Born: July 23, 1952
H.S. Class: 1970
Position: Defenseman
HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL | COLLEGE |
---|---|---|
Edina | Edina | Notre Dame |
State Tourney Appearances | State Titles | All-State Tourney | Stanley Cups | U.S. Hockey HOF |
---|---|---|---|---|
1968, 69, 70 | 1969 | 1970 | 1976, 77, 78 | 1997 |
Edina defenseman Bill Nyrop played in three state tournaments, winning a title in 1969. Courtesy photo
Edina’s Bill Nyrop was as much a redwood as he was a defenseman.
Tall, strong and always in position, Nyrop wasn’t going to dazzle crowds with end-to-end rushes and blistering slap shots.
His game was about consistency and positioning. About always making the right pass, about clearing rebounds and blocking shots.
Stationing Nyrop on the blue line was the equivalent of packing an emergency kit in the trunk of your car. Even if something went wrong, Nyrop could be relied on to get you out of trouble.
Watch Nyrop long enough, and there was no mistaking the majesty in his play.
“Oh my god was he good,” said John Bianchi, the former longtime assistant coach at Bloomington Jefferson. “He was really too good to be true. It was effortless with him.”
Nyrop stood 6-foot-1 and weighed a chiseled 180 pounds. A supremely gifted athlete, he was the quarterback of an undefeated Hornets football team that won a mythical state championship.
“I played football with him,” said Bruce Carlson, who graduated from Edina in 1970 with Nyrop. “He was just a really quiet and subtle leader. He really led by example. He led with confidence.”
As a sophomore in 1968, Nyrop was on the second Edina team to reach the state hockey tournament. The Hornets had made their first appearance the previous year, when they entered the state tourney with an undefeated record and unceremoniously lost both their games.
The Hornets went 0-2 again at the 1968 state tournament, losing 6-2 to both South St. Paul and Roseau.
Nyrop and defensive partner Steve Curry, along with forwards Bobby Krieger and Bruce Carlson, all were juniors as Edina made a third straight trip to the state tournament in 1969. The blowtorch was aimed squarely at the Hornets, who were enjoying championship success at the youth levels. This was the year they had to at least win one game on the state’s biggest stage.
Sure enough, Edina halted its first-round hex by beating Mounds View 5-0 in the quarterfinals. A 7-1 rout of South St. Paul in the semifinals set up a highly anticipated matchup with Warroad and its electrifying superstar Henry Boucha.
In one of the most memorable games in state history, championship or otherwise, the Hornets beat the Warriors 5-4 in overtime.
Nyrop played a major role in the victory, helping limit Boucha to a single assist before the Warroad whirlwind suffered a second-period injury that knocked him out of he game.
“Bill never made mistakes,” Krieger said. “We relied on him as a steady rock.”
Nyrop added a playmaking element to his already brimming tool chest during the 1969-70 season. The Hornets were 19-0-1 as they entered the state tournament as the defending champs, and Nyrop registered an assist in a 3-2 double-overtime triumph over familiar foe Warroad.
Nyrop added two more assists in the Hornets’ 2-1 semifinal victory over St. Paul Johnson that also was extended into overtime.
“He had great vision on the ice, and good hands,” said Larry Thayer, Edina’s goaltender who graduated with Nyrop. “He played the body when he needed to, and he was pretty good at getting the puck and going with and moving it out.”
The overtime trend continued in the 1970 championship game, as Minneapolis Southwest beat the Hornets 1-0 behind a 22-save performance from Brad Shelstad.
Nyrop had his pick of scholarship offers from almost all the top Division I hockey programs. He chose Notre Dame, where he tried out for the school’s fabled football team. As a sophomore, he made the Fighting Irish roster as a backup. An injury ended his short-lived college football career, but Nyrop did star for the Fighting Irish in hockey for four seasons.
Nyrop won three Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens from 1976-78. He was at the height of his career when, at 25, he retired from professional hockey to enter the insurance business.
Nyrop returned to the NHL briefly with the Minnesota North Stars but retired for good in 1983 after playing part of a season in the German League.
He was diagnosed with inoperable colon cancer in September of 1995. He died three months later, on Dec. 31, at age 43.
