Frank St. Marseille facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Frank St. Marseille |
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St-Marseille with the St. Louis Blues in 1971
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| Born | December 14, 1939 Levack, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | St. Louis Blues Los Angeles Kings |
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| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 1967–1977 | ||
Frank St-Marseille (born December 14, 1939) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was a right wing who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Frank played for the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings from 1967 to 1977. He comes from Levack, Ontario, Canada, and has Ojibwe-Métis, French-Canadian, and Finnish family roots.
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Playing Career: From Minors to the NHL
Frank St-Marseille started his hockey journey in the minor leagues. Even though he was not chosen in the NHL draft because some thought he was too slow, he worked hard. He played for teams like the Chatham Maroons and the Port Huron Flags. With the Port Huron Flags, he had three amazing seasons from 1964 to 1967. He even helped them win a championship called the Turner Cup in 1966. He scored a lot of points, showing everyone how skilled he was.
Joining the St. Louis Blues
In 1967, the NHL expanded, creating new teams and more chances for players like Frank. He was signed by one of the new teams, the St. Louis Blues. Frank first played for their minor-league team, the Kansas City Blues. But after only 11 games, he was called up to the main St. Louis Blues team. The coach, Scotty Bowman, saw that Frank and his linemates, Gary Sabourin and Terry Crisp, were very good.
Frank was known as a strong defensive forward. This meant his main job was to stop the other team's best players from scoring. Even with this tough role, he still scored about 16 goals each season for five years with the Blues. During his time there, the Blues made it to the Stanley Cup finals three times in a row! They played against legendary teams like the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins.
In 1970, Frank was chosen for the West Division All-Star team. He played alongside famous hockey players like Bobby Clarke and his own teammate, Jacques Plante. Jacques Plante was a pioneer, being the first NHL goalie to regularly wear a mask. From 1970 to 1972, Frank St-Marseille was the captain of the St. Louis Blues. He also played on both the penalty-killing and power-play teams, showing his all-around skill. In his 62 playoff games with the Blues, he scored 19 goals and made 24 assists.
Time with the Los Angeles Kings
In 1973, Frank was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. He continued to be a key defensive forward and helped the team when they were short a player (penalty killing). He played for the Kings for four and a half years. During this time, he scored 54 goals. The Kings made the playoffs in each of his last four seasons with them. His best season with the Kings was in 1974-75, when he scored 53 points.
Frank finished his playing career in 1977-78 with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs in the American Hockey League. After that, he became a coach for the Voyageurs. He also spent a year as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings. In his 10 seasons in the NHL, Frank St-Marseille played 707 games. He scored 140 goals and made 285 assists, for a total of 425 points.
Personal Life and Family
Frank St-Marseille grew up in a mining town called Levack, Ontario. His family had a strong connection to music. His father was a violinist, and his grandfather was a singer. Frank's older brother, Frédéric Stéphane St-Marseille, was also a talented singer who performed all over the world.
Even though Frank became a professional hockey player, he decided to leave the game to move back to Canada. He wanted to help his sons, Rob and Chris St-Marseille, develop their own hockey skills. Rob was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League in 1982 and also played college hockey. He now works as a police officer. Chris played junior hockey, and his two sons, Ben and Alex, have also played junior hockey. Frank's daughter Lizanne has a son, Joe Ranger, who is currently a goalie for the Sudbury Wolves.
In 1988, Frank St-Marseille was honored by being inducted into a Hall of Fame in Valley East. He was one of the first athletes to receive this honor, alongside another hockey player, Ron Duguay. A Major Peewee Championship in the Nickel District Minor Hockey League is also named after him, celebrating his great career.
Images for kids
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St-Marseille with the St. Louis Blues in 1971
