According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press on Friday, former Detroit Red Wings left winger Marty Pavelich of Sault. Ste. Marie. Ontario passed away at the age of 96. The cause of death was reportedly Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a disease he was diagnosed with in May. Pavelich played 10 seasons with the Red Wings from 1947 to 1957.
In 633 games, Pavelich scored 93 goals and had 159 assists for 252 points. He had 454 penalty minutes, 25 power-play points, eight shorthanded points, and 20 game-winning goals.
During the postseason, Pavelich scored 13 goals and had 15 assists for 28 points in 91 games. He had 74 penalty minutes, two power-play goals, two shorthanded goals, and five game-winning goals.
Four times Pavelich won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings. The championships came in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955. The 1950 Stanley Cup saw the Red Wings beat the New York Rangers four games to three. The 1952 Stanley Cup saw the Red Wings sweep the Montreal Canadiens four games to none. The 1954 and 1955 Stanley Cup Finals had the Red Wings beat the Canadiens four games to three. In this time period, Pavelich was recognized as an elite defensive forward and was praised for his excellent job defending Maurice Richard.
After his playing career, Pavelich teamed up with his Red Wings teammate Ted Lindsay of Renfrew, Ontario. They had a successful business where they sold plastic parts in the automotive industry.
