Kyle, Eddolls Specialized In Stopping Rocket

Rocket Richard was said to be the greatest player from the blue line in. No one could score goals like him, especially when the game was on the line or in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Richard played against some great defensemen in his day. Red Kelly. Bill Quackenbush. Black Jack Stewart. Fernie Flaman. Bill Gadsby. Gus Mortson. Bob Goldham. Yet try as they might they had great troubles stopping him.

So who were the most effective defensemen against the Rocket?

In his book Now Back to You Dick: Two Lifetimes in Hockey, retired broadcaster/Montreal Canadiens expert Dick Irvin inexplicably described Guy Kyle and Frankie Eddolls as one of the rare NHL defenseman that gave the great Maurice "the Rocket" Richard great difficulty.

"The two defensemen The Rocket found the toughest to get around in those days were Frankie Eddolls, an ex-Canadien then with the Rangers, and Gus Kyle, a former Mountie who left the force to play pro hockey," wrote Irvin.

That always piqued my interest, since neither were household names. Who were these two guys that history has forgotten? Find out now, read all about Gus Kyle and Frankie Eddolls, the two newest biographies here at GreatestHockeyLegends.com.