-- Loren Nelson, MN Hockey Hub editor
Rank | Name | School | Grad. | Pos. | Born | Status | St. Titles | Mr. Hockey | College | Olym. | NHL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | John Mayasich | Eveleth | 1951 | F | 5/22/33 | Retired | 1948, 49, 50, 51 | NA | Minnesota (1951-55) | 1956, 1960 | - |
2 | Neal Broten | Roseau | 1978 | F | 11/29/59 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1978-81) | 1980 | 1,099 gms; four teams; 80-97 |
3 | Phil Housley | South St. Paul | 1982 | D | 3/9/64 | Retired | - | NA | - | 2002 | 1,495 gms; eight teams; 82-03 |
4 | Tim Sheehy | International Falls | 1966 | F | 9/3/48 | Retired | 1964, 65, 66 | NA | Boston College (1967-70) | 1972 | 27 gms; DET, HAR; 77-80 |
5 | Henry Boucha | Warroad | 1969 | D | 6/1/51 | Retired | - | NA | - | 1972 | 247 gms; four teams; 71-77 |
6 | Mike Antonovich | Greenway | 1969 | F | 10/18/51 | Retired | 1967, 68 | NA | Minnesota (1969-72) | - | 87 gms; three teams; 75-84 |
7 | Willard Ikola | Eveleth | 1950 | G | 7/28/32 | Retired | 1948, 49, 50 | NA | Michigan (1951-54) | 1956 | - |
8 | Mike Crowley | Bloomington Jefferson | 1994 | D | 7/4/75 | Retired | 1992, 93, 94 | 1994 | Minnesota (1994-97) | - | 67 gms; ANA; 97-01 |
9 | Dave Spehar | Duluth East | 1996 | F | 11/7/77 | Retired | 1995 | 1996 | Minnesota (1996-00) | - | - |
10 | John Matchefts | Eveleth | 1949 | F | 6/18/31 | Retired | 1948, 49 | NA | Michigan (1950-53) | 1956 | - |
11 | Kyle Rau | Eden Prairie | 2011 | F | 10/24/92 | Active | 2009, 11 | 2011 | Minnesota (2011- present) | - | - |
12 | Aaron Broten | Roseau | 1979 | F | 11/14/60 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1979-81) | - | 748 gms; six teams; 80-92 |
13 | Craig Norwich | Edina East | 1974 | D | 12/15/55 | Retired | 1974 | NA | Wisconsin (1974-77) | - | 104 gms; three teams; 79-81 |
14 | John Pohl | Red Wing | 1998 | F | 6/29/79 | Retired | 1997 (Class 1A) | 1998 | Minnesota (1998-02) | - | 115 gms; StL, TOR; 03-08 |
15 | Gary Sargent | Bemidji | 1972 | D | 2/8/54 | Retired | - | NA | Bemidji State (1972-73) | - | 402 gms; LAK, MIN; 75-83 |
16 | Bob Krieger | Edina | 1970 | F | 10/5/52 | Retired | 1969 | NA | Denver (1970-74) | - | - |
17 | George Pelawa | Bemidji | 1986 | F | 2/14/68 | Deceased | - | 1986 | - | - | - |
18 | Bill Nyrop | Edina | 1970 | D | 7/23/52 | Deceased | 1969 | NA | Notre Dame (1970-74) | - | 207 gms; MON, MIN; 75-82 |
19 | Tom Chorske | Minneapolis Southwest | 1985 | F | 9/18/66 | Retired | - | 1985 | Minnesota (1985-89) | - | 596 gms; seven teams; 89-00 |
20 | Steve "Pokey" Trachsel | Duluth Cathedral | 1969 | D | 4/16/51 | Retired | 1966, 67, 68, 69 (Catholic) | NA | Minnesota-Duluth (1969-73) | - | - |
21 | Scott Bloom | Burnsville | 1986 | F | 2/6/68 | Retired | 1985, 86 | 1986 finalist | Minnesota (1986-90) | - | - |
22 | Phil Hoene | Duluth Cathedral | 1967 | F | 3/15/49 | Retired | 1965, 66, 67 (Catholic) | NA | Minnesota-Duluth (1968-71) | - | 37 gms; LAK; 72-75 |
23 | Corey Millen | Cloquet | 1982 | F | 4/29/64 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1982-87) | 1984, 1988 | 335 gms; five teams; 89-97 |
24 | Reed Larson | Minneapolis Roosevelt | 1974 | D | 7/30/56 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1974-77) | - | 904 gms; six teams; 76-90 |
