Larry Popein

Lawrence Thomas Popein (August 11, 1930 – February 8, 2020) was a Canadian center who played professional ice hockey from the early 1950s through the late 1960s. After starting with the Moose Jaw Canucks in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the Vancouver Canucks of the Western Hockey League, Popein joined the New York Rangers in 1954. Listed at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, he built a reputation as a stoic, hard-working checker and skilled passer, centering a line alongside Andy Bathgate and Dean Prentice. He spent six seasons as a Rangers starter before returning to Vancouver in 1960–61, then played one final NHL season with the Oakland Seals in 1967–68. He later coached the Omaha Knights.