#112 - Sid Abel

Sid Abel (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #112)

Adjusted Stats

1938-1939   Det       26 GP   2 goals     2 assists     4 points       0.16 PPG
1939-1940   Det       41 GP   2 goals     11 assists   13 points     0.31 PPG
1940-1941   Det       80 GP   22 goals   43 assists   65 points     0.81 PPG
1941-1942   Det       82 GP   30 goals   52 assists   83 points     1.01 PPG
1942-1943   Det*     80 GP   25 goals   34 assists   59 points     0.73 PPG
1945-1946   Det       11 GP   0 goals     3 assists     3 points       0.26 PPG
1946-1947   Det       82 GP   25 goals   39 assists   64 points     0.78 PPG
1947-1948   Det       82 GP   20 goals   43 assists   63 points     0.77 PPG
1948-1949   Det       82 GP   43 goals   40 assists   84 points     1.02 PPG
1949-1950   Det*     81 GP   45 goals   46 assists   91 points     1.12 PPG
1950-1951   Det       81 GP   31 goals   51 assists   81 points     1.00 PPG
1951-1952   Det*     73 GP   24 goals   50 assists   74 points     1.01 PPG
1952-1953   Chi       46 GP   8 goals     6 assists     14 points     0.30 PPG
1953-1954   Chi       4 GP     0 goals     0 assists     0 points       0.00 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1938-1939    Det       6 GP    1 goal      1 assist       3 points       0.46 PPG
1939-1940    Det       5 GP    0 goals     4 assists     4 points       0.80 PPG
1940-1941    Det       9 GP    3 goals     3 assists     5 points       0.57 PPG
1941-1942    Det       12 GP  4 goals     2 assists     6 points       0.53 PPG
1942-1943    Det*     10 GP  5 goals     7 assists     12 points     1.18 PPG
1945-1946    Det       3 GP    0 goals     0 assists     0 points       0.00 PPG
1946-1947    Det       3 GP    1 goal       1 assist      2 points       0.71 PPG
1947-1948    Det       10 GP  0 goals      3 assists    3 points       0.29 PPG
1948-1949    Det       11 GP  3 goals      3 assists    7 points       0.63 PPG
1949-1950    Det*     14 GP  8 goals      3 assists    10 points     0.74 PPG
1950-1951    Det       6 GP    5 goals      4 assists    10 points     1.59 PPG
1951-1952    Det*     7 GP    3 goals      3 assists    6 points       0.82 PPG
1952-1953    Chi       1 GP    0 goals      0 assists    0 points       0.00 PPG

Career - 849 GP, 277 goals, 420 assists, 698 points, 0.82 PPG
Career-Highs - 45 goals (49-50); 52 assists (41-42); 91 points (49-50); 1.12 PPG (49-50)
Avg. (13 seasons) - 63 GP, 21 goals, 32 assists, 53 points, 0.82 PPG
Peak Avg. (41-51) - 73 GP, 27 goals, 39 assists, 66 points, 0.91 PPG, 2 Cups

Playoff Career - 97 GP, 33 goals, 34 assists, 68 points, 0.70 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 8 goals (49-50); 7 assists (42-43); 12 points (42-43); 1.59 PPG (50-51)

Accolades - 1 MVP Award
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
3-time Stanley Cup Champion

I'll keep it short on the original "Sid" because his career was quite brief. First of all, based on his final career numbers, Abel doesn't belong on the Pyramid. His 0.82 PPG is low for a center, and that's over just 849 games, so it's not like Abel's averages were dragged down by playing too long. Even his peak eight years aren't particularly impressive.

So why is Abel here? He earns points for being part of the famous Production Line of the Red Wings' late 1940s and early 1950s teams. Granted, Abel is the least famous member of that line (his RW was Gordie Howe, his LW was Ted Lindsay), but earning centering duties for two superstar wingers has to be worth something. There's also the fact that, after being named a second-team all-star in 1942, Abel went to serve in the war and lost three prime years from his career.

But most importantly, I'm giving Abel a spot because of my belief that it's better to have peaked at a certain point in your game than to plod through consistently. For the stretch of time from about 1948 to 1952, the Red Wings were unquestionably the league's best team, and Abel was the league's best center. He was 1st-team all-star in 1949 and 1950, and second-team in 1951, even winning the MVP award in 1949 while leading the league with 43 goals.

Abel didn't produce at a particularly high level in the postseason during Detroit's 1950 and 1952 championships, deferring to Howe and Lindsay. But in 1943, before either of those players had entered the league, he had 12 points in 10 playoff games to lead Detroit to the championship. So while Abel's final numbers are certainly not eye-popping by any stretch, one has to give props to Abel for being the veteran center who was able to click with two dynamic young wingers to form one of the best lines of the Original Six era. Less than 700 career points for a center screams of someone who should be booted off the Pyramid, but three Stanley Cup rings and an MVP award are enough to earn Abel a spot.