit, Pronovost played in Stanley Cup finals but came out on the losing end. In 1955-56, the great Montreal dynasty was ushered with the Canadiens beating the Red Wings in the finals in five games. The Red Wings then lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six in 1960-61.
For the final two years of the Toronto Maple Leafs three-peat of the early 1960’s, Detroit was the challenger. In 1962-63, the Red Wings fell in five. The following year, Detroit took the series to the full seven games.
Marcel made the move from Detroit to Toronto via a trade on May 20, 1965. Going to the Maple Leafs along with Pronovost were Larry Jeffrey, Eddie Joyal, Lowell MacDonald and Autry Erickson. Going to Detroit were Andy Bathgate, Gary Jarrett and Billy Harris. Ironically, Bathgate would be at Pronovost’s side as the two were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.
Pronovost finished up his pro career in the Central Hockey League in a player/coach role with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League. He played his final games during the 1970-71 season.
Marcel Pronovost – Coaching Career
Pronovost first served as a bench boss with the Tulsa Oilers in the CHL from 1969-70 to 1971-72. In his first season, Marcel was honoured with the Jake Milford Trophy as CHL coach of the year. In 1971-72, the Oilers placed second in the six team league and fell in the finals to the Bobby Kromm coached Dallas Black Hawks.
He had a short stint in the World Hockey Association as head coach of the Chicago Cougars. He coached the team in the inaugural 1972-73 season for the WHA. The Cougars did not reach the post season and lost 50 of their 78 regular season games in the rebel league.
Sandwiched between unsuccessful seasons as head coach of the Hull Olympiques in the QMJHL in 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79 and 1979-80 was Pronovost’s only stint as a head coach in the National Hockey League. He spent parts of two years with the Buffalo Sabres. In 1977-78, the team tied for fourth overall with the Philadelphia Flyers then fell to those same Flyers in the quarter-finals. In 1978-79, Marcel was replaced 24 games into the season by Bill Inglis.
Pronovost returned to where it all began for 1981-82. He took on the duties as head coach of the current version of the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League. The Spits won just 22 of 68 regular season games but qualified for the Robertson Cup playoffs. Windsor beat the Niagara Flyers in the opening round but fell to the Kitchener Rangers in the second round.
Marcel remains today as an amateur scout for the New Jersey Devils. He first took on that role in 1990-91 and his been with the Devils since.
Marcel Pronovost – Rookie Card
The Marcel Pronovost rookie card appears as number 68 in the 1951-52 Parkhurst set. Although the hockey cards of most all players in the 105 card set were considered rookie cards because the market had taken more than a decade hiatus, Pronovost was actually just off his rookie season. The card is valued at just over twice that of a common card.
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1947-48 | Detroit Auto Club | IHL | 19 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 53 |
| 1947-48 | Windsor Spitfires | OHA | 33 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 61 |
| 1948-49 | Detroit Auto Club | IHL | 9 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 24 |
| 1949-50 | Omaha Knights | USHL | 69 | 13 | 39 | 52 | 100 |
| 1949-50 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1950-51 | Indianapolis Capitals | AHL | 34 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 44 |
| 1950-51 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 37 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
| 1951-52 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 69 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 50 |
| 1952-53 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 68 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 72 |
| 1953-54 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 57 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 50 |
| 1954-55 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 9 | 25 | 34 | 90 |
| 1955-56 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 68 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 46 |
| 1956-57 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 38 |
| 1957-58 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 62 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 52 |
| 1958-59 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 69 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 44 |
| 1959-60 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 69 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 38 |
| 1960-61 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 44 |
| 1961-62 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 38 |
| 1962-63 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 69 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 48 |
| 1963-64 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 67 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 42 |
| 1964-65 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 68 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 45 |
| 1965-66 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 54 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 34 |
| 1966-67 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 58 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 28 |
| 1967-68 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 70 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 48 |
| 1968-69 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 34 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 20 |
| 1969-70 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1969-70 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 53 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 24 |
| 1970-71 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| NHL Totals | 1206 | 88 | 257 | 345 | 851 |