Vintage Minnesota Hockey - History

SERGIO GAMBUCCI
1996 United States Hockey Hall of Fame Enshrinee

Sergio Gambucci, “Serge”, crafted a legendary career out of two basic ingredients: a love for the game of hockey and a conviction that invaluable life lessons could be taught and learned through athletic competition.

Gambucci’s career was spawned in his native Eveleth where his athletic prowess brought him national recognition.  His career was interrupted after high school when he was called into military service during World War II. Upon his return, he attended St. Cloud Teachers College (now St. Cloud State University), where he captained the hockey team and was its leading scorer for two years.  He chose to dedicate his career to coaching, first at Cathedral High School in Crookston, Minnesota, then at Central High School in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where his teams won ten consecutive state championships.  His winning percentage of .867 was third highest in U.S. High School history.

REED LARSON
1996 United States Hockey Hall of Fame Enshrinee

Reed Larson emerged as a hockey star from Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, where he was named all-city and all-state both his junior and senior years.  It was then he went on to the University of Minnesota, where under Coach Herb Brooks, Larson was a key factor as the Gophers captured the 1975 WCHA championship, finished as NCAA runner-up in 1975, then captured the NCAA title in 1976. 

Larson turned professional in the middle of his junior year, signing with the Detroit Red Wings.  He was runner-up in voting for NHL Rookie of the year in 1976.  After nearly a decade with the Detroit Red Wings, Reed was traded to Boston and later finished his NHL career with stints with the Edmonton Oilers, the New York Islanders, the Minnesota North Stars, and the Buffalo Sabres.  After 1988, he moved to Europe where he continued his professional career as a standout in the Italian professional league for five seasons.

A highlight of Reed’s career was playing in both the World Championships and the Canada Cup representing the United States.

CRAIG PATRICK
1996 United States Hockey Hall of Fame Enshrinee

A graduate of the University of Denver, Craig Patrick helped the Pioneers to NCAA Hockey Championships in 1968 and 1969.  From there, the speedy winger went on to spend eight years in the NHL with California, St. Louis, Kansas City and Washington and played one season with Minnesota of the WHA before retiring in 1979.  Over his eight year NHL career, he scored 91 goals and 72 assists for 163 total points.

He also served as captain for Team USA in the 1979 World Champions in Moscow and played on the 1976 US Canada Cup team.  Patrick also became a part of sports history that Americans will long remember when he served as assistant general manager and assistant coach of the 1980 gold medal U.S. Olympic hockey team in Lake Placid.

He joined the New York Rangers as director of operations in 1980 and in 1981 became the youngest general manager in their history.  Serving in that capacity through the 1986 season, his team gained the playoffs every year. As general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, his team won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992 and have been continuous contenders in ensuing years.  He has since become the longest-serving GM in franchise history and twice during his tenure he took over behind the bench, coaching the team briefly in 1990 and 1997.  In 1999 he even hired his old 1980 Olympic Team boss, Herb Brooks, to take over as the team’s head coach - a position Herbie would relinquish after that season.

One of the game’s brightest minds, Patrick comes from some pretty good hockey lineage. He is the son of Hall of Famer Lynn Patrick and the grandson of hockey legend Lester Patrick.  In addition, his uncle, Muzz Patrick was also an NHL star and later an executive with the Rangers as well.  His cousin, Dick Patrick was an executive with the Washington Capitals, and Craig’s brother, Frank, is also a member of the Hall of Fame in Toronto.