Hobie Kitchen

There was a time when Hobie Kitchen was a well paid defenseman with the Montreal Maroons, where he paired effectively with Babe Siebert. He later played with the Detroit Cougars, teaming with Clem Loughlin.

He then seemingly disappearing from the world altogether.

Unfortunately, that comment is far too real than any knows.

Teams always seemed to shy away from Kitchen. He was suspended by both Montreal and Detroit for improper training habits and missing practices. After being intrigued by his on-ice ability, both teams let him go rather quickly.

He may have disappeared from the National Hockey League by 1927, but statistical records do have him traced to minor league teams in New Haven, Kitchener and Niagara Falls through 1929. Then all traces of him are lost until 1934.

That was when Frank Fredrickson - Kitchen's former teammate in Detroit and now the coach at Princeton - ran him to on the streets of New York City. Kitchen recognized his former teammate immediately, though Fredrickson had no idea who he was initially.

Kitchen was a homeless bum living on the streets of New York. That was the last recorded sighting of the former NHL star. No one knows whatever happened to him.

Speculation has it Kitchen suffered some form of mental illness. He was said to be very forgetful. He may have remained on the streets of New York, but we will never know for sure where he went, what happened to him, and when and where he died.