Hank Bassen

BIOGRAPHY

Hank Bassen, also known as Mr. Emergency, was between the pipes for some legendary moments in hockey history. Unfortunately for him, the moments were usually bad for his team and good for his opponents.

He was in goal the night Chicago beat Detroit 5-1 to capture the Stanley Cup in the sixth game of the finals in 1960-61. Though he had once played for the Black Hawks, Bassen had been traded to the Red Wings in the five-player deal that banished Ted Lindsay and Glen Hall to Chicago in 1957. When Terry Sawchuk moved to the Maple Leafs in 1964, the red-haired Bassen was overlooked for the number one slot and was forced to spend most of his time in the AHL. When he did play in the NHL it was as a backup to Roger Crozier, the Wings first choice.

In the 1966 Stanley Cup finals, Crozier wrenched a knee and Bassen played most of game four, giving up goals to Jean Beliveau and Ralph Backstrom as the Canadiens beat the Wings 2-1 at the Olympia. Beliveau would score another meaningful goal against Bassen on October 11, 1967. It was the first game ever for Bassen's Pittsburgh Penguins, and Beliveau's goal, aside from helping Montreal to a 2-1 win, was his 400th career marker.

After retiring, Bassen, who had two sons play professional hockey, kept his hand in hockey, managing the junior Calgary Wranglers from 1984-86.