46 jours avant la soirée d’ouverture : Harold Snepsts (46e meilleur buteur de tous les temps)
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Krapshoot
@Canucks de Vancouver
46 jours avant la soirée d’ouverture : Harold Snepsts (46e meilleur buteur de tous les temps)
—
Krapshoot
2 Comments
46. Harold Snepsts — 781GP | 35G | 160A | 195P | 1974-84 & 1988-90
Harold Snepsts may only rank 46th in all-time scoring, but is widely considered to be in the group of best defenseman in Canucks History. Snepsts was a fan favourite throughout the majority of his career and eventually ended up in the Canucks Ring of Honour in 2011.
Snepsts was born in Edmonton, AB. His parents were originally from Latvia. Snepsts played junior hockey in Edmonton with the Oil Kings and was drafted by Vancouver & Indianapolis (WHA) in 1974. Vancouver selected him 59th overall, compared to being selected 105th in the WHA draft.
At 6’3” and ~200 lbs, Snepsts impressed at training camp for the Canucks and managed to make the team & get 27 games in his rookie season. The following season he was a regular in the lineup and never looked back. Snepsts became a fan-favourite through his reliable defensive play, toughness & likeable personality off the ice.
His quality play saw him selected to the All-Star Game in 1977 and 1982. He was also named the team’s best defenseman 4-times in a 5-year span. He, along with Richard Brodeur, were the backbone to Vancouver’s unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1982.
At the end of the 83-84 season, Snepsts was traded to the Minnesota North Stars. He left the team as the all-time leader in games played and penalty minutes.
He returned to Vancouver at 34-years old in 1988 and managed to play an additional 98 games for the club before being traded to St Louis and eventually retiring in 1991.
Snepsts is one of 56-players in league history to record 2000+ PIM’s in his career. He also ranks 8th all-time in games played for the Canucks, and 4th in PIMs.
Bonus Facts: He was one of the last helmetless players left in the game. Only 5 helmetless players in the league remained after Snepsts had retired.
There is a song called “Harold Snepsts” by The Dik Van Dykes [~https://youtu.be/zcEm03CsrbU?si=XOQwp9mnkzsRznvV&t=1215~](https://youtu.be/zcEm03CsrbU?si=XOQwp9mnkzsRznvV&t=1215) that tells the story of someone surprised at being left for another person “as ugly as Harold Snepsts”
It was fun chanting ’HARRRROLD’ every time he was on the ice.