A lot of people know the two top career points leaders in hockey history. It’s kind of an easy question, Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. How many people know who is third? The answer is tricky, because he only played in 17 NHL games. His name is Guyle Fielder, also known as “Golden Guyle”. He is regarded the greatest minor league hockey player of all time. He holds the all time records for most points with 1929, most assists with 1487, and finally most games played at 1487.
His career spanned through four decades, from 1947 to 1973. He led the Western Hockey League (WHL) in scoring nine times, was a six time MVP, 12 time All Star, Rookie of the Year, and a three time winner of the most gentlemanly player. He spent the majority of his career with Seattle (Americans / Totems). In the NHL he played for the Blackhawks (3 games), Red Wings (10 games or 2 stints with the team), and the Bruins (4 games). In those appearances he never scored a single point.
From The Seattle Pilot:
The NHL missed out on a great talent, though Fielder doubts he would have been as offensively proficient had he stuck around.
“I kind of doubt I could do it on that level, but I would have liked to had more time to see that style,” he said. “It never happened. But I wasn’t going to sit around.”
Said Bill McFarland, former Totems player and coach and WHL president, “It’s totally mind-boggling to me he couldn’t play in the NHL and not be a great player in the NHL.”
Fielder was a clever left-hander with finesse moves, someone who would rather set up a goal than score one, yet another reason his rich talents went overlooked. Before one game in Vancouver, however, he read a Canadian newspaper story that dismissed his scoring prowess. He went out that night and collected all four goals in a 4-3 victory against a reputable and NHL-bound goaltender in Lorne “Gump” Worsley.
He suffered minimal injuries compared to most players, enduring a broken wrist, dislocated shoulder and a few broken teeth.
In 1969, he retired from the Totems over a contract squabble, but the Salt Lake Golden Eagles lured him out of retirement with a hefty $20,000 contract and he played four more seasons, leaving the game for good with the Portland Buckaroos in ’73.
Four years ago, Fielder’s wife convinced him to travel to Toronto and visit the Hockey Hall of Fame. They checked out a display specifically devoted to him, one that includes a life-sized photo, jersey, trophy and plaque.
“The light over it was out,” said Fielder, ever the perfectionist.
Which was odd, because whenever he was on the ice the light usually came on.
Here are some pictures of Guyle, the card on top was a 1957-58 card of Guyle (his only hockey card issued):
See my custom cards of him in the Custom Card Blog <link>.
Great stuff, As a huge hockey fan and of the oldtimers from the past who were never house hold names its great too see someone like yourself take the time to honor them and tell there story
[...] the mail success for me. I wrote about Guyle a few weeks ago and made a custom card of him <link>. He was the first professional player to ever attain 2000 points. His name among the old [...]