Norm Ullman—A Star Edmonton Attraction At 40

Norm Ullman may be best remembered for his 20-standout National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, but he book-ended those NHL years in Edmonton.

Ullman, born on Boxing Day 1935 in Provost, Alberta, made his mark as a teenage star with the Edmonton Oil Kings’ franchise. Ullman teamed with Edmonton-native Johnny Bucyk to help lead the Oil Kings to the 1954 Memorial Cup final. The Oil Kings lost that series to the St. Catharines TeePees, but Ullman wowed scouts by registering an astounding 101 points in just 36 games.

The Red Wings signed both Ullman and Bucyk, and assigned the pair with their top minor pro team, the Edmonton Flyers. With teammates Bronco Horvath and goaltending legend Glenn Hall in the line-up, Ullman  quickly learned what it would take to make the National Hockey League. His point-per-game pace led the Flyers to a President’s Cup championship in 1955, and he was given the call to come up to the Wings the next season. Ullman  never went back to the minor leagues again, and he enjoyed a glorious 13-season career with Detroit: registering 871 points in 828 career games as a Red Wing. In 1964-65, he enjoyed his finest season ever. His 83-point campaign placed him second in the NHL scoring race, but he led the league with 42 goals.

In 1968-69, the Red Wings shocked the NHL by consummating one of the biggest trades in history; Ullman, Flyud Smith, Doug Barrie and Paul Henderson were sent to the Leafs in a deal that sent Frank Mahovlich, Pete Stemkowski, Garry Unger and Carl Brewer the other way. Ullman would go on to enjoy great production with the Leafs until he left the NHL in 1975: registering 471 points in 535 games. Ullman was also responsible for being a role model for the players like Darryl Sittler and Lanny McDonald, and was recognized as a lynchpin to—thanks to the erratic ownership of Harold Ballardan—an increasingly troubled club.

In 1975, like so many other NHL veterans, Ullman heeded the call of the World Hockey Association (WHA). Despite hitting the age of 40 midway during the 1975-76 season, Ullman was a standout for the Edmonton Oilers. playing in the new Northlands Coliseum that was only blocks from the old Gardens, where he starred in the 1950s with the Oil Kings and the Flyers.

In his debut season with the Oilers, Ullman scored 31 times and added 56 assists in just 77 games. He followed that up with a 43-point campaign in 1976-77, before deciding to retire from pro hockey at the age of 42.

Despite never winning a Stanley Cup or Avco World Championship, Ullman was selected to join the elite in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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