Pittsburgh Penguins

Les Binkley
This Penguin had Canadiens connections

Les Binkley was the Pittsburgh Penguins' first No. 1 goaltender, recording a remarkable six shutouts in 54 games in his 1967-68 rookie season. Through five NHL seasons in front of less than stellar defence, he earned 11 shutouts, including a 4-0 whitewash of the Canadiens on March 3, 1971, making 23 of his 33 saves that night off the sticks of future Hall of Famers.

The native of Owen Sound, Ont., had more than a few Canadiens connections. Among them: one of Binkley's best friends in the game was future Habs enforcer John Ferguson, with whom he hung out and played on the 1960s AHL Cleveland Barons (loosely a Canadiens farm team) and later worked for in New York and Winnipeg as a goaltending coach and amateur scout with the Rangers and Jets.

Binkley fondly remembers long practices in Cleveland with the late Fergy, who paid special attention both to deking and working on getting his gloves off as quickly as he could. Now, at 73, Binkley is settling in to watch his Penguins take on the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final, eager to see whether Marc-André Fleury can backstop his alma mater to their third NHL title, Binkley having scouted for back-to-back champions in 1991 and '92.

Dave Stubbs profiles a charismatic netminder in today's Montreal Gazette. And surf below for an action photo from the 1970s – and the story of Binkley, then with the World Hockey Association's Toronto Toros, facing four penalty shots (two saves, two goals) from future daredevil Evel Knievel in a memorable, if twisted, intermission gimmick.