Sam LoPresti

Last updated

BIOGRAPHY

BORN: Elcor, Minnesota, January 30, 1917.
DIED: December 11, 1984.
HEIGHT: 5'11".
WEIGHT: 200 lbs.
UNIFORM #:
CATCHES: Left
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STRENGTHS:
WEAKNESSES:

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

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ACCOLADES:

Named to American Hockey Association All-Star Second Team, 1939-40.
Named North American Hockey League Most Valuable Player, 1949-50.
Inducted into United States Hockey Hall of Fame, 1973.

INJURIES:

RECORDS:

FIRSTS:

PENALTY SHOTS:

Allowed penalty shot goal (Pat Egan), March 5, 1942.

DID YOU KNOW?

Many sources list Sam's birthplace as Eveleth. Actually, Sam was born in Elcor, but raised in Eveleth.
Sam played collegiate hockey at St. Cloud State University.
On March 4, 1941, Sam stopped 80 of 83 Boston Bruin shots in a 3-2 defeat. Hall of Famer and fellow Evelethian Frank Brimsek was in the opposing net, as Sam stopped 27 shots in the first period, 31 shots in the second, and 22 in the third period, and his 80 saves stands as the National Hockey League record today. After the game, Boston forward Johnny Crawford, when asked if LoPresti was good or just lucky, said "He was good alright...if he hadn't been good, he wouldn't be alive now."
On March 16, 1941, Sam became the first goaltender in National Hockey League history to be pulled by his coach in favour of an extra attacker. LoPresti's Black Hawks failed to score in a 3-0 loss to Turk Broda and the Maple Leafs.
In February 1943, while serving in World War II, Sam was aboard a merchant ship that was torpedoed. Incredibly, he spent 42 days in a lifeboat before being rescued.
Sam's son, Pete, played six National Hockey League seasons, mostly in the late 1970s.

SEASON RECORDS:

REGULAR SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   T    GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
35-36 Eveleth Jr. College HS
36-37 Eveleth Rangers TBSHL        2    120                 9   4.50                    0
37-38 St. Paul Saints AHA         48   2952  10  36   2   178   3.62                    2   0   0     0
38-39 St. Paul Saints AHA         44   2684  23  21   0   122   2.73                    1   0   0     0
39-40 St. Paul Saints AHA         47   2848  29  18   0   121   2.55                    4   0   0     0
40-41 Kansas City Americans AHA   18   1142   9   9   0    61   3.21                    0   0   0     0
      Chicago Black Hawks NHL     27   1670   9  15   3    84   3.02                    1   0   0     0
41-42 Chicago Black Hawks NHL     47   2860  21  23   3   152   3.19                    3   0   0     0
42-43                             SERVED IN WORLD WAR II
43-44 San Diego Skyhawks SCHL
44-45 San Diego Skyhawks PCHL
45-46                             DID NOT PLAY
46-47 Duluth Coolerators TBSHL     4    240                30   7.50                    0
47-48                             DID NOT PLAY
48-49 Duluth Steelers NAHL
49-50 Eveleth Rangers NAHL        30   1800  17  13   0   114   3.79                    0
50-51 Eveleth Rangers NAHL        20   1200                99   4.98                    0
TWO (2) NHL SEASONS               74   4530  30  38   6   236   3.13                    4   0   0     0

POST-SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
38-39 St. Paul Saints AHA          3    180   0   3   11   3.67                    0
39-40 St. Paul Saints AHA          7    420   6   1    9   1.29                    2
40-41 Chicago Black Hawks NHL      5    343   2   3   12   2.10                    0   0   0     0
41-42 Chicago Black Hawks NHL      3    187   1   2    5   1.60                    1   0   0     0
TWO (2) NHL POSTSEASONS            8    530   3   5   17   1.92                    1

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