The world of hockey lost one of the great ones, as Hall of Fame Defenseman, Leo Boivin, passed away at age 90.

Boivin debuted in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs for two Games in the 1951/52 Season, and would finish third in Calder voting the following year.  The Leafs traded him to Boston early in the 1954/55 Season, and it was with the Bruins where he would achieve his greatest success.

The Bruins fans loved Boivin for his hard-hitting and punishing style, and he would represent them in three All-Star Games.  Undersized even for that era, Boivin made the most of his compact 5’ 8” frame, becoming the master of the hip check and shutting down attackers.  He would later play for Detroit, Pittsburgh and Minnesota, retiring after the 1969/70 Season, and he left the game with 322 Points in 1,150 Games.

The Hall of Fame called his name in 1986.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends, and family of Leo Boivin.

One of the best checkers of his era, Leo Boivin wasn’t known for scoring with the puck, but was adept at stripping attackers with it with his hard hits and perfectly timed checks.  Boivin was a well respected locker room leader who was the captain of the Bruins for three seasons.  The Defenseman scored 211 Points over 711 Games, and became a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee in 1986. 

Over a nineteen year career, Leo Boivin was known throughout the National Hockey League for his toughness. He was a traditional stay at home Defenceman who may have had significant offensive prowess, but rarely allowed attackers to get the best of him. Three times, Boivin would play in the All Star Game in the early 1960’s. His best seasons were with the Boston Bruins, of which he would be their captain for four seasons.   Boivin was a very good player, but he may be an example of the criticism that the Hall often gets for inducting too many Original Six players, as his overall resume just does not seem to be Hall worthy.