Ed Westfall

Edwin Vernon Westfall, born September 19, 1940, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 18 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders between 1961 and 1979. He played his junior hockey with the Barrie Flyers and the Niagara Falls Flyers, and began his professional career with the Kingston Frontenacs before joining the Bruins by 1961. Westfall made his NHL debut with Boston on October 22, 1961, against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Garden, a 9-1 Toronto win, and scored his first NHL goal against the Chicago Black Hawks on November 29, 1961, at Chicago Stadium in a 7-4 Bruins loss. He began the 1962-63 season in Boston but was returned to the minor-league Kingston Frontenacs to finish the year. A defensive specialist, Westfall was often tasked with checking the star scorers of opposing teams. He played most of his career at right wing, though he saw time on defence in his earlier years and at centre in his later seasons. After his playing career ended, he worked as a color commentator on New York Islanders broadcasts until 1998.