Terry Slater (ice hockey)

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Terry Slater
Biographical details
Born(1937-12-05)December 5, 1937
Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada
DiedDecember 6, 1991(1991-12-06) (aged 54)[1]
Syracuse, New York, USA
Playing career
1958–1961St. Lawrence
1961–1962Los Angeles Blades
1963–1964Seattle Totems
1963–1965Toledo Blades
Position(s)Center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1965–1966Toledo
1966–1969Toledo Blades
1969–1972Des Moines Oak Leafs
1972–1974Los Angeles Sharks
1975–1977Cincinnati Stingers
1977–1991Colgate
Head coaching record
Overall251-180-23 (.578)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1990 ECAC Hockey Regular Season Champion
1990 ECAC Hockey Tournament Champion
Awards
1990 ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year Award
1990 Spencer Penrose Award

Terry Slater (December 5, 1937 – December 5, 1991) was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach. In the World Hockey Association, he coached the teams Los Angeles Sharks and Cincinnati Stingers.

Career[edit]

Born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Slater began his career in 1958 at St. Lawrence University, where he was a two time All American, and played hockey in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In his first season, he scored 50 points in 22 games. After two more seasons at St. Lawrence University, Slater was in 1961 in the former professional hockey league Western Hockey League and signed a contract with the Los Angeles Blades. In his only season he scored 17 goals, 24 assists and scored 41 points in 52 games. In 1963 he continued his career with the Seattle Totems. That same year he left the team and went to the Toledo Blades in the International Hockey League. After two years, 125 games and 106 points scorer for the Toledo Blades, he finished his playing career at an early stage.

His coaching career began with the University of Toledo in 1965 where he coached the Rockets inaugural season and went 19-1.[2] For the 1967/68 season returned to the Toledo Blades and received a contract as coach of the team. Two years later he accepted a job at the Des Moines Oak Leafs, where he worked again as a head coach, reaching the team twice in a row to qualify for the playoffs. In season 1972/73 he was appointed to the newly formed World Hockey Association and became a coach with the Los Angeles Sharks. In his first season with the team he made the move into the playoffs and failed in the first round against the Houston Aeros. The following season he was sacked after 19 games since the team played with five wins and 14 defeats of expectations. For the 1975/76 season Slater took a job with the Cincinnati Stingers, where he worked as a coach. In the first season, the playoffs have been missed in the following season divided the team in the first round by the Indianapolis Racers.

During the 1977-78 season he took a job with the Kalamazoo Wings in the International Hockey League, where he replaced Bob Lemieux during the season as a coach. He then coached the hockey team of Colgate University in the ECAC to 1991. In 1990 he coached the Red Raiders to a school record 31-6-1, winning the championship of the ECAC. As a result, the team took part in the championship of the NCAA and lost to Wisconsin.[1]

Twenty months after the run to the finals Slater suffered a severe stroke while at home. He was transported to Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital where he died 4 days later just after his 54th birthday.

In 2013, the documentary "The General" was made, which chronicles Terry Slater and the improbable story of the 1989-1990 Colgate University Men's Ice Hockey Team run to the ECAC Championship and Division I NCAA Finals. Featured in the documentary were players Karl Clauss, Joel Gardner, Steve Spott, Grant Slater, as well as assistant coach Brian Durocher and Student Assistant Eric Opin, retired SID Bob Cornell, and numerous Village of Hamilton, New York residents.

Career Statistics[edit]

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1958–59 St. Lawrence Tri-State League 22 21 29 50 4
1959–60 St. Lawrence Tri-State League 34 34 38 72 4
1960–61 St. Lawrence Tri-State League 20 20 25 45 25
1961–62 Los Angeles Blades WHL 52 17 24 41 15
1963–64 Seattle Totems WHL 13 0 0 0 0
1963–64 Toledo Blades IHL 38 15 16 31 31 13 3 4 7 4
1964–65 Toledo Blades IHL 70 26 39 65 32 4 2 1 3 0
NCAA totals 76 75 92 167 33

Head coaching record[edit]

WHA[edit]

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
G W L T OTL SOL Pts Finish Result
Los Angeles Sharks 1972-73 78 37 35 6 0 0 80 3rd in West Lost in 1st round
Los Angeles Sharks 1973–74 19 5 14 0 0 0 (10) 6th in West
Cincinnati Stingers 1975-76 80 35 44 1 0 0 71 4th in East Did not qualify
Cincinnati Stingers 1976–77 81 39 37 5 0 0 83 2nd in East Lost in 1st round

Other leagues[edit]

Team Year League Regular Season Post Season
G W L T OTL SOL Pts Finish Result
University of Toledo 1965–66 MCHA 20 19 1 0 0 0 38 MCHA Champions MCHA Tournament Champions
Toledo Blades 1967–68 IHL 72 29 29 14 0 0 72 NA Did not qualify
Toledo Blades 1968–69 IHL 72 41 23 8 0 0 90 NA Lost in 2nd round
Des Moines Oak Leafs 1969–70 IHL 72 31 33 8 0 0 70 NA Lost in 2nd round
Des Moines Oak Leafs 1971-72 IHL 58 35 34 3 0 0 73 NA Lost in 1st round
8.5
Total 1965-91 866 437 368 61 0 0

[3]

College[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Colgate Red Raiders (ECAC Hockey) (1977–1992)
1977–78 Colgate 5-22-1 4-20-1 17th
1978–79 Colgate 15-13-0 7-13-0 12th
1979–80 Colgate 18-12-1 10-10-1 t-7th ECAC Quarterfinals
1980–81 Colgate 21-12-2 12-7-1 3rd NCAA Quarterfinals
1981–82 Colgate 19-10-1 11-8-1 7th ECAC Quarterfinals
1982–83 Colgate 15-10-3 9-9-2 10th
1983–84 Colgate 20-14-1 10-9-1 7th ECAC Quarterfinals
1984–85 Colgate 14-18-0 8-12-0 7th ECAC Quarterfinals
1985–86 Colgate 15-15-2 9-11-1 8th ECAC Quarterfinals
1986–87 Colgate 23-9-1 15-6-1 2nd ECAC Quarterfinals
1987–88 Colgate 18-11-3 13-8-1 5th ECAC Quarterfinals
1988–89 Colgate 19-10-2 15-6-1 3rd ECAC Quarterfinals
1989–90 Colgate 31-6-1 18-3-1 1st NCAA Runner-Up
1990–91 Colgate 16-12-4 9-9-4 7th ECAC Quarterfinals
1991–92 Colgate 2-6-1 † 1-2-0 †
Colgate: 251-180-23 151-133-16
Total: 251-180-23

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

† Slater died during the season [4]

Awards and honours[edit]

Award Year
AHCA East All-American 1959–60, 1960–61
NCAA All-Tournament Second Team 1960, 1961 [5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Terry Slater, 54, Dies; Colgate Hockey Coach". The New York Times. December 6, 1991.
  2. ^ "History".
  3. ^ "Terry Slater Hockey Stats and Profile". hockeyDB.com. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  4. ^ "Colgate hockey Record Book" (PDF). Colgate Raiders. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  5. ^ "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 19, 2013.

External links[edit]

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Spencer Penrose Award
1989–90
Succeeded by
Preceded by Tim Taylor Award
1989–90
Succeeded by