Church Russell

Church Russell
Born	March 16, 1923 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died	March 31, 1999(1999-03-31) (aged 76)
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	New York Rangers
Playing career	1943–1955

Churchill Davidson Russell (March 16, 1923 – March 31, 1999) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Russell played 90 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers over three seasons between 1945 and 1947. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1943 to 1955, was spent in various minor leagues.

Playing career

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Russell played junior hockey for the Winnipeg Rangers from 1940 to 1943. In his final season, Russell helped his team win the Memorial Cup junior ice hockey championship. Russell played one season for the Victoria Navy team, then served in the military during World War II.

Upon his return in 1945, Russell was signed by the New York Rangers organization. He started with the New York Rovers but played 17 games for the Rangers in 1945–46. The following season, he played for the Rangers, scoring 20 goals and 8 assists. In 1947–48, he played only 19 games for the Rangers.

In 1947, the Rangers traded him to the Cleveland Barons for George Johnston. Russell played two seasons for the Barons, then moved on to the Pittsburgh Hornets for one season and the minor-league Vancouver Canucks for a season. He played in some playoff games the next season for the Winnipeg Maroons. He did not play for two seasons, then played a final eight games for the Brandon Wheat Kings senior ice hockey team in the 1954–55 season to finish his playing career.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1940–41	Winnipeg Rangers	MJHL		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1941–42	Winnipeg Rangers	MJHL		18	6	11	17	0		—	—	—	—	—
1942–43	Winnipeg Rangers	MJHL		12	23	13	36	0		6	16	4	20	2
1943–44	Victoria Navy	PCHL		15	4	6	10	4		—	—	—	—	—
1945–46	New York Rangers	NHL		17	0	5	5	2		—	—	—	—	—
1945–46	New York Rovers	EAHL		38	27	43	70	4		—	—	—	—	—
1946–47	New York Rangers	NHL		54	20	8	28	8		—	—	—	—	—
1947–48	New York Rangers	NHL		19	0	3	3	2		—	—	—	—	—
1947–48	New York Rovers	QSHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1947–48	Cleveland Barons	AHL		40	13	18	31	8		9	3	5	8	0
1948–49	Cleveland Barons	AHL		56	17	22	39	10		5	1	1	2	2
1949–50	Pittsburgh Hornets	AHL		67	7	22	29	15		—	—	—	—	—
1950–51	Vancouver Canucks	PCHL		58	12	21	33	8		—	—	—	—	—
1951–52	Winnipeg Maroons	Al-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		6	5	4	9	2
1952–53	Winnipeg Maroons	Al-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		4	1	1	2	5
1953–54	Brandon Regals	MHL		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1954–55	Brandon Regals	MHL		8	5	4	9	2		—	—	—	—	—
AHL totals				163	37	62	99	33		14	4	6	10	2
NHL totals				90	20	16	36	12		—	—	—	—	—

Awards and achievements

• Memorial Cup Championship (1943)
• EAHL First All-Star Team (1946)
• Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database