Chuck Blair

Charlie Franklin Blair (July 23, 1928 – December 14, 2006) was a Canadian ice hockey player born in Scotland. He made a single National Hockey League appearance with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1948–49 season, playing on December 4, 1948, against the Chicago Black Hawks. The remainder of his career, spanning from 1948 to 1961, was spent primarily in the American Hockey League.

Playing career Blair was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant, settling in South Porcupine, Ontario. Growing up in northern Ontario, he developed a passion for hockey and honed his skills on outdoor rinks, eventually earning a place with the Oshawa Generals at the junior level. His play with Oshawa caught the attention of scouts, and he was called up by the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he made his lone National Hockey League appearance. Following that brief stint, Blair continued to develop his game with the Toronto Marlboros before signing with the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League in 1950. Over the next several years, he built a steady professional career in the AHL, being traded to the Cleveland Barons in 1953 and then to the Buffalo Bisons in 1954. In 1957, seeking new opportunities, Blair joined the Western Hockey League's Calgary Stampeders, where he spent two productive seasons before returning east to rejoin the AHL with the Quebec Aces. He eventually closed out his playing days with one final campaign in the Eastern Hockey League, suiting up for the Clinton Comets before hanging up his skates in 1961. Notably, Blair came from a hockey family, as his brother, George Blair, also enjoyed a professional career on the ice.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1946–47 Oshawa Generals OHA 28 19 22 41 6 — — — — — 1947–48 Oshawa Generals OHA 33 18 20 38 24 6 0 1 1 13 1948–49 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1948–49 Toronto Marlboros OHA Sr 36 21 14 35 47 10 6 5 11 6 1948–49 Toronto Marlboros Al-Cup — — — — — 13 4 5 9 10 1949–50 Toronto Marlboros OHA Sr 39 21 23 44 36 14 5 4 9 4 1949–50 Toronto Marlboros Al-Cup — — — — — 17 8 9 17 17 1950–51 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 71 27 16 43 41 13 6 1 7 8 1951–52 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 57 13 25 38 22 11 1 2 3 6 1952–53 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 48 17 18 35 16 10 2 3 5 10 1953–54 Cleveland Barons AHL 59 23 15 38 2 9 4 3 7 2 1954–55 Cleveland Barons AHL 21 3 4 7 0 — — — — — 1954–55 Buffalo Bisons AHL 38 9 13 22 8 10 5 0 5 0 1955–56 Buffalo Bisons AHL 56 17 16 33 20 5 3 1 4 4 1956–57 Buffalo Bisons AHL 64 19 18 37 22 — — — — — 1957–58 Calgary Stampeders WHL 65 25 23 48 31 14 2 9 11 0 1958–59 Calgary Stampeders WHL 35 19 15 34 6 8 4 0 4 4 1959–60 Quebec Aces AHL 48 8 12 20 8 — — — — — 1960–61 Clinton Comets EHL 61 21 41 62 12 4 0 1 1 0 AHL totals 462 136 137 273 139 58 21 10 31 30 NHL totals 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —