Tom Reid

Tom Reid

Tom Reid (born June 24, 1946 in Fort Erie, Ontario) is a retired professional ice

hockey player who played 690 games in the National Hockey League with the

Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota North Stars. Tom Reid played his junior

hockeywith the St. Catharines Blackhawks of the OHA during the mid-1960s. He

graduated from the amateur ranks just in time to take advantage of the NHL's

expansion in 1967. After a brief time in the minors, he joined the Chicago

Blackhawk blueline corps and quickly established himself as a stay-at-home

defender who viewed the offensive zone as a distant moon.Reid lasted with

Chicago until 1969, at which time the Minnesota North Stars acquired him. For

the ten seasons that followed with the Stars, he served as a sort of third goal

post, firmly anchored to his own zone. With the Minnesota North Stars his forte was keeping the puck out of the net, not putting it in. He did it all defensively, taking out foes, blocking innumerable shots, checking the puck away from opposing forwards, the whole gamut of defensive skills. "Tommy is important to our defense," coach Ted Harris was quoted as saying.

Reid stood as a North Star mainstay until 1977-1978 season. It was at that time that a small red rash appeared on his arm. Massive itching sensations soon followed as his skin began to deteriorate. His affliction soon took on the name "Gunk." As the league's doctors, trainers, and equipment producers began to investigate, they discovered that about 100 players across the NHL were suffering from various degrees of the affliction. But no case was as severe as Reid's. His skin got so bad that he could only sleep while sitting upright in a wooden chair. Before the season was over, his suffering grew so severe that he was forced to retire. In the end, the doctors concluded that he was allergic to his equipment and to the die found in his uniform.

Since his forced departure from hockey, Reid has worked as a color analyst for North Stars home games, Minnesota Gophers hockey, and the Minnesota Wild. Today Tom is one of the radio voices of the Minnesota Wild for every home game. Tom can usually be seen walking the halls of the X-Cel energy center at nearly any hockey event in St. Paul, and also at his ever popular "Tom Reids Hockey City Pub" near the X-Cel Energy Center that numerous hockey fans of the Minnesota Wild today know Tom of. his Reid's Bar and Grill features lots of hockey artifacts, photos, and jerseys from Minnesota's hockey past and is a great "watering hole" for numerous hockey fans alike.

Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM

1964-65 St. Catharines Black Hawks OHA 56 4 13 17 0

1965-66 St. Catharines Black Hawks OHA 45 3 15 18 74

1966-67 St. Catharines Black Hawks OHA 45 5 19 24 120

1966-67 St. Louis Braves CPHL 1 0 0 0 0

1967-68 Dallas Black Hawks CPHL 3 0 1 1 0

1967-68 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 56 0 4 4 25 9 0 0 0 2

1968-69 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 3 0 1 1 4

1968-69 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 30 0 3 3 12

1968-69 Minnesota North Stars NHL 18 0 4 4 38

1969-70 Iowa Stars CHL 9 0 5 5 8

1969-70 Minnesota North Stars NHL 66 1 7 8 51 6 0 1 1 4

1970-71 Minnesota North Stars NHL 73 3 14 17 62 12 0 6 6 20

1971-72 Minnesota North Stars NHL 78 6 15 21 107 7 1 4 5 17

1972-73 Minnesota North Stars NHL 60 1 13 14 50 6 0 2 2 4

1973-74 Minnesota North Stars NHL 76 4 19 23 81

1974-75 Minnesota North Stars NHL 74 1 5 6 103

1975-76 Minnesota North Stars NHL 69 0 15 15 52

1976-77 Minnesota North Stars NHL 54 0 8 8 52 2 0 0 0 2

1977-78 Minnesota North Stars NHL 36 1 6 7 21

NHL Totals 690 17 113 130 654 42 1 13 14 49

Regular Season Playoffs

Tom Reid Photo-1

Tom Reid Photo-2