25 | Bob Young | Hill | 1971 | D | 3/1/53 | Retired | 1970 (Indep.) | NA | Denver (1971-75) | - | - |
26 | Brad Shelstad | Minneapolis Southwest | 1970 | G | 9/14/52 | Retired | 1970 | NA | Minnesota (1970-74) | - | - |
27 | Mike Ramsey | Minneapolis Roosevelt | 1978 | D | 12/3/60 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1978-79) | 1980 | 1,070 gms; three teams; 80-97 |
28 | Matt Cullen | Moorhead | 1995 | F | 11/2/76 | Active | - | 1995 finalist | St. Cloud State (1995-97) | - | 966 gms; five teams; 98- present |
29 | Bill Baker | Grand Rapids | 1975 | D | 11/29/56 | Retired | 1975 | NA | Minnesota (1975-79) | 1980 | 143 gms; four teams; 80-83 |
30 | Paul Martin | Elk River | 2000 | D | 3/5/81 | Active | - | 2000 | Minnesota (2000-03) | 2006 | 487 gms; NJ, PIT; 03- present |
31 | Wally Grant | Eveleth | 1945 | F | 12/8/27 | Retired | 1945 | NA | Michigan (1945-46, 47-50) | - | - |
32 | Brian Bonin | White Bear Lake | 1992 | F | 11/28/73 | Retired | - | 1992 | Minnesota (1992-96) | - | 12 gms; PIT, MIN; 98-00 |
33 | Larry Olimb | Warroad | 1988 | D | 8/11/69 | Retired | - | 1988 | Minnesota (1988-92) | - | - |
34 | Dave Langevin | Hill-Murray | 1972 | D | 5/15/54 | Retired | 1970, 72 (Indep.) | NA | Minnesota-Duluth (1972-76) | - | 513 gms; three teams; 79-87 |
35 | Joe Bianchi | Bloomington Jefferson | 1994 | F | 8/17/75 | Retired | 1992, 93, 94 | 1994 finalist | Wisconsin (1994-98) | - | - |
36 | Peter Fichuk | International Falls | 1965 | F | 4/8/47 | Retired | 1964, 65 | NA | Minnesota (1966-69) | - | - |
37 | Jon Casey | Grand Rapids | 1980 | G | 8/29/62 | Retired | 1980 | NA | North Dakota (1980-84) | 425 gms; three teams; 83-87 | |
38 | Doug Woog | South St. Paul | 1962 | F | 1/26/44 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1963-66) | - | - |
39 | Darby Hendrickson | Richfield | 1991 | F | 8/28/72 | Retired | - | 1991 | Minnesota (1991-93) | 1994 | 518 gms; five teams; 94-04 |
40 | Paul Ranheim | Edina | 1984 | F | 1/25/66 | Retired | 1984 | NA | Wisconsin (1984-88) | - | 1,013 gms; five teams; 88-03 |
41 | Steve Christoff | Richfield | 1976 | F | 1/23/58 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1976-79) | 1980 | 248 gms; three teams; 79-84 |
42 | T.J. Oshie | Warroad | 2005 | F | 12/23/86 | Active | 2003, 2005 (Class 1A) | 2005 finalist | North Dakota (2005-08) | - | 184 gms; StL; 08- present |
43 | Scott Lecy | Rochester John Marshall | 1977 | F | 4/8/59 | Retired | 1977 | NA | Wisconsin (1977-81) | - | - |
44 | Scott Bjugstad | Irondale | 1979 | F | 6/2/61 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1979-83) | 1984 | 317 gms; three teams; 83-92 |
45 | Mike "Lefty" Curran | International Falls | 1962 | G | 4/14/1944 | Retired | 1962 | NA | North Dakota (1965-68) | 1972 | - |
46 | Joe Micheletti | Hibbing | 1973 | F | 10/24/54 | Retired | 1973 | NA | Minnesota (1973-77) | - | 158 gms; StL, COL; 79-82 |
47 | Rob McClanahan | Mounds View | 1976 | F | 1/9/58 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1976-79) | 1980 | 224 gms; three teams; 80-84 |
48 | Nick Leddy | Eden Prairie | 2009 | D | 3/20/91 | Active | 2009 | 2009 | Minnesota (2009-10) | - | 46 gms; CHI; 10- present |
