Leonard Melvin Lunde (November 13, 1936 – November 22, 2010) was a professional ice hockey player who played 321 games in the National Hockey League and 72 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Minnesota North Stars, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Detroit Red Wings.

Len Lunde
Born (1936-11-13)November 13, 1936
Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
Died November 22, 2010(2010-11-22) (aged 74)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Right
Played for NHL
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Black Hawks
Minnesota North Stars
Vancouver Canucks
WHA
Edmonton Oilers
SM-sarja
Ilves
Division 1
Mora IK
Playing career 1958–1972
1973–1974
1979

Playing career

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Lunde was born in Campbell River, British Columbia, and played junior hockey with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WCJHL. A prospect of the Detroit Red Wings, he moved up to the Edmonton Flyers of the Western Hockey League, scoring 39 goals during the 1957–58 season. The following season, he debuted in the National Hockey League, playing in 68 games for the Red Wings, and scoring 14 goals and 12 assists.[1]

He was a regular in the Red Wings' lineup through the 1960–61 season when Detroit reached the Stanley Cup finals, but after spending most of the 1961–62 season in the minors, he was traded to Chicago in June 1962. With the Black Hawks, he notched six goals and 22 assists playing on a checking line with Eric Nesterenko and Ron Murphy.[1]

Beginning in 1963–64, Lunde was chiefly a minor leaguer over the next few seasons. He did play a handful of games for the Hawks, Minnesota North Stars and Vancouver Canucks but saw most of his ice time as an offensive sparkplug in the American Hockey League, the Western Hockey League and the Central Hockey League.

His best year was 1964–65 when he scored 50 goals for the AHL's Buffalo Bisons and was voted on to the league's first all-star team.

His last full season was 1973–74 with the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association, where he scored 26 goals and added 22 assists for 48 points.[1]

He also played in Finland with Ilves in 1971–1972 and was head coach of the Finnish national team in World Championships 1973 in Moscow. Lunde had initially retired in 1972 before playing for the Edmonton Oilers. Lunde re-retired in 1974 but made a one-game return in 1979 when he played for Mora IK.

Overall, Lunde scored 39 goals and 83 assists and recorded 75 penalty minutes in 321 NHL games. He also scored three goals and two assists in 20 playoff games.

Post-playing career

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Lunde was hired as a European scout of the Edmonton Oilers on August 10, 1979.[2]

Lunde died on November 22, 2010, of a heart condition in Edmonton, Alberta.[3][4]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1953–54 Edmonton Oil Kings WJHL 3 0 0 0 0
1954–55 Edmonton Oil Kings WJHL 35 28 18 46 37 4 3 2 5 0
1955–56 Edmonton Oil Kings WJHL 35 37 30 67 27 6 2 2 4 2
1955–56 Edmonton Flyers WHL 4 0 2 2 2 2 0 1 1 0
1956–57 Edmonton Flyers WHL 70 20 41 61 22 8 3 5 8 2
1957–58 Edmonton Flyers WHL 67 39 43 82 17 5 1 4 5 2
1958–59 Detroit Red Wings NHL 68 14 12 26 15
1959–60 Detroit Red Wings NHL 66 6 17 23 10 6 1 2 3 0
1960–61 Detroit Red Wings NHL 53 6 12 18 10 10 2 0 2 0
1961–62 Detroit Red Wings NHL 23 2 9 11 4
1961–62 Edmonton Flyers WHL 41 26 37 63 21 12 9 9 18 2
1962–63 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 60 6 22 28 30 4 0 0 0 2
1963–64 Buffalo Bisons AHL 72 30 43 73 38
1964–65 Buffalo Bisons AHL 72 50 46 96 40 9 4 4 8 4
1965–66 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 24 4 7 11 4
1965–66 St. Louis Braves CHL 11 3 5 8 6
1966–67 Portland Buckaroos WHL 72 26 33 59 16 4 0 0 0 7
1967–68 Minnesota North Stars NHL 7 0 1 1 0
1967–68 Rochester Americans AHL 37 19 33 52 13 11 2 4 6 0
1968–69 Vancouver Canucks WHL 65 26 27 53 0 8 3 3 6 0
1969–70 Vancouver Canucks WHL 68 29 34 63 4 11 10 5 15 8
1970–71 Vancouver Canucks NHL 20 1 2 3 4
1971–72 Ilves FIN 31 28 21 49 40
1973–74 Edmonton Oilers WHA 71 26 22 48 8 5 0 1 1 0
1979–80 Mora IK SWE-2 1 2 0 2 4
WHL totals 387 166 217 383 82 50 26 27 53 21
WHA totals 71 26 22 48 8 5 0 1 1 0
NHL totals 321 39 83 122 75 20 3 2 5 2

References

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Preceded by Finnish national ice hockey team coach
1972–1973
Succeeded by