A Look At Andy Hebenton (Part Two)

Winnipeg's Andy Hebenton was the NHL's original iron-man of the 1950s and 1960s.

Here is part two of a two-part series on Winnipeg’s Andy Hebenton. Enjoy!

The number one thing about Andy Hebenton that is still remembered and talked about to this day is his incredible Iron Man streak in the game of hockey. Andy would miss a couple of games with Victoria in the early 1950's when he had his appendix removed, and then another couple after he got married in 1952. After that he would go on his streak of playing in 1,064 consecutive professional games over the course of sixteen seasons. Included in that was 630 consecutive NHL games, in which he never missed a game during his nine years in the NHL. The NHL streak ended when the Boston Bruins sent him to the minors in 1964.

"I was lucky, but I also played hurt a few times. In those days there was always somebody ready to take your place." Andy said. "The closest I'd come to missing a game was after one night in New York when I got slashed over my left eye for two stitches, and the next night we had to play in Montreal," The eye was shut tighter than the slot in a piggy bank, but eye-drops reduced the swelling enough to let him play the next game in Montreal.

The streak finally ended early into the 1967 season when Andy had to return to Winnipeg suddenly for his father's funeral. He then went on another streak that lasted until he retired from the sport in 1975. Jack Evans, a former defensemen who played NHL while Andy was with the Rangers was interviewed by Sports Illustrated back in 1967 and was asked about how Andy managed to play all those games in a row.