It was, perhaps, the most iconic Boston Bruins era of all time: the Big Bad Bruin era.
Fast, powerful, and skilled, those Bruins, led by Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, and a handful of others, captured two Stanley Cups for the City of Boston.
One key player was longtime Lynnfield resident Ken Hodge. Hodge was a right winger born in Birmingham, England, but grew up in Toronto, Ontario. He began his playing career with another Original Six team in the Chicago Blackhawks.
In 1967, Hodge was traded to Boston, giving the Black and Gold the winger they needed.
“I was disappointed, hurt, and shocked. I was out to dinner with some friends in Chicago before I was packing up to go back to Toronto since I was on a work visa. We had to leave town back to Canada and then come back the following fall for training camp,” Hodge said. “I was just in shock. I had no idea that I was being traded. I was never contacted by the Blackhawks in any way to tell me I was on the market to be traded. I thought I was going to fit into the scheme of things in Chicago. I felt that I was young and upcoming to the team, and thought I would be there for a long time.
But, truth be told, being traded to Boston to form an offensive juggernaut was right up his alley.
“I’m happy with the way things turned out,” Hodge said.
In the 1969-70 season, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in a four-game sweep over the St. Louis Blues. Bruins fans – and hockey fans all over the world – know how Game 4 went down, with Orr flying through the air after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime.
“Mother’s Day in 1970 has to be at the top of my list. Winning my first Stanley Cup, naturally doing it with the collection of players that we had was great,” Hodge said. “We had guys like Phil, Fred Stanfield, myself. Bobby Orr was just coming into his career and at the top of his game. We had so much talent, including Wayne Cashman. The list just goes on and on.”
When reflecting on his first Stanley Cup, Hodge remembers all of the fans climbing over the boards and coming onto the ice.
“I think the first is always the best. Winning at home in Boston was pretty amazing,” he said. “In those days, there was no security, so when we won, the fans all climbed the boards and were on the ice. I think there were more fans on the ice than players.”
In the 1970-71 season, the B’s held, arguably, the greatest offensive talent in the history of the league. It was the first time in NHL history that the top-four point leaders in the league were all on the same team. They were Hodge (105 points), Johnny Bucyk (116), Orr (139), and Esposito (152).
“We had a great year in ‘71 when we had four players lead the league in points. The record may still stand,” Hodge said. “When we got to the playoffs, we lost to Montreal. We just weren’t up to the standard that we needed to be in that series. It was just a tough pill to swallow.”
Hodge touched further upon the talent – and firepower.
“It was Cashman, Esposito, and Hodge – it was called the Esposito line. Why? I don’t know, but I’ll swallow that one,” he said. “We had three lines. We had Bucyk, (John) McKenzie, and Stanfield. My line with Esposito and Cashman. Then, the third line of (Ed) Westfall, Wayne Carleton, and Derek Sanderson. We had three lines that were all solid. We had a core defense, anchored by Bobby.”
Hodge won his second Stanley Cup in 1972 with the Bruins. Even after the first Cup, Hodge decided to call the Bay State his home – specifically Lynnfield.
“I bought a house in 1970 in Lynnfield after we won the Cup. I got a little cocky, I guess. I went out and purchased a house in Lynnfield thinking it was going to be there long-term,” Hodge said. “I raised five kids there and enjoyed it. I was in Lynnfield for almost 50 years.”
Now, Hodge lives in Florida, but remains close with some of his Big Bad teammates.
“I moved down to Florida about 12 years ago now,” Hodge said. “I had to be close to Esposito and Cashman…”
