Alex Faulkner, N.L.'s first NHL player, dead at 88
Faulkner suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings between 1961 and 1964
A trailblazer for professional hockey players coming out of Newfoundland and Labrador has died.
Alex Faulkner, who suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings between 1961 and 1964, was 88 years old. He was the first player from the province to make it to the National Hockey League.
Faulkner grew up in Bishop's Falls, a central Newfoundland community built around its pulp mill. It was there he honed his craft.
His brother, George Faulkner, was the first Newfoundlander to turn pro, playing for the Quebec Citadelles and Shawinigan Falls Cataracts — an affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. George died in January at 91.
Posts flooded social media on Tuesday as the news of Faulkner's death made the rounds.
"I am saddened to hear of the loss of another hockey legend from this province. My deepest condolences to the family of Alex Faulkner, the first Newfoundlander to play in the NHL in the early 1960s," wrote Premier Andrew Furey.
"I was proud to present him with government's Confederation 75th anniversary medal last fall. Alex along with his brother George — another hockey great who passed less than three months ago — certainly made their mark on this province."
Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador president Jared Butler told CBC News it's a sad day for the province.
"I think for us, as a hockey family across this province, this is a big blow. I think as well, you're losing someone who broke a lot of ground as the first Newfoundlander to play in the NHL," Butler said Tuesday afternoon.
"He's a once in a generation type of a fella. To accomplish something back in the day, it was incredibly hard to make the National Hockey League. And he was an inspiration to many young people across our province."
Through 101 career NHL games, Faulkner posted 32 points, the majority of which came with the Red Wings.
He played alongside NHL legends like Gordie Howe and Terry Sawchuk in Detroit. His one game with the Leafs in 1961 boasted a roster filled with talent like Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon and Johnny Bower.
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