Sam LoPresti facts for kids

Samuel Leo LoPresti (born January 30, 1917 – died December 11, 1984) was an American ice hockey goalie. He played professional hockey from 1937 to 1951. This included two seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was named an all-star in the American Hockey Association (AHA) in 1939–40. He was also the most valuable player of the United States Hockey League in 1949–50.

LoPresti is famous for a game on March 4, 1941. He set an NHL record by facing 83 shots in one game. This was against the Boston Bruins. He was later honored in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.

During World War II, LoPresti left the NHL to join the United States Navy. His ship, the SS Roger B. Taney, was torpedoed in 1943. It sank in the Atlantic Ocean. LoPresti was one of 29 sailors who survived. They were lost at sea for 42 days in a lifeboat. They were finally rescued off the coast of Brazil. LoPresti helped save his shipmates. He caught a dolphin with a sheath knife, which provided food for them.

Early Life and First Steps in Hockey

Sam LoPresti was born on January 30, 1917, in Elcor, Minnesota. He grew up in a nearby town called Eveleth. When he was younger, he played American football. He played as a tackle and fullback.

Sam didn't even try ice skating until he was in the ninth grade. But he was inspired by local hockey players like Frank Brimsek and Mike Karakas. He decided to become a goalie. By his last year of high school, he was the starting goalie for his team. He then played for local junior colleges. There, he was noticed by the AHA team, the St. Paul Saints.

Becoming a Hockey Star

In his first season with the St. Paul Saints (1937–38), LoPresti played 48 games. He improved a lot in his second season. In his third year, he was named to the league's second all-star team. He had 29 wins and 4 shutouts. The Saints won the AHA championship that year. LoPresti had a great playoff record of 6 wins and 1 loss.

During that season, Bill Tobin and Paul Thompson from the NHL's Chicago Black Hawks saw him play. They signed him to their team. LoPresti started with the Kansas City Americans in the AHA. But he was called up to Chicago when their goalie retired.

He played his first NHL game on January 5, 1941. He didn't lose any of his first four games. He played 27 games for Chicago that season. On March 4, he made NHL history against the Boston Bruins. He faced an amazing 83 shots in a 60-minute game. It took Boston 42 shots to score their first goal. LoPresti kept the game close, but the Black Hawks lost 3–2.

In the 1941–42 NHL season, LoPresti was Chicago's main goalie. He won 21 games. He was a star for the Black Hawks in the 1942 Stanley Cup playoff series against the Bruins. He had one shutout in the playoffs and three in the regular season. Even with his great play, Chicago was knocked out by Boston. After that season, he left the NHL to join the United States Navy for World War II. He thought it might be safer than facing hockey pucks!

A Hero During World War II

LoPresti joined the Navy's armed guard service. He worked as a gunner's mate on the SS Roger B. Taney. His job was to protect ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean. In February 1943, his ship was hit by a torpedo and sank. LoPresti was listed as missing in action. Many thought he was the first American professional athlete to be lost in the war.

As the Roger B. Taney sank, LoPresti and other Navy guards got onto rafts. The next morning, they were picked up by lifeboats. LoPresti was one of 26 men in lifeboat number 4. They had very little water or food. The lifeboat traveled for 42 days, going almost 2,500 miles (4,023 km) southwest. They were finally found and rescued off the coast of Brazil.

They collected rainwater when they could, sometimes drinking only a tiny amount each day. They only had a small amount of biscuits and chocolate to eat. LoPresti is remembered for saving the men's lives. He caught the only real food they had during their long journey. He saw dolphins swimming near their boat. He used a sheath knife tied to a boat hook to catch a 35-pound (16 kg) dolphin. They pulled it into the boat, drank its blood, and cooked the meat.

Life After Hockey

After his incredible survival story, LoPresti returned to hockey. But he never played in the NHL again. He played two seasons with the San Diego Skyhawks in California. Then he went back to Minnesota. He played several seasons of senior hockey in Duluth and Eveleth. In 1949–50, he was named the most valuable player of the North America Hockey League. He played for the Eveleth Rangers. He retired from hockey in 1951.

In 1973, he became a founding member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. LoPresti married his wife Carol in 1941. After his hockey career, he ran a tavern in Eveleth. His son, Pete, also became an NHL player. Pete was also a goalie. This made Sam and Pete the first father-son goalies in NHL history.

Sam LoPresti died from a heart attack at his home in Eveleth, Minnesota, on December 11, 1984.

Career Statistics

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See also

• List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea