| For much of his career with the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks, Clarence "Taffy" Abel was the only American-born player in the NHL. A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Abel began his hockey career in his hometown, but also played amateur hockey in Minnesota. He was a member of the United States Olympic hockey team at the first Winter Games in Chamonix, France in 1924 and won a silver medal. The Americans were nearly as dominant as the Canadian club that year, and lost only to Canada (6-1 in the gold medal game) after running roughshod over their European opponents.
Abel was signed by the New York Rangers when they entered the NHL in 1926-27 and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1928. In his final NHL season of 1933-34, he helped the Chicago Black Hawks win the Stanley Cup. |
