Earl Balfour facts for kids
Earl Frederick "Spider" Balfour (born January 4, 1933 – died April 27, 2018) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played in the NHL and was born in Toronto, Ontario.
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Earl Balfour's Hockey Career
Earl Balfour was a talented hockey player who spent many years on the ice. He was known by his nickname "Spider."
Early Life and Teams
Earl Balfour was born in Toronto, Ontario. He played as a forward in the NHL from 1952 to 1961. During his career, he played for two famous teams: the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Black Hawks.
His Hockey Style
Balfour was known as a "defensive forward." This means he was very good at helping his team stop the other team from scoring goals. He was also a "penalty-killing expert." When one of his teammates got a penalty, Earl would be on the ice to help prevent the other team from scoring while they had an advantage.
Winning the Stanley Cup
One of the biggest moments in Earl Balfour's career was when he won the Stanley Cup. This is the championship trophy in ice hockey. He won it with the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1960–61 season.
Career Highlights
Earl Balfour played in 288 NHL games. He scored 30 goals and made 22 assists, giving him a total of 52 points. He was also a very disciplined player, getting only 78 penalty minutes in his entire career.
Earl Balfour passed away on April 27, 2018, in Guelph, Ontario. He was 85 years old.
