Shack Named Leading Rookie In Surprise Result of Poll; Both Players On Sidelines
In our recent dive through THN's vast archive, iconic goaltender Johnny Bower was named AHL MVP in 1958, while Eddie Shack took home Rookie of the Year.
By: John Travers
Johnny Bower, the Cleveland Barons’ ace goalie, won the coaches’ vote for the American League’s Most Valuable Player while in a real surprise, the mentors handed the Rookie of the Year nod to Providence’s Eddie Shack.
The coaches balloted the two top individual awards for the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
Ironically, both players are on the injured list and neither is expected to see action in the post-season Calder Cup playoffs. Shack is sidelined with a brokenleg while Bower is recuperating from three fractured ribs suffered in a game at Providence March 9. Shack’s been on the shelf since early Feb.
What is startling in Shack’s selection is that the 22-year-old winger played only 35 games, minimum required to be eligible for an award. It was obvious the coaches chose him on the basis of potential. He had been pegged all season long as a sure-fire bet to hit the big time next year with the Reds’ parent New York Rangers club.
UNANIMOUS CHOICE
Bower now has copped the MVP award three straight years. He also was a unanimous selection by the coaches to their All-Star team.
His only competition for the prize came from Hershey’s Willie Marshall, the league’s scoring kingpin, and Dune Fisher, another Bears’ star. Both Marshall and Fisher, first All-Star team choices, each polled a vote, while Bower drew four ballots in the six-team circuit.
Shack, hard-skating right winger, beat out two teammates, Bill Sweeney and Bruce Carmichael, in the rookie balloting. Shack polled three votes while Sweeney got two and Carmichael one. For some unexplained reason, Hershey’s fine rookie, Len Haley, a 29-goal scorer, didn’t get a tumble from the coaches.
Bower won the Harry (Hap) Holmes Trophy — emblematic of the low goals against average — in a cakewalk for the second straight year. The 32-year-old netminder showed a 2.19 goals against mark in the 64 games he played before being injured. He had eight shut-cuts, one shy of equaling the league’s all-time record. He was working on his ninth when he was hurt late in the third period at Providence.
Bower, in his last stopoff at Hershey, again made it clear he wasn’t anxious to play again in the National League. Three different teams had sought his services during the season, but Bower had informed Cleveland general manager Jim Hendy that he wasn’t interested.
“Unless I get an iron clad contract from some National League team that I won’t get shipped out to some remote league. and that I draw top NHL pay, then I’m not interested in going up again,” said Bower.
“I’m not too interested in going through the pressure again. I’ve been up before (Rangers 1953-54). I have a good deal in Cleveland. I like the set-up very much.”
Shack in 35 games scored 16 goals and assisted on 27 for 43 points. Only a few months ago, Johnny Gagnon. Rangers’ chief scout, made a few eye-opening statements about the prize rookie.
“Shack is as good as (Jean) Beliveau was when Beliveau joined Montreal,” said Gagnon in a story in HOCKEY NEWS. “In fact, before Shack got hurt he was ready to go up to the National League … he (Shack) reminds me of Harvey (Busker) Jackson in his great days.”
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