49 | Tom Pederson | Bloomington Jefferson | 1988 | D | 1/14/70 | Retired | - | 1988 finalist | Minnesota (1988-91) | - | 240 gms; SJ, TOR; 92-97 |
50 | Dave Christian | Warroad | 1977 | F | 5/12/59 | Retired | - | NA | North Dakota (1977-79) | 1980 | 1,009 gms; five teams; 80-94 |
51 | Jay North | Bloomington Jefferson | 1980 | F | 6/26/62 | Retired | - | NA | Harvard (1980-84) | - | - |
52 | Paul Johnson | Breck | 1953 | F | 5/18/36 | Retired | - | NA | - | 1960, 1964 | - |
53 | Pete Waselovich | International Falls | 1973 | G | 11/15/54 | Retired | 1972 | NA | North Dakota (1973-77) | - | - |
54 | Tom Kurvers | Bloomington Jefferson | 1980 | D | 9/14/62 | Retired | - | NA | UM-Duluth (1980-84) | - | 659 gms; seven teams; 84-95 |
55 | Mark Osiecki | Burnsville | 1986 | D | 7/23/68 | Retired | 1985, 86 | - | Wisconsin (1997-90) | - | 93 gms; four teams; 91-93 |
56 | Mark Pavelich | Eveleth | 1976 | F | 2/28/58 | Retired | - | NA | UM-Duluth (1976-79) | 1980 | 355 gms; three teams; 81-92 |
57 | Mark Parrish | Bloomington Jefferson | 1995 | F | 2/2/77 | Active | 1994 | 1995 finalist | St. Cloud State (1995-97) | 2006 | 722 gms; seven teams; 98- present |
58 | Bryan "Butsy" Erickson | Roseau | 1978 | F | 3/7/60 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1979-83) | - | 351 gms; four teams; 83-94 |
59 | Roger Christian | Warroad | 1956 | F | 12/1/35 | Deceased | - | NA | - | 1960, 1964 | - |
60 | Bill Christian | Warroad | 1956 | F | 1/28/38 | Retired | - | NA | - | 1960, 1964 | - |
61 | Trent Klatt | Osseo | 1989 | F | 1/30/72 | Retired | - | 1989 | Minnesota (1989-92) | - | 782 gms; five teams; 91-04 |
62 | Erik Rasmussen | St. Louis Park | 1995 | F/D | 3/28/77 | Retired | - | 1995 | Minnesota (1995-97) | - | 545 gms; three teams; 97-07 |
63 | Robb Stauber | Duluth Denfeld | 1986 | G | 11/25/67 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1986-89) | - | 62 gms; LAK, BUF; 89-95 |
64 | Joe Dziedzic | Minneapolis Edison | 1990 | F | 12/18/71 | Retired | - | 1990 | Minnesota (1990-94) | - | 130 gms; PIT, PHX; 95-99 |
65 | Ryan McDonagh | Cretin- Derham Hall | 2007 | D | 6/13/89 | Active | 2006 | 2007 | Wisconsin (2007-10) | - | 40 gms; NYR; 10- present |
66 | Craig Johnson | Hill-Murray | 1990 | F | 3/18/72 | Retired | - | 1990 finalist | Minnesota (1990-93) | 1994 | 557 gms; five teams; 94-04 |
67 | Matt Hendricks | Blaine | 2000 | F | 6/17/81 | Active | 2000 | 2000 finalist | St. Cloud State (2000-04) | - | 137 gms; COL, WSH; 08- present |
68 | Wally Chapman | Edina | 1982 | F | 7/6/64 | Retired | 1982 | NA | Minnesota (1982-86) | - | - |
69 | Bob Paradise | Cretin | 1962 | D | 4/22/44 | Retired | - | NA | Saint Mary's (1962-66) | 1968 | 368 gms; four teams; 71-79 |
70 | Ben Hanowski | Little Falls | 2009 | F | 10/18/90 | Active | - | 2009 finalist | St. Cloud State (2009- present) | - | - |
71 | Damian Rhodes | Richfield | 1987 | G | 5/28/69 | Retired | - | NA | Michigan Tech (1987-90) | - | 309 gms; three teams; 90-02 |
72 | Eric Strobel | Rochester Mayo | 1976 | F | 6/5/58 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1976-79) | 1980 | - |
73 | Dick Dougherty | International Falls | 1950 | F | 8/5/32 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1951-54) | 1956 | - |
