Gregg Sheppard

Gregory Wayne Sheppard (born April 23, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who most notably played for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He played in three Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins (1974, 1977, 1978).

Career Sheppard was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Playing in the waning days of the period where teenagers were signed to junior league contracts by NHL teams, Sheppard played his junior hockey for the Estevan Bruins of the Western Hockey League, competing for the Memorial Cup in two seasons and being the star of his team's Memorial Cup drive in 1968. In 1969 Sheppard began a three-year pro apprenticeship with the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League, becoming a Second Team All-Star in 1971. The following season, he was named the league's most valuable player and remains the all-time leading career scorer of the franchise.

Joining the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins in 1972 as a result of the parent club losing players to expansion and the new World Hockey Association, Sheppard – showing both scoring prowess and exemplary defensive as well penalty killing skills – had a successful rookie season, finishing sixth in balloting for rookie of the year honors. The following season Sheppard made his true mark in the playoffs, scoring eleven goals in sixteen playoff games as the Bruins went to the Cup finals.

He was a mainstay in Boston for six seasons in all, scoring thirty or more goals three straight years—and only a serious injury costing him much of the 1978 season cost him a fourth—as well as proving himself as one of the league's premier faceoff men and penalty killers. He was named to play in the All-Star Game in 1976, during which he won the Bruins' Seventh Player Award as the team's unsung hero and the Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy for the player judged best in home games. His best statistical season was 1975, in which he scored 78 points and finished with a plus/minus rating of +45.

Before the 1978–79 season began, Sheppard was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a three-way deal. At first holding out due to dissatisfaction at the deal, he eventually joined the team in late November 1978, although his days as a scorer were behind him. He played four seasons in all for Pittsburgh before retiring in 1982.

Sheppard played in 657 NHL games in all over ten seasons, finishing with 205 goals and 293 assists for 498 points. A notably clean player for some rough teams, he finished with 243 penalty minutes.

In 2023 he would be named one of the top 100 Bruins players of all time.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1965–66 North Battleford North Stars SAHA — — — — — — — — — — 1965–66 Estevan Bruins SJHL 1 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1965–66 Estevan Bruins M-Cup — — — — — 1 1 0 1 0 1966–67 Estevan Bruins CMJHL 52 44 24 68 14 12 11 9 20 4 1967–68 Estevan Bruins WCJHL 58 35 46 81 68 14 13 7 20 6 1967–68 Estevan Bruins M-Cup — — — — — 14 12 11 23 18 1968–69 Estevan Bruins WCJHL 54 42 42 84 33 10 1 7 8 0 1968–69 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1969–70 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 65 26 29 55 19 — — — — — 1969–70 Salt Lake Golden Eagles WHL 5 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1970–71 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 68 25 50 75 45 5 2 3 5 5 1971–72 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 72 41 52 93 43 6 4 7 11 4 1972–73 Boston Bruins NHL 64 24 26 50 18 5 2 1 3 0 1972–73 Boston Braves AHL 8 5 5 10 2 — — — — — 1973–74 Boston Bruins NHL 75 16 31 47 21 16 11 8 19 4 1974–75 Boston Bruins NHL 76 30 48 78 19 3 3 1 4 5 1975–76 Boston Bruins NHL 70 31 43 74 28 12 5 6 11 6 1976–77 Boston Bruins NHL 77 31 36 67 20 14 5 7 12 8 1977–78 Boston Bruins NHL 54 23 36 59 24 15 2 10 12 6 1978–79 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 60 15 22 37 9 7 1 2 3 0 1979–80 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 76 13 24 37 20 5 1 1 2 0 1980–81 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 47 11 17 28 49 5 2 4 6 2 1981–82 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 58 11 10 21 35 — — — — — CHL totals 209 92 131 223 107 11 6 10 16 9 NHL totals 657 205 293 498 243 82 32 40 72 31