Peter Angelo Bessone (January 13, 1913 — December 5, 1989) was an American ice hockey player and coach. Bessone played 6 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1937–38 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1931 to 1952, was mainly spent in the American Hockey League, though he also spent time in the French, Swiss, and Italian national leagues. Internationally Bessone played for the American national team at the 1934 World Championships, where he won a silver medal. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.
| Peter Bessone | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
January 13, 1913 New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Died |
December 5, 1989 (aged 76) Irvine, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Defense | ||||||||||||||||
| Shot | Left | ||||||||||||||||
| Played for |
Young-Sprinters Hockey Club HC Milan Inter Racing Club de France Rapides de Paris Detroit Red Wings Stade Français | ||||||||||||||||
| National team |
 United States | ||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1931–1950 | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Career
editEarly career
editAs a high school student, Pete Bessone was a three-sport athlete at West Springfield, High, playing football, baseball and, ice hockey.[1] Following his completion of high school Bessone began his hockey career locally playing in Springfield, Massachusetts for the West Side Ranges.[2] In 1931 Bessone left the United States to play hockey in France,[1] he joined the Rapides de Paris,[3] leading to a very successful French career. While playing for Stade Français, Bessone was considered the top hockey draw in France and some even called him the Babe Ruth of hockey in Paris.[1]
In 1934 Bessone represented the United States at the World Championships in Milan, Italy. In the semi-final versus Germany, Bessone scored two of the US' three goals. The Americans took the Silver medal finishing only behind Canada.[1]
Return to the States
editFollowing the 1936 season Bessone returned from France, with the intention of playing professionally in North America. Bessone joined the Pittsburgh Yellowjackets of the EAHL, where he scored six goals and 10 points through 47 games. He so impressed that season that he was offered a contract by the NHL's Detroit Red Wings.[4] Bassone began the 1937–38 season with Detroit Pontiacs, a Red Wings' farm team. Thanks to an injury to Wing's defensemen Ebbie Goodfellow Bessone was called up, making his debut on January 16, 1938 against the Montreal Maroons. After his debut Bessone was believed to be a solid prospect.[5] However, after only six games with the Red Wings and 15 with the Pontiacs Bassone was sent to the Pittsburgh Hornets of the AHL; he would never play in the NHL again.[4]
AHL career
editBessone continued to play for the Hornets for the next five years.[4] In 1942 Bessone was selected to start in the AHL's first All-star game. The game was held in Cleveland, Ohio, with the intent of to raise money in support of American and Canadian armed forces serving in World War II, the contest raised $4,132 towards this goal.[6] Bessone's long tenure in Pittsburgh finally came to a close in 1943 when the Hornets traded Bessone to the Cleveland Barons for defensemen Fred Robertson.[7]
Bessone spent three seasons in Cleveland. His short time with the Barons however saw the high point of Bessone's career, as the Barons won the 1944-45 Calder Cup as league champions.[8] It was the only North American Championship Bessone would win. After his time in Cleveland Bessone spent one more year in the AHL playing for the Providence Reds.
Post playing career
editIn 1947 Bessone returned to France to be the head coach of the Paris Racing Club hockey team.[4] He coached them for two seasons before returning to the states to coach the Springfield Indians of the IHL he would play 4 games as a player-coach. Following the 1949–50 season Bessone retired from hockey for good.[1]
In 1978 Bessone was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of fame, 14 years later he was joined by his brother Amo Bessone.[9]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1931–32 | Stade Français | FRA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1932–33 | Stade Français | FRA | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1933–34 | Rapides de Paris | FRA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1934–35 | Stade Français | FRA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1935–36 | Stade Français | FRA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1936–37 | Pittsburgh Yellowjackets | EAHL | 47 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1937–38 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1937–38 | Detroit Pontiac McLeans | MOHL | 15 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1937–38 | Pittsburgh Hornets | IAHL | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1938–39 | Pittsburgh Hornets | IAHL | 53 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1939–40 | Pittsburgh Hornets | IAHL | 54 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 100 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 20 | ||
| 1940–41 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 17 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1941–42 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 53 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 102 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1942–43 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 54 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 92 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1942–43 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1943–44 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 50 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 119 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1944–45 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 60 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 100 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18 | ||
| 1945–46 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 50 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 88 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| 1946–47 | Providence Reds | AHL | 54 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 94 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1947–48 | Racing Club de France | FRA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1948–49 | Racing Club de France | FRA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1949–50 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1949–50 | Young-Sprinters Hockey Club | NLA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1950–51 | HC Milan Inter | ITA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1951–52 | Young-Sprinters Hockey Club | NLA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| IAHL/AHL totals | 466 | 38 | 123 | 161 | 810 | 43 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 57 | ||||
| NHL totals | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | United States | WC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | |
| Senior totals | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | |||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame: Pete Bessone". USA Hockey.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ "Yes, Indeed! Indians Are Our "Cousins"". The Pittsburgh Press. 1938-03-02. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ "BE". A to Z Hockey.com. Archived from the original on 2010-02-23. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ a b c d "Pete Bessone". Legends of Hockey.net. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ Herbie Lewis (1938-01-17). "Detroit Struggle Ends in Stalemate Before 8,000 Fans". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ Robert Ritzman (2009-01-22). "Canadian transplanted to Wilbraham brought back the AHL All-Star game". The Republican. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ Phil gundelfinger, Jr. (1944-01-26). "Hornets meet Barons Here Tonight". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ "Calder Cup Champions: the Players". The AHL.com. Archived from the original on 2010-02-27. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ "U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Enshrinees". USA Hockey.com. Archived from the original on 2010-02-23. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database