Real Chevrefils
Encyclopedia
Réal Chevrefils is a retired Canadian ice hockey
forward
.
Chevrefils was a member of the 1951 Memorial Cup
champion Barrie Flyers
. His stats for the OHA regular season in 1950-51 were 54 games played, 52 goals, 51 assists, for 103 total points. He was ranked as the second best junior hockey player in Canada, behind Jean Béliveau
of the Quebec Citadelles
. His brother, Maurice, a one-time player with the Johnstown Jets
from the International Hockey League, played with the Barrie Flyers
as well.
When Chevrefils became a professional, his career was affected by alcohol. His first experiences with alcohol came while playing for the Hershey Bears
in 1951. While in Hershey, Chevrefils notched 20 goals and 28 assists for 48 points in just 34 games. Chevrefils started his National Hockey League
career with the Boston Bruins
in 1951 too.
Bruins’ teammates such as Leo Labine, who had also played with Chevrefils on the Barrie Flyers
, mentioned that Chevrefils would be hung over in the dressing room. According to Lou Bendo, who played on Chevrefils’s last team, the 1963 Allan Cup
winning Windsor Bulldogs, the Bruins organization felt Chevy was too small at 170 pounds and asked him to bulk up by having a few beers with supper.
Despite the drinking issues, Chevrefils was also known for a sense of humour. In the 1951 Memorial Cup
playoffs against the Quebec Citadelles
, Jean Béliveau
shot the puck so hard that it went through the net. The officials did not see it, and Chevrefils skated up to Beliveau and said, “Hey, big Jean, don’t shoot so hard next time.”
In 1955, Lynn Patrick
, who had succeeded Art Ross
as General Manager of the Boston Bruins
predicted that Chevrefils “…will be an all-star within three years, and within five years, he’ll be one of the best left wings ever to play in the league.” In 1955, the Bruins traded him to the Detroit Red Wings
, after being part of the trade for Terry Sawchuk
.
Jack Adams, the Detroit General Manager tried to get Chevrefils to go to Alcoholics Anonymous
. Reports indicated that Adams hired private detectives to keep tabs on Chevrefils. Out of frustration, Adams traded Chevrefils back to Boston in January 1956.
Chevrefils played only one full, injury free season in 1956–57. He had scored 31 goals, and was named to the NHL All-Star Team
, 2nd team. Over the next 2 seasons, Chevrefils only scored 10 goals, and by his 27th birthday, was out of the NHL. In the end, he had scored 104 goals in 387 regular season games, which were spread over parts of 8 seasons (1951–52 to 1958–59) and scored 5 more goals in 30 playoff games. In 1957, he was a member of the NHL All-Star Team
. He would retire after the 1959 season.
Chevrefils was married to Claudette Roy, but the two had a troubled relationship. This was exemplified when Chevrefils played for the Los Angeles Blades
with childhood friend, Danny Belisle
. The team owners flew out Claudette to look after Chevy. The result was that the two of them would drink and fight. Eventually, the two separated in 1962 and had 6 children.
In later years, Chevrefils lived in Windsor and had qualified for an NHL pension worth $130 a month but received an extra $200 a month from a special fund for needy ex-players, courtesy of Jimmy Skinner, an executive with the Detroit Red Wings. A lot of his time was spent at Windsor’s Downtown Mission. He would shovel snow with other men for less than a dollar an hour.
Chevrefils died on January 8, 1981, at Windsor’s Hotel-Dieu Hospital. At the funeral, six of his pallbearers were former teammates with the Windsor Bulldogs
, including Lou Bendo and Jack Costello, who was on a hockey tour of Europe with Chevrefils.
On his grave, a small stone lies flat and reads: “Chevy, number 12, May 2, 1932-January 8, 1981". On an upper corner is the Boston Bruins emblem.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
.
Chevrefils was a member of the 1951 Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
champion Barrie Flyers
Barrie Flyers
The Barrie Flyers were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1945 to 1960, from Barrie, Ontario.-History:The Barrie Flyers junior team was founded in 1945 by Leighton "Hap" Emms. The franchise was soon affiliated with the Boston Bruins of the NHL. Barrie quickly became a...
. His stats for the OHA regular season in 1950-51 were 54 games played, 52 goals, 51 assists, for 103 total points. He was ranked as the second best junior hockey player in Canada, behind Jean Béliveau
Jean Béliveau
Jean Arthur "Le Gros Bill" Béliveau, is a former professional ice hockey player who played parts of 20 seasons with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As a player, he won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley...
of the Quebec Citadelles
Quebec Citadelles
The Quebec Citadelles were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada at the Colisée Pepsi...
. His brother, Maurice, a one-time player with the Johnstown Jets
Johnstown Jets
The Johnstown Jets were a professional ice hockey team from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The Jets were founded in the Eastern Amateur Hockey League for the 1950–51 season, playing at the newly constructed Cambria County War Memorial Arena...
from the International Hockey League, played with the Barrie Flyers
Barrie Flyers
The Barrie Flyers were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1945 to 1960, from Barrie, Ontario.-History:The Barrie Flyers junior team was founded in 1945 by Leighton "Hap" Emms. The franchise was soon affiliated with the Boston Bruins of the NHL. Barrie quickly became a...
as well.
