Cliff Pennington



Canada

Cliff Pennington was born April 18, 1940 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A graduate of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Pennington spent four years in the MJHL with stops with the St. Boniface Canadiens and the Flin Flon Bombers. His rights belonged to the Montreal Canadiens.

Playing Career
While enjoying a highly productive season in 1958-59 with Flin Flon, Pennington played five games with the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s Winnipeg Warriors.

He was then loaned to the Ontario Hockey Association Senior 'A' Hockey League's Kitchener Dutchmen in 1959-60. They represented Canada at the 1960 Olympics. He then rejoined the Flin Flon Bombers for the playoffs. Pennington was picked up by the Edmonton Oil Kings as a reinforcement after the Bombers were eliminated.

Following a successful junior career, Pennington joined the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL)'s Hull-Ottawa Canadiens where he spent the majority of the 1960-61 season. He was a EPHL First Team All-Star and won the EPHL Most Valuable Player, EPHL Top Rookie, EPHL Leading Scorer, and EPHL Gentlemanly Player awards. He made his NHL debut that same year with the Montreal Canadiens, playing four games and scored his first NHL goal. He was traded to the Boston Bruins during the off-season.

Pennington spent two seasons with Boston while splitting his second season with the EPHL's Kingston Frontenacs. During the off-season in 1963, Boston traded Pennington to the WHL's San Francisco Seals before being dealt back to Boston in December of that same year. Although he was originally dealt to San Francisco, Pennington spent the better portion of the season with the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Quebec Aces.

In 1964-65 Pennington joined the Quebec Senior Hockey League's Verdun Pirates before signing as a free agent with the WHL's Los Angeles Blades during the off-season. After a season with Los Angeles, Pennington joined the Eastern Hockey League (EHL)'s Florida Rockets where he spent one season before being claimed on waivers by the EHL's Nashville Dixie Flyers. Pennington spent two seasons in Nashville earning EHL South First Team All-Star honours in 1969. Pennington was dealt to the International Hockey League (IHL)'s Des Moines Oak Leafs.

Pennington spent one season in Des Moines earning IHL First Team All-Star honours and capturing the James Gatschene Memorial Trophy as league MVP in 1970. He was dealt to the Flint Generals midway through the 1970-71 season.

Following a brief stay in Flint, Pennington was dealt to the EHL's Jacksonville Rockets prior to the 1971-72 season. He was then sent to the EHL's St. Petersburg Suns where he spent the 1972-73 season. He ended his professional hockey career the following year in 1974.

Throughout his career, Cliff Pennington played in 101 NHL games, scoring 17 goals and adding 42 assists for 59 points.

Awards & Achievements

 * Turnbull Cup Manitoba Junior Hockey League Championship (1956)
 * SJHL Second All-Star Team (1958)
 * SJHL Goal Scoring Leader (1959), setting League Record
 * SJHL Scoring Champion (1959)
 * SJHL Most Valuable Player (1959)
 * SJHL co-Most Gentlemanly Player (1959)
 * SJHL First All-Star Team (1959)
 * Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Championship (1959 & 1960)
 * Played in Olympics Winter Games (1960), winning silver
 * '''EPHL Assist Leader (1961)
 * EPHL Scoring Champion (1961)
 * EPHL Most Valuable Player (1961)
 * EPHL Rookie of the Year (1961)
 * EPHL Most Gentlemanly Player (1961)
 * EPHL First All-Star Team (1961)
 * Eastern Professional Hockey League Championship (1961 & 1963)
 * EHL South First All-Star Team (1969)
 * IHL Most Valuable Player (1970)
 * IHL First All-Star Team (1970)
 * Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame