#51 Bruce Landon: New England Whalers Goaltender and AHL Hall of Famer

The Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast

Bruce Landon an original New England Whalers G and AHL Hall of Famer

Episode 51 of the Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast features Bruce "Batesy" Landon, a solid WHA goaltender with the New England Whalers, a Springfield hockey icon and one of the most respected men in hockey.

Following a successful junior career with the Ontario Hockey League’s Peterborough Petes, Bruce was selected in the fourth round of the 1969 draft by the Los Angeles Kings

He played three seasons for the Kings minor-league affiliate Springfield Kings, backing up future Hockey Hall of Famer Billy Smith as the Kings won the AHL's Calder Cup championship in 1971.

In 1972, Landon signed with the upstart New England Whalers of the WHA and was the team's backup goaltender for five seasons. He paired with Al Smith to lead the Whalers to the inaugural WHA championship in 1973.

Upon retiring from pro hockey in 1977, Bruce embarked on an amazing 40-year career in a variety of roles with Springfield AHL hockey, most notably serving as GM of the Indians and co-owner of the Springfield Falcons. He managed the Indians franchise as it won improbable back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 1990 and 1991 — with two different NHL affiliations.

Bruce was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2016.

We’ll discuss a lot about Bruce’s days in Springfield, but it goes without saying that there would be no AHL hockey in Springfield without his heroic efforts to keep it alive.

Bruce has a new book out — “The Puck Stops Here — My (Not So) minor league life.” Hockey fans will love the inside stories from the WHA and AHL. It’s also a great reference for those interested in the business of hockey.

Purchasing information for the book are in the show notes. All proceeds from the sale of the book with benefit the Tammy Jacobson Landon “I Can Hear You Now” scholarship fund at the Clarke School for Hearing and Speech. Tammy, Bruce’s daughter who passed away from cancer at the age of 43, was the inspiration behind this book.

To order the book email Bruce Landon at [e-mail]. The price (including shipping) is $24.95

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