Bep Guidolin

Armand "Bep" Guidolin (December 9, 1925 – November 24, 2008) was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He is notable for being the youngest player in National Hockey League history.

Guidolin stood 5'8" at 175 lbs, and was a left-shooting left winger in the NHL. He later went on to a coaching career. He was nicknamed "Bep" because his mother spoke Italian and very little English. Armand was the baby of the family and his mother pronounced baby as "beppy". The nickname stuck and was shortened to "Bep". He is the cousin of fellow NHL player and coach Aldo Guidolin.

Early life Guidolin and his family moved to Timmins when he was young. It was there that he learned how to skate at the age of 13. His abilities excelled through practicing on local outdoor rinks. When the NHL lost many of its talented players to the Second World War, Guidolin's talents caught the eyes of pro scouts as being a viable replacement option.

Playing career Guidolin played junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals of the OHA, playing in the Memorial Cup in 1942. Later that year he became the youngest player (16 years, 11 months) to play in an NHL game, on November 12, 1942.

His quick rise to the NHL was a direct result of World War II. The Boston Bruins were in dire need of replacements to fill the roster holes created by so many players leaving for military service. In 1944, his eligibility for military service brought a one-year break from his NHL career.

Guidolin also played for the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Black Hawks. Armand was an ardent supporter of the formation of a players' union, which led to the early demise of his NHL career in 1952. He played for nine years in the minors, then retired to a coaching career.

Coaching career Guidolin coached the Belleville McFarlands, winning the Allan Cup in 1958, and the World Championship in 1959. In 1965 he became the coach of his former junior team the Oshawa Generals, featuring 17-year-old future Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman Bobby Orr. He led the Generals to the Memorial Cup final in 1966 versus the Edmonton Oil Kings. Guidolin later coached the London Knights of the OHL, Boston Bruins and the Kansas City Scouts of the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association, and the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Firebirds of the American Hockey League. It was a dream of Guidolin's to coach in the NHL, which became a reality when he got the opportunity to coach the Boston Bruins midway through the 1972–73 season when he was bench boss for 26 games. He coached Boston again in 1973–74, leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Finals. Guidolin also coached the Kansas City Scouts for the 1974–75 and 1975–76 campaigns. (Legree, 2018).

Guidolin also coached the Timmins Northstars of the Northland Intermediate Hockey League which went on to the Hardy Cup Finals for the All Canadians.

He also coached a Junior C team for a short time out of Angus Ontario known as the Essa 80s at the end of his career.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1941–42 Oshawa Generals OHA Jr 21 4 13 17 38 11 0 3 3 22 1941–42 Oshawa Generals M-Cup — — — — — 11 5 5 10 56 1942–43 Boston Bruins NHL 42 7 15 22 53 9 0 4 4 12 1943–44 Boston Bruins NHL 47 17 25 42 58 — — — — — 1944–45 Newmarket Navy TNDHL 7 11 12 23 18 8 9 8 17 23 1944–45 Toronto Army Shamrocks TIHL 18 13 10 23 61 3 2 2 4 10 1944–45 Toronto Army Daggers OHA Sr 2 1 1 2 0 — — — — — 1945–46 Boston Bruins NHL 50 15 17 32 62 10 5 2 7 13 1946–47 Boston Bruins NHL 56 10 13 23 73 3 0 1 1 6 1947–48 Detroit Red Wings NHL 58 12 10 22 78 2 0 0 0 4 1948–49 Detroit Red Wings NHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1948–49 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 56 4 17 21 116 — — — — — 1949–50 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 70 17 34 51 42 — — — — — 1950–51 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 69 12 22 34 56 — — — — — 1951–52 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 67 13 18 31 78 — — — — — 1952–53 Syracuse Warriors AHL 23 1 8 9 24 3 0 0 0 8 1952–53 Ottawa Senators QSHL 43 9 24 33 54 — — — — — 1953–54 Ottawa Senators QHL 71 18 38 56 148 — — — — — 1954–55 Ottawa Senators QHL 19 5 12 17 77 — — — — — 1954–55 North Bay Trappers NOHA 20 8 12 20 40 13 2 6 8 36 1955–56 Val d'Or Miners QUE Sr — — — — — — — — — — 1955–56 North Bay Trappers NOHA 1 1 2 3 2 — — — — — 1956–57 Bellville McFarlands OHA Sr 48 16 29 45 156 — — — — — 1957–58 Windsor Bulldogs OHASr 7 2 6 8 24 — — — — — 1957–58 Bellville McFarlands OHA Sr 35 12 18 30 60 — — — — — 1958–59 Kingston Merchants EAOHL 43 11 26 37 62 12 0 4 4 24 1960–61 Omaha Knights IHL 64 14 33 47 62 — — — — — NHL totals 519 107 171 278 616 24 5 7 12 35

Coaching statistics

NHL - replaced mid-season – mid-season replacement

WHA Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Division Rank ResultEdmonton Oilers1976–776325362(72)4th in West(fired)Total 632536272

WOJBHL

OHA

AHL

OHL Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Division Rank ResultBrantford Alexanders1981-826825412525th in EmmsLost in quarter-finalsTotal 682541252 Bep also coached the Essa 80s junior C team out of Angus Ontario .

OHASr Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Pct ResultBarrie Broncos1983-84