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 At age 17, Val Fonteyne
left Wetaskiwin to play Junior A Hockey in Medicine Hat
(1951 ‑ 1954).
His professional hockey career started in 1954 ‑ 1955. He played seven
games with New Westminster Royals, and the rest of the season with
Kelowna Packers of the OSHL. The next three seasons 1955 ‑ 1958 were
played with the Seattle Americans and with the Seattle Totems 1958-59. Val posted impressive
offensive stats: 108 goals, 148 assists and Bud Poile of the Edmonton
Flyers convinced their parent NHL Detroit Red Wings to purchase Val's
rights from the Totems.
National Hockey League Career
Val
Fonteyne played four seasons with the Red Wings (1959 ‑ 1963), 96
games
with New York Rangers, then back to the Red Wings (1965 ‑ 1967).
New‑entry Pittsburgh Penguins drafted Val in the Expansion Draft June
1972, Val was selected by the Alberta Oilers. After much thought, Val
agreed to a two‑year contract with the Oilers. When it expired in 1974,
he retired from pro‑hockey. His hockey career started and ended with W.D.
(Bill) Hunter.
Fonteyne
played more than 1,400 games in the NHL and is statistically one of the
least penalized players to have played pro‑hockey. Val played 1320
regular League games and 100 Playoff games. He was assessed a total of
76 minor penalty‑minutes or 38 minor penalties in his entire pro‑career.
He played five complete hockey seasons with 0 penalties.
Val was deemed to be one of the
fastest skaters to have played pro‑hockey.
"Without a question, skating was
my greatest asset. And because of this I committed myself to the
European style of play, not the 'clutch and grab style'."
HIGHLIGHTS OF ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS
1958-59
WHL Championship, selected Left Wing First Team All‑star, WHL West Coast
Division
1960 ‑ 1961 Detroit Red Wings ‑
Stanley Cup Playoffs
Semi‑Finals: Red Wings win
series over Toronto Maple Leafs (4‑1)
Finals: Red Wings lose series to Chicago Black Hawks (2‑4)
1965 ‑ 1966 Detroit Red Wings
Stanley Cup Playoffs
Semi‑Finals: Red Wings win
series over Chicago Black Hawks (4‑2)
Finals: Red Wings lose series to Montreal Canadiens (2‑4)
Athletic Life Outside Pro-Hockey
Val came "home" to
Wetaskiwin during the off‑season. He excelled in baseball and in
fast‑pitch softball. Val played and was captain on the Wetaskiwin
Cubs Baseball team. He coached the Wetaskiwin Tire Town Bantams to a
Provincial championship in 1975. After his retirement from pro‑hockey,
Val joined the Old‑Timer Wetaskiwin Relics and played in several
national and international tournaments.
Detroit Red Wings - Pittsburgh Penguins - Edmonton Oilers
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picture)
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