Andy Barbe

Andy Barbe was destined for NHL stardom. That was the prognosis coming from none other than his minor league coach - and NHL legend - Francis "King" Clancy.

Clancy raved about his high scoring right winger. The King even swore that Barbe had the hardest shot in all of hockey. Unfortunately Andy Barbe would not become a NHL star, but rather a one game wonder who was never heard from again.

Barbe, from Coniston, Ontario, was an explosive scorer with the Los Angeles Monarchs of the old PCHL in the late 1940s. He scored 139 goals in 3 seasons with LA. In order to further his career he knew he had to leave the warm sunshine of California and play hockey at a higher level. He joined Toronto's farm team in the AHL, the Pittsburgh Hornets, in 1949. He quickly established himself as a 20 goal scorer in the "A."

Barbe's only NHL game came during the 1950-51 season. Wearing the Leafs' jersey he scored no points and picked up a minor penalty.

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Red Armstrong

Owen Sound, Ontario's Norm "Red" Armstrong was a long time minor leaguer. He was an excellent AHL player, but it was his love of the physical game that earned him his cup of coffee in the National Hockey League.

On December 15th, 1962 Red Armstrong was called up for his first NHL game. The Leafs were looking for some added truculence with Bobby Baun and Bob Nevin out of the lineup with injuries.

Now I do not know if this is factual or just myth, but there is a story out there that Armstrong had trouble getting on the ice for his first shift. As the story goes, the first time coach Punch Imlach called for him to go out, he called for "Red" and Red Kelly jumped out instead. The next shift Imlach called out "Armstrong" and captain George Armstrong jumped out. The anxious rookie could only watch from the bench.

What I do know for sure is that when Red Armstrong finally did make it out on the ice, he made sure he was noticed. On his first shift he scored a goal!

Armstrong would play a total of 7 games with the Leafs that season before returning to the minor leagues. He would go on to become one of the most popular players in Rochester Americans history, playing 9 full seasons. In 1985 the Amerks even retired Armstrong's jersey #6.

Armstrong worked the summers as a steelworker. After retiring from the Amerks in 1973 he immediately took his lunch bucket and punch card back to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario where he worked for the Algoma Steel plant. A year later he would did on the job after losing his balance and falling from a great height. He was just 35 years old.

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Claire Alexander

Claire Alexander had a most interesting nickname: The Milkman

It turns out his nickname came by obviously enough. He gave up his job as a milkman in Orillia, Ontario. The Collingwood, Ontario born Alexander had a good job and was a senior league star with the Terriers when he was convinced to turn professional in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

After spending a season in the minor leagues with Oklahoma of the CHL, Alexander made his NHL debut at the age of 29 in 1974-75. He would play parts of three seasons with the Leafs, and later single seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and WHA Edmonton Oilers. He was said to be a solid defensive defenseman with a good shot.

When the Oilers joined the NHL in 1979 they left Alexander behind. He went to Germany to play for a couple of seasons. He would also coach a junior team there, and another in Switzerland for one year, before returning home to southern Ontario.

By this time Alexander's milkman job was long gone so he opened up a sporting good store in Orillia. He and Pat Stapleton opened up an instructional hockey academy before Alexander took the offer of coaching the Leafs farm team down the road in St. Catherines in 1984.

The Leafs must have thought highly of Alexander, as after one year of coaching the farm team they offered him an assistant coaching job back in the NHL. But Alexander turned it down, and ended up leaving the organization entirely, as he was unhappy away from his family. He returned home to Orillia and worked on construction sites installing exterior windows on buildings.

Claire Alexander's daughter, Buffy, became one of Canada's most successful rowers, winning silver medals at 1997 and 1998 world championships and bronze medals in successive the 1998 and 1999 world championships and 2000 Olympics. She also competed in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic games.

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