Fred Shero

Frederick Alexander Shero, nicknamed The Fog (October 23, 1925November 24, 1990) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager.

He played for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL), but spent most of his playing career in the minor leagues.

Following his playing career, Shero spent 13 years coaching in the minor leagues before making it to the NHL.

On October 16, 1947, he made his NHL debut at the Montreal Forum against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadiens in the 1947–48 season opener.

However, he only played 19 games with the Rangers that year while splitting time with the St. Paul Saints in the United States Hockey League.

It was during this time that he would first garner the nickname "The Fog".

Although more often associated with his loner personality and propensity for being lost in thought, the nickname actually began during a 1948 game in St. Paul, Minnesota.

High humidity on indoor ice surfaces can result in fog.

One night in St. Paul the fog was so thick that Shero was the only player who claimed to be able to see the puck thus earning him the name "Freddy the Fog".

The 1948–49 season saw Shero become a regular in the Rangers line up as well as his first NHL post-season action.

The following season Shero set career highs in games played, assists, and points, while the Rangers qualified for the post-season in the fourth and final position.

Despite being the lowest seeded team, the Rangers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals by upsetting the Montreal Canadiens in the first round.

In the Finals the Rangers met up with the Detroit Red Wings, and on April 23, 1950, the Rangers lost game seven in double overtime.

It was the last NHL game Shero ever played.

On May 14, 1951, the Rangers traded Shero to the American Hockey League's (AHL) Cleveland Barons.

Upon his return to the minors Shero enjoyed team success as a player winning back-to-back Calder Cups with the Barons in 1953 and 1954.

Shero was also named an AHL Second Team All-Star in 1954.

However, he only played one more season with the Barons before moving to the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Winnipeg Warriors for the 1955–56 season.

Shero captained the Warriors to the WHL championship, in his first season with the club.

He played with the Warriors again during the 1956–57 season, but moved to the Quebec Hockey League (QHL) where he played for the Shawinigan Cataractes in 1957–58.

During the 1957–58 QHL season Shero first began coaching.

He served as a player/assistant coach for the Cataracts and helped them capture the QHL championship.

He retired from playing in 1958.

After retiring as a player, Shero continued to coach and began a 13-year coaching career in the minor leagues.

During his time in the minors, Shero proved to be a winning coach accumulating six first-place finishes, five second-place finishes and twice finishing third in various leagues.

As the head coach of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, Shero won the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 1975 and reached the Stanley Cup Finals a third time, in 1976.

He also had four consecutive seasons of having a 0.700 or better winning percentage and remains the Flyers all-time leader in coaching victories.

Prior to game six of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals, Shero wrote his now famous quote "Win today and we walk together forever" – a statement that continues to be quoted to this day.

Shero controversially left the Flyers following the 1977–78 season to become the head coach of the New York Rangers, whom he led to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season.

He resigned from the Rangers after coaching for less than three seasons.

Shero had a unique style of coaching that led to several innovations that are still used today.

He was the first coach to hire a full-time assistant coach, employ systems, have his players use in season strength training, study film, and he was one of the first coaches to utilize a morning skate.

His son, Ray Shero, also pursued a career in hockey, serving as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins (2006–2014) and New Jersey Devils (2015–2020).

As a 17-year-old, Shero was signed by the New York Rangers to a professional contract.

He spent the first year of his contract in the minors splitting time between the New York Rovers and the Brooklyn Crescents in the Eastern Amateur Hockey League.

The following season Shero served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II, although he continued to play hockey for the Navy as a member of HMCS Chippawa.

Upon returning to the Rangers organization, Shero continued to play in the minors for another two seasons before reaching National Hockey League (NHL).

In 2013 Shero was recognized for his contributions when he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder.

He was known for his enigmatic and introverted personality often appearing or disappearing from a room unnoticed, or being completely lost in thought.

He often left philosophical sayings on a chalkboard as a way of provoking thought or as a motivational tool.