When Chevrefils became a professional, his career was affected by alcohol. His first experiences with alcohol came while playing for the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
in 1951. While in Hershey, Chevrefils notched 20 goals and 28 assists for 48 points in just 34 games. Chevrefils started his National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
career with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in 1951 too.
Bruins’ teammates such as Leo Labine, who had also played with Chevrefils on the Barrie Flyers
Barrie Flyers
The Barrie Flyers were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1945 to 1960, from Barrie, Ontario.-History:The Barrie Flyers junior team was founded in 1945 by Leighton "Hap" Emms. The franchise was soon affiliated with the Boston Bruins of the NHL. Barrie quickly became a...
, mentioned that Chevrefils would be hung over in the dressing room. According to Lou Bendo, who played on Chevrefils’s last team, the 1963 Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
winning Windsor Bulldogs, the Bruins organization felt Chevy was too small at 170 pounds and asked him to bulk up by having a few beers with supper.
Despite the drinking issues, Chevrefils was also known for a sense of humour. In the 1951 Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
playoffs against the Quebec Citadelles
Quebec Citadelles
The Quebec Citadelles were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada at the Colisée Pepsi...
, Jean Béliveau
Jean Béliveau
Jean Arthur "Le Gros Bill" Béliveau, is a former professional ice hockey player who played parts of 20 seasons with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As a player, he won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley...
shot the puck so hard that it went through the net. The officials did not see it, and Chevrefils skated up to Beliveau and said, “Hey, big Jean, don’t shoot so hard next time.”
In 1955, Lynn Patrick
Lynn Patrick
Joseph Lynn Patrick was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive. As a player, Patrick played for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League. Lynn was an important member of one Stanley Cup title the Rangers won in 1940. After his playing career, he went on to be the general...
, who had succeeded Art Ross
Art Ross
Arthur Howey "Art" Ross was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman and executive from 1905 until 1954. Regarded as one of the best defenders of his era by his peers, he was one of the first to skate with the puck up the ice rather than pass it to a forward...
as General Manager of the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
predicted that Chevrefils “…will be an all-star within three years, and within five years, he’ll be one of the best left wings ever to play in the league.” In 1955, the Bruins traded him to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, after being part of the trade for Terry Sawchuk
Terry Sawchuk
Terrance Gordon Sawchuk was a Ukrainian-Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers.-Early life and playing career:Sawchuk was born and raised...
.
Jack Adams, the Detroit General Manager tried to get Chevrefils to go to Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
. Reports indicated that Adams hired private detectives to keep tabs on Chevrefils. Out of frustration, Adams traded Chevrefils back to Boston in January 1956.
Chevrefils played only one full, injury free season in 1956–57. He had scored 31 goals, and was named to the NHL All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
, 2nd team. Over the next 2 seasons, Chevrefils only scored 10 goals, and by his 27th birthday, was out of the NHL. In the end, he had scored 104 goals in 387 regular season games, which were spread over parts of 8 seasons (1951–52 to 1958–59) and scored 5 more goals in 30 playoff games. In 1957, he was a member of the NHL All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
. He would retire after the 1959 season.
Chevrefils was married to Claudette Roy, but the two had a troubled relationship. This was exemplified when Chevrefils played for the Los Angeles Blades
Los Angeles Blades
The Los Angeles Blades were a professional inline hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. The Blades played in Roller Hockey International from 1993-1997 and played their home games at the Great Western Forum....
with childhood friend, Danny Belisle
Danny Belisle
Daniel George Belisle is a former Canadian ice hockey player and coach. After his junior hockey career, he was signed by the New York Rangers, but his entire National Hockey League career would only last four games during the 1960–61 NHL season...
. The team owners flew out Claudette to look after Chevy. The result was that the two of them would drink and fight. Eventually, the two separated in 1962 and had 6 children.
In later years, Chevrefils lived in Windsor and had qualified for an NHL pension worth $130 a month but received an extra $200 a month from a special fund for needy ex-players, courtesy of Jimmy Skinner, an executive with the Detroit Red Wings. A lot of his time was spent at Windsor’s Downtown Mission. He would shovel snow with other men for less than a dollar an hour.
Chevrefils died on January 8, 1981, at Windsor’s Hotel-Dieu Hospital. At the funeral, six of his pallbearers were former teammates with the Windsor Bulldogs
Windsor Bulldogs
The Windsor Bulldogs are a defunct Canadian semi-professional and amateur senior ice hockey team. The team played in the City of Windsor, Ontario, Canada and participated in the International Hockey League and the OHA Senior A Hockey League prior to the IHL....
, including Lou Bendo and Jack Costello, who was on a hockey tour of Europe with Chevrefils.
On his grave, a small stone lies flat and reads: “Chevy, number 12, May 2, 1932-January 8, 1981". On an upper corner is the Boston Bruins emblem.