Dave Schultz

Dave Schultz
Position	Left Wing
Shot	Left
Height Weight	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg)
Teams	NHL Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Los Angeles Kings Buffalo Sabres AHL Quebec Aces Richmond Robins Rochester Americans EHL Salem Rebels
Nationality	Canadian
Born	(1949-10-14)October 14, 1949, Waldheim, SK, CAN
NHL Draft	52nd overall, 1969 Philadelphia Flyers
Pro Career	1969 – 1980

David "The Hammer" Schultz (born October 14, 1949 in Waldheim, Saskatchewan) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Schultz is renowned as one of hockey's greatest enforcers and holds the NHL record for most penalty minutes in a single season, at 472.

Playing career

Schultz earned the nickname "The Hammer" for his aggressive style of hockey. He was one of the most notable enforcers on the Philadelphia Flyers' infamous "Broad Street Bullies." After winning two Stanley Cups with the Flyers (1973–4 and 1974–5), "The Hammer" drifted through several teams (Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres) in search of a permanent position. When GMs tried to find some "muscle" for their fledgling clubs, they thought of him.

Schultz was more than a traditional enforcer; he scored 20 goals for Philadelphia in 1973–4. He also scored the series-clinching goal in overtime in the first round of the 1974 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Atlanta Flames.

Personal anecdotes

• Towards the end of Tim Horton's career — and life, it soon turned out — Schultz attempted, at age 24, to pick a fight with the 44-year-old Horton, who was considerably smaller (5'10" and 190 pounds) and known for a more gentlemanly style of enforcing (he never got more than 150 penalty minutes in a season his entire career, even though he was famous for powerful hits). Horton initially refused to fight, but eventually accepted after repeated confrontations, where he defeated the younger and stronger man handily by throwing him to the ice and sitting on him until the referee ended the fight. Derek Sanderson had recently bitten Horton after receiving a crushing bear hug.

• After injuring his wrist in a fight, Schultz once put boxing wraps on his hands for protection. As things usually went, Dave had several fights in ensuing games, while wearing the wraps. However, soon after, enforcers in both the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association started wearing similar hand protection. This was not to protect an already injured hand/wrist, but to prevent themselves from injury in a fight. Soon after this trick became popular, both the WHA and NHL passed what became known as the "Schultz Rule" — thus banning the boxing wraps' short-lived career in professional ice hockey.

• Schultz co-authored a book entitled The Hammer with Stan Fischler that provides insights into the world of a professional ice hockey enforcer.

• He made a notable recording circa 1975 of the song "Penalty Box"

Awards

• 1974 - Stanley Cup Philadelphia Flyers
• 1975 - Stanley Cup Philadelphia Flyers

Records

• Holds the NHL's Most Penalty Minutes in a Season record with 472 penalty minutes during the 1974–75 season.

Career statistics

				Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1969–70	Salem Rebels	EHL		67	32	37	69	356		-	-	-	-	-
1969–70	Quebec Aces	AHL		8	0	0	0	13		-	-	-	-	-
1970–71	Quebec Aces	AHL		71	14	23	37	382		1	0	0	0	15
1971–72	Richmond Robins	AHL		76	18	28	46	392		-	-	-	-	-
1971–72	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		1	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-
1972–73	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		76	9	12	21	259		11	1	0	1	51
1973–74	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		73	20	16	36	348		17	2	4	6	139
1974–75	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		76	9	17	26	472		17	2	3	5	83
1975–76	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		71	13	19	32	307		16	2	2	4	90
1976–77	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		76	10	20	30	232		9	1	1	2	45
1977–78	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		8	2	0	2	27		-	-	-	-	-
1977–78	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		66	9	25	34	378		-	-	-	-	-
1978–79	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		47	4	9	13	157		-	-	-	-	-
1978–79	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		28	2	3	5	86		3	0	2	2	4
1979–80	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		13	1	0	1	28		-	-	-	-	-
1979–80	Rochester Americans	AHL		56	10	14	24	248		4	1	0	1	12
NHL Totals				535	79	121	200	2294		73	8	12	20	412

External links

• Dave Schultz's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Dave Schultz's biography at Legends of Hockey