Absurd Goalie Monday: Jimmy Franks

This week's AGM is a guy who got passed around from team to team, but never got traded once. He played in a time where injury and war stripped many teams of their players and goalies-- which is where a back-up or third-string goalie would not only provide depth, but also give options for other teams. This week, the profile of Jimmy Franks.

Franks started in the South Saskatoon Junior League with the Regina Pats, playing in two regular season games in the 1932-33 season before helping the Pats get to the Memorial Cup finals with a 7-3-3 record, but going 0-2 in the Memorial Cup Finals to lose to the Newmarket Redmen. The 1933-34 season had Franks stay in the SSJHL, but with the Melville Millionaires, but he would be in the Junior "A" league in the 1934-35 season with the Kerrobert Tigers.

With Franks advancing to the Senior Leagues, he moved to the Prince Albert Mintos of the North Saskatchewan Senior League for the 1935-36 season, playing in 18 games with an 11-6-1 record, then going 5-2 in seven games of the Allan Cup playoffs.

The Detroit Red Wings signed Franks in May of 1936 and put him in the AHL with the Pittsburgh Hornets in the 1936-37 season, playing 20 games and finishing with a 8-9-3 record, then going 1-0 in the playoffs. However, due to an injury to goalie Normie Smith; Franks got called up to the Red Wings for the playoffs-- lossing his only appearance, but still got his name engraved on the Stanley Cup that the Red Wings won. Franks returned to Pittsburgh for the 1937-38 season, going 3-4-2 in nine games, while winning his only game as a call-up to the Red Wings. Franks again returned to Pittsburgh for the 1938-39 season, sporting a 16-14-3 record in the 33 games he played, as well as playing a game with the Syracuse Stars in the AHL (a tie) and four games with the AHA's Kansas City Greyhounds (3-1-0).

Staying in the AHL, Franks played for the Indianapolis Capitols for the 1939-40 season, playing for 29 game and finishing with a 16-7-6 record. Staying in Indianapolis for the 1940-41 season, Franks played in 56 games and compiled a record of 17-28-11. In the 1941-42 season, Franks returned to the AHA and played for the Omaha Knights and went 19-14-6 in 39 games and then a perfect 8-0 in the playoffs to win the last AHA championship, the Harry T. Sinclair Trophy.

It was an odd 1942-43 season as Franks was loaned out to the New York Rangers by the Red Wings as a war-time replacement for Jim Henry. With the Rangers, Franks played in 23 games and posted a 5-14-4 record. Also that season, Franks played with the Pittsburgh Hornets of the AHL and had a 1-3-0 record in four games of work.

For the 1943-44 season, the Red Wings and Franks were at odds at Franks' demotion, leading the Red Wings to suspend Franks for not reporting to Indianapolis. At the end, Franks was able to agree to playing just road games for the Red Wings, going 6-8-3 in 17 games, while also being loaned out to the Boston Bruins for a game against the Red Wings, where he would lose the game to his own team. Franks also spent a game with the Buffalo Bisons, which was a win.

Franks played for the AHL's St. Louis Flyers for the bulk of the 1944-45 season, going 5-21-3 in 29 games, while also tying the only game he played in for the Buffalo Bisons. At the end of the season, Franks would retire. Franks would pass away in 1994 at age 79.

With so little spots around, Franks was able to get into some games because of war-time and due to other goalies being injured. In that kind of cut-throat time, he was able to get whatever he could get and while he didn't thrive in those times, he was able to make his mark in some way, shape, or form.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Bobby Taylor

As we are on the eve of a new year...there's really no theme to this one. This week's AGM had quite the travel log when all is said and done, going up and down one coast after going to and from both coasts. All in all, he got a lot of flyer miles, while getting some playing time with the Flyers. This week, the profile of Bobby Taylor.

To start his career, Taylor played with his hometown Calgary Buffaloes for the 1962-63 season and 1963-64 season before moving out to Ontario to play with the OHA's St. Catherines Black Hawks for the 1964-65 season where he would play in 18 games. During the 1965 playoffs, Taylor was loaned to the Edmonton Oil Kings for four playoff games (1-3) and then into the Memorial Cup for three appearances (2-1).

In the 1965-66 season, Taylor was signed by the St. Louis Braves, but never played with the team. For the 1966-67 season, Taylor went home to play in the Western Canadian Senior League for the Calgary Spurs for 16 games, helping them to the Allan Cup-- where he would go 6-4, but lose out in the Finals. Taylor stayed with the Spurs for the 1967-68 season for 27 games and three in the playoffs (1-2). Taylor would go on to be with the Canadian National Team at the end of that season, but wouldn't appear in any exhibitions.

The Philadelphia Flyers would sign Taylor in the summer of 1968 and then assign him to the Eastern League Jersey Devils, where he would go 25-38-7 record in 70 games. It was an adventure for Taylor in the 1969-70 season, where Taylor would play eight games for the Devils, then go to the Western League to play for the Seattle Totems in five games, then ending up playing 14 games with the AHL's Quebec Aces, where he would also play two playoff games (1-1). Taylor would setting down with the Aces in the 1970-71 season, posting a 13-15-8 record in 39 games.

For the 1971-72 season, Taylor would stay in the AHL, but play for the Richmond Robins for 26 games for a 7-14-4 record, but also appear in six games with the Flyers (1-2-2). The Flyers would be Taylor's destination for the bulk of the 1972-73 season behind Bernie Parent-- going 8-8-4 in 23 games, as well as spending six games in Richmond.

