Buster Harvey Explained

Position:Right wing
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lb:185
Played For:Detroit Red Wings
Kansas City Scouts
Atlanta Flames
Minnesota North Stars
Birth Date:2 April 1950
Birth Place:Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Draft:17th overall
Draft Year:1970
Draft Team:Minnesota North Stars
Career Start:1970
Career End:1978

Frederick John Charles "Buster" Harvey (April 2, 1950 – November 25, 2007) was a Canadian ice hockey player who played 407 games in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts, and Atlanta Flames between 1970 and 1977.

Playing career

A native of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Harvey moved to Ontario as a youth and played junior with the Hamilton Red Wings of the Ontario Hockey Association before being selected by the North Stars in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft. Making his NHL debut that year, he played four seasons with the North Stars before being traded to Atlanta. Early into his second season with the Flames Harvey was traded to Kansas City, who subsequently traded him to Detroit, where Harvey spent the final part of his career, retiring in 1978 after one season in the minor American Hockey League. In 2007 Harvey died, eight months after being diagnosed with cancer. In his honour the Grant-Harvey Centre in Fredericton is named after him and longtime friend Danny Grant. Originally named after only Grant, he behest that Buster's name be added as well.[1]

In memorial to Buster Harvey, a tournament is held every year in Fredericton, named the Annual Buster Harvey Memorial Peewee AAA hockey tournament. In 2013, Tayah Sommer, a female goaltender for the Peewee AAA Fredericton Caps, was the first female player, in the 6-year history of the tournament, to receive the tournament's "Unsung Hero" award. The award was presented by Mrs. Harvey at the newly opened Grant-Harvey Centre in Fredericton.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
1964–65Fredericton Jr. Red WingsNBAHA14 17 21 38 3 1 1 2 8
1965–66Fredericton Jr. HawksNBAHA25 33 22 55
1966–67Halifax Jr. CanadiensMJrHL51 23 51 74 5017 9 18 27 10
1967–68Fredericton Jr. Red WingsNBJHL4 2 4 6 26 2 4 6 16
1967–68Fredericton Jr. Red WingsSNBHL6 2 8 10 345 0 7 7 11
1968–69Hamilton Red WingsOHA49 23 28 51 305 2 3 5 6
1969–70Hamilton Red WingsOHA54 26 34 60 39
1970–71Minnesota North StarsNHL59 12 8 20 367 0 0 0 4
1971–72Cleveland BaronsAHL73 41 54 95 726 1 2 3 34
1971–72Minnesota North StarsNHL1 0 0 0 0
1972–73Minnesota North StarsNHL68 21 34 55 166 0 2 2 4
1973–74Minnesota North StarsNHL72 16 17 33 14
1974–75Atlanta FlamesNHL79 17 27 44 16
1975–76Atlanta FlamesNHL1 0 0 0 0
1975–76Kansas City ScoutsNHL39 5 12 17 6
1975–76Detroit Red WingsNHL35 8 9 17 25
1976–77Kansas City BluesCHL15 4 12 16 410 1 3 4 2
1976–77Detroit Red WingsNHL54 11 11 22 18
1977–78Philadelphia FirebirdsAHL71 10 17 27 314 1 0 1 2
NHL totals407 90 118 208 13114 0 2 2 8

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Arena to share name of 2 hockey veterans . March 1, 2009 . CBC News . August 27, 2008 .