Terry Harper

Harper grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan playing hockey. When he was young, he suffered serious third-degree burns to his arms, chest, stomach, and legs in a fire. The damage required seven years of skin grafting. Doctors allowed him to play hockey as a way to rebuild his leg muscles. He played for Regina's local hockey team, which was sponsored by the Montreal Canadiens. ==Playing career==

Harper played his first 10 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. He joined the team in 1962. The Kings made the playoffs twice in his tenure there, but each time got bounced in the first round. After the 1974–75 season, on June 23, 1975, Harper, along with Dan Maloney, was traded to the Detroit Red Wings as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne and Bart Crashley to Los Angeles. Once again, he was named team captain for Detroit. He retired in 1981, at the age of 41. In 19 seasons in the league, Harper finished with only 254 points. For his career, he finished with 35 goals, 221 assists, 1,362 penalty minutes, and a plus/minus total of +169 (this statistic did not become official until the 1967–68 season, Harper's 6th in the league). ==Coaching career==

Harper became the assistant coach of the Colorado Rockies in 1980–81. ==Playing style==

Harper was a classic stay-at-home defensive-oriented defenceman. He would often total over 90 penalty minutes per season due to his physical play, but his goaltenders were very appreciative of his ability to clear offensive players out of the area in front of the goal crease. Harper was frequently part of his team's top penalty-killing unit. He was a tough fighter and always got back up, but constantly got pounded by his opponents. Harper rarely scored, and the "Harper hat trick" was when he scored 3 goals in a season (vs. 3 in one game). He accomplished this 5 times in his 18-year career, erupting for a career-high 8 goals in the 1975–76 season with the Detroit Red Wings. ==Personal life==

Harper was married for 60 years before his wife died. He lives alone in Folsom, California, with his kids and grandkids close by. His daughter also lives in Folsom, and his two sons live in West Sacramento and Stockton. Despite his old age, Harper plays hockey twice a week. ==Awards and achievements==

• Stanley Cup champion – 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971 (with Montreal) • Los Angeles Kings Team Captain, 1973 - 1975 • Detroit Red Wings Team Captain, 1976 • 4 All-Star Games: 1965, 1967, 1973, 1975 • Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame, 2016 ==Career statistics==

Regular season and playoffs ==See also==