74 | Gino Guyer | Greenway | 2002 | F | 10/14/83 | Active | - | 2002 | Minnesota (2002-06) | - | - |
75 | Jim Amidon | International Falls | 1963 | F | 2/18/45 | Retired | 1962 | NA | Colorado College (1964-67) | - | - |
76 | Karl Goehring | Apple Valley | 1996 | G | 8/23/78 | Retired | 1996 | NA | North Dakota (1997-01) | - | - |
77 | Rube Bjorkman | Roseau | 1947 | F | 2/27/29 | Retired | 1946 | NA | Minnesota (1948-51) | 1948, 1952 | - |
78 | Tony Bianchi | Bloomington Jefferson | 1989 | F | 12/15/70 | Retired | 1989 | - | Minnesota (1991-94) | - | - |
79 | Oscar Mahle | International Falls | 1957 | F | 8/22/39 | Deceased | 1957 | NA | Minnesota (1959-61) | - | - |
80 | Mike Randolph | Duluth Cathedral | 1970 | F | 11/5/51 | Retired | 1967, 68, 69 (Catholic) | NA | - | - | - |
81 | Aaron Ness | Roseau | 2008 | D | 5/18/90 | Active | 2007 | 2008 | Minnesota (2008-11) | - | - |
82 | Doug Palazzari | Eveleth | 1970 | F | 11/3/52 | Retired | - | NA | Colorado College (1970-74) | - | 108 gms; StL; 74-79 |
83 | Nick Checco | Bloomington Jefferson | 1993 | F | 11/18/74 | Retired | 1992, 93 | 1993 | Minnesota (1993-97) | - | - |
84 | John Rothstein | Grand Rapids | 1975 | F | 10/28/56 | Retired | 1975 | NA | UM-Duluth (1975-79) | - | - |
85 | Gary Wood | International Falls | 1965 | D | 9/28/46 | Deceased | 1964, 65 | NA | - | - | - |
86 | Al Hangsleben | Warroad | 1971 | D | 2/22/53 | Retired | - | NA | North Dakota (1971-74) | - | 185 gms; three teams; 79-82 |
87 | Doug Peltier | St. Paul Johnson | 1968 | F | 6/29/50 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1969-72) | - | - |
88 | Mike Lauen | Edina East | 1979 | F | 2/6/61 | Retired | 1978, 79 | NA | Michigan Tech (1979-83) | - | 4 gms; WIN; 83-84 |
89 | Max Oshie | Warroad | 1948 | F | 6/10/28 | Deceased | - | NA | - | - | - |
90 | Tom Gorowsky | Centennial | 2004 | F | 4/8/86 | Retired | 2004 | 2004 | Wisconsin (2005-09) | - | - |
91 | Jack McCartan | St. Paul Marshall | 1953 | G | 8/5/35 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1955-58) | 1960 | 12 gms; NYR; 59-61 |
92 | Doug Zmolek | Roch. John Marshall | 1989 | D | 11/3/70 | Retired | - | 1989 finalist | Minnesota (1989-92) | - | 467 gms; four teams; 92-00 |
93 | Pete LoPresti | Eveleth | 1972 | G | 5/23/54 | Retired | - | NA | Denver (1972-74) | - | 175 gms; MIN, EDM; 74-81 |
94 | Terry Abram | South St. Paul | 1965 | D | 2/14/47 | Retired | - | NA | North Dakota (1966-69) | - | - |
95 | Bill "Buzz" Schneider | Babbitt | 1972 | F/D | 9/14/54 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1972-75) | 1976, 1980 | - |
96 | David Backes | Spring Lake Park | 2002 | F | 5/1/84 | Active | - | 2002 finalist | Minnesota State (2003-06) | 2010 | 364 gms; StL; 06-11 |
97 | Don Ross | Roseau | 1960 | F | 10/11/42 | Retired | 1958, 59 | NA | North Dakota (1961-65) | 1964, 1968 | - |
98 | Mike Polich | Hibbing | 1971 | F | 12/19/52 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1971-75) | - | 226 gms; MON, MIN; 76-81 |
99 | Chris Locker | Duluth East | 1996 | F | 10/14/77 | Retired | 1995 | - | UW-River Falls (1999-2000) | - | - |
100 | Herb Brooks | St. Paul Johnson | 1955 | F | 8/5/37 | Deceased | 1955 | NA | Minnesota (1955-59) | 1964, 1968 | - |