Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
Catch: L
Born: 2 Dec 1940, St. Catherines ON
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Playoff Goaltending Record (key)
| year | team | ||||||||
| 1972-73 | Cleveland | ||||||||
| 1973-74 | Cleveland | ||||||||
| 1974-75 | Cleveland | ||||||||
| 1975-76 | Cleveland | ||||||||
| Totals: |
Playoff Goaltending Record
| year | team | ||||||||
| 1973 | Cleveland | ||||||||
| 1974 | Cleveland | ||||||||
| 1975 | Cleveland | ||||||||
| Totals: |
Shutouts
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Score | Saves | |
| Oct 11, 1972 | Quebec | Home | 2-0 | 21 | First WHA Shutout |
| Oct 27, 1972 | Alberta | Home | 6-0 | 20 | |
| Nov 17, 1972 | New England | Home | 3-0 | 16 | |
| Dec 25, 1972 | Philadelphia | Home | 8-0 | 22 | |
| Jan 17, 1973 | Houston | Away | 5-0 | 31 | |
| Oct 21, 1973 | Houston | Away | 2-0 | 39 | |
| Dec 29, 1973 | Jersey | Home | 3-0 | 28 | |
| Jan 5, 1974 | New England | Home | 1-0 | 24 | |
| Jan 8, 1974 | Chicago | Away | 0-0 | 39 | |
| Dec 20, 1974 | New England | Home | 3-0 | 30 | |
| Jan 31, 1975 | Edmonton | Away | 2-0 | 28 | |
| Feb 6, 1975 | Baltimore | Away | 4-0 | 35 | |
| Mar 14, 1975 | Edmonton | Home | 3-0 | 29 | |
| Dec 12, 1975 | Minnesota | Home | 1-0 | 14 | |
• Winner, Ben Hatskin Trophy (Best Goaltender), 1972-73.
• Member, Hockey Hall of Fame.
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Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1975-76 (by Dan Proudfoot)
Cheesie, as Gerry Cheevers is known around hockey, lost his assistant coach's title over the summer, but that's more likely to be a relief than a blow. The only executive position Cheevers favors is that of being an owner in the horse racing game. Cheesie and Ed Johnston shared goaltending duties with the NHL Boston Bruins back when Bobby Orr was still a new sensation and Bruins were winning Stanley Cups for the first time in decades. A major part of the Bruins success back then was their goaltending, for Johnston and Cheevers got better and better as the team got into the pressure of the finals. Cheevers' ability to soak up pressure and keep smiling made him a dominant performer in the 1974 Team Canada-Soviet Union series. "That series was in September," says Crusader manager Jack Vivian, "and it took so much out of Cheevers — and Paul Shmyr, the other player we contributed to the team — that he didn't really start going again until the New Year. "As for the coaching, he graciously came forward and offered to help me when I took over the position last season. Now, with Johnny Wilson, we know we'll have no problems with coaching. Cheevers can relax and concentrate on goal." Despite his many distractions, Cheevers did play 52 games for Crusaders in 1974-75, averaging only 3.20 goals against. |
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Excerpts from Zander Hollander's Guide to Pro Hockey, 1975-76 (by Reyn Davis)
Lights up a cigar after every game and contemplates his evening's work ... Statistically, and for that matter, artistically, he is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career ... Bad start blamed on tension of Canada-Russia Series, in which he starred ... Won 52% of his starts for a team that won 47% of its games in 1974-75 ... Trains a stable of horses in the off-season ... Owns many of them ... Nickname is "Cheezy" ... Very intelligent ... Has a knack for conning shooters into thinking their easy shots are really tough ... Has "accidentally" let his stick slip out of his hands to break up a breakaway ... Once rushed off the bench to stop a forward skating toward Cleveland's empty net in the final minute of play ... Goal was allowed though the puck never entered the net |
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Cheevers to Sever WHA Ties • Associated Press • January 27, 1976
Representatives of the Cleveland Crusaders and their $200,000-a-year goalie, Gerry Cheevers, will meet today to apparently complete his separation from the World Hockey Association club. Club officials weren't talking, but Cheevers said Monday that "only a matter of paper work" remained to make final his departure. Cheevers, 35, the star goalie the Crusaders built their new club around three and a half years ago, said he is leaving because he can no longer work for general manager Jack Vivian. Vivian would not comment except to say that representatives of the Crusaders will meet with the goalie's lawyer. He declined comment also on a report that he slapped Cheevers with a $1,000 fine and suspended the goalie after Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Indianapolis Racers. A published report quoted Vivian as saying he suspended Cheevers because "we haven't been getling $200,000 worth of goalkeeping from him." Cheevers sald Vivian had "accused me of not trying and not caring" and denied both counts. Cheevers, native of St. Catharines, Ont, still has a three and a half years left on his seven-year, $1.4 million contract with the the Crusaders. But he said he is relieving Vivian "of the burden of paying me." "There is no bitter feeling." Cheevers said. "I sincerely hope this pulls the team together. If thought I would help by staying, I would." Clubhouse sources have been reporting for several weeks that morale was low on the team and that some players have been critical of Vivian's leadership. Defenceman Paul Shmyr said Vivian was "trying to make Cheese the scapegoat for all our problems." He sald the goalie held the squad together at the start of the season. "If it wasn't for Cheesy on our first (seven-game) trip, we would have had no points instead of three," Shmyr said, adding that Cheevers finally is "getting out of the mess Jack put him in." "It seems to me he (Vivian) is getting rid of all the winners we had," Shmyr said. Cheevers' agent, Frederick Bent, said the all-star goalie will be seeking his outright release from the club. Cheevers may return to the National Hockey League with either the Boston Bruins, who own his rights, or the Washington Capitals, who play out of Landover, Md. The goalie has horses at Laurel (Maryland) Raceway. "That is not outside the realm of possibility." Bent said. "We aren't seeking a trade but a settlement and the possibility of Gerry returning to the NHL does exist." Bent said Cheevers left Boston when the Crusaders offered to increase his $50,000 annual contract to $200,000. Harry Sinden, General manager of the Bruins, offered a nominal raise but nothing significant, the agent said. Cheevers, who started his professional career with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL, has a 3.58 voals-against average in 28 games with the Crusuders this seasen. |
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