One of the first moves Jack Adams made when he took over the team in 1927 was to sign Aurie. He became team captain in 1932-33, helped the Wings win their first two Stanley Cups in 1936 and '37, and played his whole career -- 12 years -- in Detroit. His only disappointment came toward the end of that 1936-37 season. Destined to win the scoring title, he broke his leg, finished three points behind Sweeney Schriner, and missed the playoffs entirely.

Aurie was a scorer who (ragged) the puck to kill penalties (thus the nickname), a team leader and memebr of the Wings top line with Marty Barrie and Herbie Lewis. Although he retired in 1938, he played and coached in Pittsburgh the following season and returned to the Wings for one game in an emergency. He scored the winning goal that last night of his NHL career.

Although one of the smallest men ever to play, he was one of the toughest of the era as well. He continued coaching for a number of years, but in 1952 he suffered a stroke while driving and died shortly thereafter.

Courtesy of the Hockey Hall of Fame