Réal Chevrefils

Joseph Maurice Roger Réal "Chevy" Chevrefils (May 2, 1932 – January 8, 1981) was a Canadian ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings between 1951 and 1959.

Playing career Chevrefils was a member of the 1951 Memorial Cup champion Barrie Flyers. His stats for the OHA regular season in 1950-51 were 54 games played, 52 goals, 51 assists, for 103 total points. He was ranked as the second best junior hockey player in Canada, behind Jean Béliveau of the Quebec Citadelles. His brother, Maurice, a one-time player with the Johnstown Jets from the International Hockey League, played with the Barrie Flyers as well.

When Chevrefils became a professional, his career was affected by alcohol. His first experiences with alcohol came while playing for the Hershey Bears in 1951. While in Hershey, Chevrefils notched 20 goals and 28 assists for 48 points in just 34 games. According to Lou Bendo, who played on Chevrefils’s last team, the 1963 Allan Cup winning Windsor Bulldogs, the Bruins organization felt Chevy was too small at 170 pounds and asked him to bulk up by having a few beers with supper.

Despite the drinking issues, Chevrefils was also known for a sense of humour. In the 1951 Memorial Cup playoffs against the Quebec Citadelles, Jean Béliveau shot the puck so hard that it went through the net. The officials did not see it, and Chevrefils skated up to Beliveau and said, “Hey, big Jean, don’t shoot so hard next time.”

In 1955, Lynn Patrick, who had succeeded Art Ross as General Manager of the Boston Bruins predicted that Chevrefils "...will be an all-star within three years, and within five years, he’ll be one of the best left wings ever to play in the league." In 1955, the Bruins traded him to the Detroit Red Wings, after being part of the trade for Terry Sawchuk.

In later years, Chevrefils lived in Windsor and had qualified for an NHL pension worth $130 a month but received an extra $200 a month from a special fund for needy ex-players, courtesy of Jimmy Skinner, an executive with the Detroit Red Wings.

Chevrefils died on January 8, 1981, at Windsor’s Hotel-Dieu Hospital. At the funeral, six of his pallbearers were former teammates with the Windsor Bulldogs, including Lou Bendo and Jack Costello, who was on a hockey tour of Europe with Chevrefils. On his grave, a small stone lies flat and reads: "Chevy, number 12, May 2, 1932-January 8, 1981". On an upper corner is the Boston Bruins emblem.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1948–49 Barrie Flyers OHA 43 13 13 26 36 8 6 7 13 16 1948–49 Barrie Flyers M-Cup — — — — — 7 8 2 10 8 1949–50 Barrie Flyers OHA 48 27 32 59 95 9 6 7 13 16 1950–51 Barrie Flyers OHA 54 52 51 103 104 12 14 11 25 16 1950–51 Barrie Flyers M-Cup — — — — — 11 9 10 19 14 1951–52 Boston Bruins NHL 33 8 17 25 8 7 1 1 2 6 1951–52 Hershey Bears AHL 34 20 28 48 14 — — — — — 1952–53 Boston Bruins NHL 69 19 14 33 44 7 0 1 1 6 1953–54 Boston Bruins NHL 14 4 1 5 2 — — — — — 1954–55 Boston Bruins NHL 64 18 22 40 30 5 2 1 3 4 1955–56 Detroit Red Wings NHL 38 3 4 7 24 — — — — — 1955–56 Boston Bruins NHL 25 11 8 19 10 — — — — — 1956–57 Boston Bruins NHL 70 31 17 48 38 10 2 1 3 4 1957–58 Boston Bruins NHL 44 9 9 18 21 1 0 0 0 0 1957–58 Springfield Indians AHL 15 7 8 15 0 11 0 3 3 2 1958–59 Boston Bruins NHL 30 1 5 6 8 — — — — — 1958–59 Providence Reds AHL 6 1 1 2 0 — — — — — 1958–59 Quebec Aces QHL 12 2 7 9 6 — — — — — 1959–60 Sudbury Wolves EPHL 65 23 36 59 26 14 6 6 12 4 1960–61 Kingston Frontenacs EPHL 37 16 20 36 16 — — — — — 1960–61 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 19 6 7 13 2 — — — — — 1961–62 Los Angeles Blades WHL 69 22 32 54 12 — — — — — 1962–63 San Francisco Seals WHL 6 1 1 2 0 — — — — — 1962–63 Windsor Bulldogs OHA Sr 42 25 48 73 18 — — — — — 1962–63 Windsor Bulldogs Al-Cup — — — — — 9 4 7 11 2 1963–64 Windsor Bulldogs IHL 48 19 22 41 8 6 2 2 4 2 NHL totals 387 104 97 201 185 30 5 4 9 20