It would be a split season for Taylor starting in the 1973-74 season, playing in 11 games with Richmond (4-4-3), then eight games with the Flyers (3-3-0) and would be a part of the Stanley Cup team with Philadelphia in those playoffs. It was another split season in the 1974-75 season, playing in five games for Richmond (3-1-1) and three for the Flyers (0-2-0) and once again along for the ride in another Flyers Stanley Cup victory. Third time was a charm for Taylor in the split, this time only appearing in four games for the Flyers (3-1-0) and then four for the Robins (0-2-1) before finally getting some reprieve.

In March of 1976, Taylor and Ed Van Impe were traded from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh for Gary Inness. Taylor would only play in two games for the Penguins (0-1-0), then spend the rest of the time in the AHL with the Springfield Indians for 23 games and go 7-14-0 before hanging up the pads at season's end.

Post-hockey, Taylor would go into the broadcast booth, joining the Flyers broadcasting team from 1976 until 1992. He would then join the Tampa Bay Lightning broadcast team, where he is the color commentator for the TV side.

Though he had a rocky side of junior hockey, then sat out a season-- Taylor made a pretty decent career for himself. Granted, the trips up and down Interstate 95 in the 70's probably took it's toll, but at the same time he was able to experience two Stanley Cup runs, even if he didn't appear in a game.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Wayne Rutledge

As we get ready for the Stanley Cup Finals, we look at one goalie who has a strong connection with one of the teams and you could say he started the ball rolling with gathering their first win in their first game in their first season. While he wasn't around long, he cemented his spot in a short time. This week, the profile of Wayne Rutledge.

Rutledge started his venture to notoriety playing in Junior "C" with the Newmarket Flyers for the 1958-59 season, but moving onto the Junior "A" ranks with the Barrie Flyers in the 1959-60 season, putting up a 24-18-6 record in 48 games. The Flyers would move to Niagara Falls in the 1960-61 season, appearing in 47 games with a 22-20-5 record, while playing in 43 games in 1961-62 with the Flyers, but no record is given.

In the 1962-63 season, Rutledge turned semi-pro-- bouncing around a couple of leagues with the Clinton Comets in the Eastern League for five games, then four games for the Kingston Frontnacs of the Eastern Professional League (3-1-0) before settling down with the Windsor Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey Association Senior league, playing in 30 games and helping the Bulldogs to the Allan Cup Championship as best Senior League team in all of Canada. Rutledge would play 65 games for the Bulldogs in the International League, but there's no record on record.

Rutledge settled in the Central Professional League, even though he may have been bumped around for a couple team. He started in the 1964-65 with the St. Paul Rangers, where he would compile a 22-16-1 record in 39 games. As the team rebranded as the Minnesota Rangers in 1965-66; Rutledge found his niche, putting up a 34-25-11 record in 70 games, leading the league in shutouts with seven and would be named to the Second All-Star Team, as well as have the fewest goals-against for the season. The New York Rangers had a deal in place for Rutledge and would place him with the Omaha Knights in the 1966-67 season, going 36-24-10 in 70 games, garnering First All-Star Team honors for his efforts.

The Rangers left Rutledge unprotected for the 1967 Expansion Draft, where he'd be picked up by the Los Angeles Kings. Rutledge would split time with the legendary goalie Terry Sawchuk that 1967-68 season and put up a 20-18-4 record in 45 games (and 1-1 in three playoff games), including starting and winning the first game in the Kings history on October 14th, 1967-- a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers and first shutout in December of 1967 over the St. Louis Blues. The 1968-69 season saw Rutledge struggle, playing in only 17 games with a 6-7-4 record (1-3 in five playoff games), while he only appeared in 20 games in the 1969-70 season, going 2-10-1; while also making stops in AHL with the Springfield Kings for six games and the Eastern League with the Long Island Ducks for three games. The Kings placed Rutledge in the Western League for the 1970-71 season with the Denver Spurs where he would put up a 15-18-12 record in 47 games.

During the Reverse Draft, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles picked up Rutledge from the Kings where he would play the 1971-72 season-- playing 60 games with a 24-27-8 record, which was enough for Second All-Star Team honors in the Western League.

Rutledge was drafted by the Houston Aeros in the 1972 WHA Draft and would move to the WHA for the 1972-73 season, posting a 20-14-2 record in 36 games, while posting a 3-4 playoff record. Though he put up only a 12-12-1 record for the Aeros in the 1973-74 season, Rutledge was along for the ride as the Aeros won the Avco World Cup for WHA Champions. The playing time bounced back for Rutledge in the 1974-75 season; going 20-15-0 in 30 appearance, then going 14-10-0 in 24 games and 1-2 in the playoffs during the 1975-76 season. Rutledge finally got a decent chunk of time during the 1976-77 season, playing 42 games and putting together a 23-14-4 record, but would see his time drop in the 1977-78 season-- playing in only 12 games and finishing off with a 4-7-0 record.

Rutledge would leave the Aeros for the OHA with the Orillia Terriers, where he would play in 17 games before hanging up the pads for good.

Sadly, in October of 2004, Rutledge would pass away due to stomach cancer at the age of 62.

It took a while for Rutledge to get into the NHL, including a couple of off-the-map stops, but thanks to expansion-- he was able to get his shot and seal his spot in the history of an organization. When the expansion team showed their real colors, he moved to another league and tried to dazzle as much as he could. He stuck it out and made the most of this time out there.