Former Quebec forward Donnie Marshall, one of the 12 members of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty in the late 1950s, has died at the age of 92.
Marshall played half of his 18 seasons in the NHL with the Canadiens, at the start of his career. He remained the only player from the franchise who participated in each of the five Stanley Cup conquests, won consecutively between 1956 and 1960, still alive.
Marshall also played for the New York Rangers for seven seasons as well as the Buffalo Sabers and Toronto Maple Leafs for one season each.
He retired in 1971 after playing 1,176 games, scoring 265 goals and amassing 324 assists for 589 points. The gentleman player only totaled 125 penalty minutes.
A stone’s throw from the Forum
Donald “Robert” Marshall was born on March 23, 1932, in Verdun, a stone’s throw from the Montreal Forum. It was at the age of 17 that he put on the blue-white-red jersey for the first time, when he joined the Canadian juniors in the fall of 1949.
He helped the Canadian juniors win the Memorial Cup in 1950 and followed that up with a 32-goal season in his final junior season. He even had the opportunity to play in the NHL and wear the legendary Canadiens uniform for a single game. This is just a taste of what awaits him.
Marshall is having two excellent seasons in the professional ranks. He hit the back of the net 85 times: 46 times for the Cincinnati Mohawks, in the International Hockey League, in 1952-53, and 39 times for the Buffalo Bisons, in the American League, the following season.
At 22 years old, he is a fluid skater with offensive flair who is making his mark with the Canadiens. Coach Toe Blake gave him a try at center for Maurice Richard and Bert Olmstead in training camp, but he fractured his ankle. Blake entrusted him with defensive missions upon his return to the game, all of which he fulfilled with distinction thanks to his speed and his intelligence in the game. He played 39 games in 1954-55 and remained with the team for the following seven seasons.
Over the years, he still brings his grist to the offensive mill. He has a production of 12 goals or more in all his seasons with the Habs. His peak in Montreal was 22 goals during the 1957-58 season. In 1961-62, he totaled 46 points, including 28 assists.
On June 4, 1963, Marshall was part of the important goalie exchange that sent Jacques Plante to New York and brought Gump Worsley to Montreal.
His offensive talent emerged with the Rangers, where he scored 20 or more goals over four seasons. He continued his career in Buffalo and Toronto, before hanging up his skates after the 1971-72 season.
Abandoning his skates, but not his sport, Marshall is often invited as a commentator on “Hockey Night in Canada” — “La Soirée du hockey” in English.
