Lidio Fogolin (hockey player)
| Lidio Fogolin | |
|---|---|
| Lee | |
| Years in Thunder Bay | by 1940–1944; 1956–at least 1979 |
Lidio Fogolin was a professional hockey defenseman and coach who played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League and won a Stanley Cup. Lidio Fogolin was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 as an athlete.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Lidio Fogolin was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 17 September 1988 in the athlete category for hockey, representing Port Arthur.[1]
Career
A defensive specialist, Fogolin began his development in the Fort William minor hockey system during the 1940s, competing at the midget, bantam, and junior levels. In 1945, he joined the Galt Red Wings in the OHA Junior A league. He turned professional in 1946 after signing with the Detroit Red Wings, spending his first pro season with the Omaha Knights in the USHL. He played the 1947-48 season with the Indianapolis Capitals of the American Hockey League before earning a regular spot on the Detroit Red Wings roster during the 1948-49 NHL season.[1]
During the 1949-50 season, Fogolin was a member of the Detroit Red Wings squad that captured the Stanley Cup. His contribution to the championship made him one of a small number of players from Northwestern Ontario to win the NHL title. He remained with Detroit until the 1950-51 season, when he was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks.[1]
Fogolin played five seasons for the Chicago Black Hawks, where he earned a reputation as a physical "policeman" and one of the most formidable checkers in the NHL. His defensive reliability was highlighted during one game where he was credited with blocking as many shots as goaltender Al Rollins over two periods. His play earned him a selection to the 1951 NHL All-Star Team.[1]
After retiring from the NHL following the 1955-56 season, Fogolin moved to the WHL to serve as a playing coach for the Calgary Stampeders. He eventually returned to Port Arthur to begin a coaching career in local hockey. From 1960 to 1964, he led the Port Arthur Senior Bearcats. Under his leadership in 1962, the Bearcats became the first Canadian club to win the Ahearne Cup, a trophy representing supremacy in European ice hockey. He concluded his four-decade career in the sport by coaching the Thunder Bay Twins during the 1970s.[1]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (by 1940–1944; 1956–at least 1979) rests on the following dated evidence. Played minor and junior hockey in Fort William during the 1940s before leaving in 1945, then returned to Port Arthur after the 1955-56 season to coach local teams, the Bearcats (1960-64), and the Twins during the 1970s.[1]
Honours and achievements
- Won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 1950
- Selected to the NHL All-Star Team in 1951
- Played 11 seasons of professional hockey
- Coached the Port Arthur Bearcats to the Ahearne Cup title in 1962
- Served as playing coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the WHL
- Coached the Thunder Bay Twins during the 1970s[1]
- Possibly the same as Lidio Fogolin (died 2000); the name is identical, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
- Possibly the same as Lee Fogolin; the name matches and some details fit, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Lidio 'Lee' Fogolin", athlete profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/athlete-profile/38755f8f-ed23-44f3-94c5-97425bcf7576 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.