Sid Abel

Who was Sid Abel?

Sidney Gerald Abel was a Canadian professional hockey player and later coach in the National Hockey League. His playing career spanned from the 1938–39 season until the 1953–54 season, playing for both the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks and was a member of three winning Stanley Cups in 1943, 1950, and 1952 with the Detroit Red Wings.

Sid Abel's older brother, George Abel, was a Canadian Olympic ice hockey player. In 1950, George joined the Melville Millionaires. playing until 1952, gaining a provincial reputation as an exceptional stick-handler and a prolific goal-scorer. For a time, he both coached the team and played simultaneously. At this time, George was known as "Mr. Hockey" in Saskatchewan. In 1952, George accepted an invitation to join the Edmonton Mercurys to play as Canada's National hockey team in the 1952 Olympics. The team toured Europe for three months, playing 50 or 51 games, where George earned the nickname "Mr. Production". In Olympic competition at Oslo, Norway, he scored the winning goal in the final game, securing the the only Canadian gold medal of the Olympics.

Sid Abel's son Gerry also briefly played in the NHL, and his grandson Brent Johnson is a goaltender who last played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.