Ebbie Goodfellow spent his entire 14-season NHL career with the Detroit Cougars/Falcons/Red Wings, first as a high-scoring center and later as one of the League's best defensemen.
The Ottawa native helped his team win the City Championship in 1927. After one season in the minors, he joined Detroit for the 1929-30 season, finishing with 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 44 games as a rookie. His best offensive season came in 1930-31, when he had NHL career highs in goals (25) and points (48) in 44 games.
Ebbie Goodfellow spent his entire 14-season NHL career with the Detroit Cougars/Falcons/Red Wings, first as a high-scoring center and later as one of the League's best defensemen.
The Ottawa native helped his team win the City Championship in 1927. After one season in the minors, he joined Detroit for the 1929-30 season, finishing with 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 44 games as a rookie. His best offensive season came in 1930-31, when he had NHL career highs in goals (25) and points (48) in 44 games.
But by the time he was named Detroit captain in 1934-35, Goodfellow had become a defenseman. He helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 1936 and repeat in 1937, was named an NHL Second-Team All-Star in 1935-36 and a First-Team All-Star in 1936-37 and 1939-40, when he also became the first member of the Red Wings to win the Hart Trophy, awarded to the NHL most valuable player.
Goodfellow won his third Stanley Cup championship in 1943, when he became the last player-coach to guide his team to a title. When coach Jack Adams was suspended during the playoffs, Goodfellow agreed to serve as coach and had his name engraved on the Cup in each capacity.
He retired after the 1942-43 season with 326 points (135 goals, 191 assists) in 557 NHL games, as well as 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 45 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Goodfellow coached the Chicago Black Hawks to last-place finishes in 1950-51 and 1951-52.
In 1959, he became a founding member of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963 and served on the Hall's Selection Committee for more than two decades before dying of cancer on Sept. 10, 1985.
- NHL Second All-Star Team (1936)
- NHL First All-Star Team (1937, 1940)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1937, 1939)
- Signed as a free agent by Saskatoon (WCHL), December 25, 1924.
- Suspended by Saskatoon (PrHL) for refusing to report to team, December 22, 1926.
- Barred from playing in the NHL after it was determined he had a valid contract with Saskatoon (PrHL), January 17, 1927.
- Traded to Detroit by Saskatoon (PrHL) for cash, February 2, 1927.
