BOSTON – Ed Sandford was as Bruin as they come.
Proud to have worn the Spoked-B, the former Bruins captain was the club’s oldest living alumnus before his passing at the age of 95 earlier this week.
The Ontario native played eight of his nine NHL seasons with the Black & Gold from 1947-55, serving as the team’s captain during his final campaign with the Bruins in 1954-55. Sandford was named Boston’s 14th captain upon Milt Schmidt’s retirement before being traded to Detroit that offseason.
Sandford made five consecutive All-Star Game appearances starting in 1951 and led all scorers with eight goals and 11 points during the 1953 playoffs. His best statistical season came in 1953-54 when he set career highs with 16 goals and 47 points in 70 games, which earned him a Second-Team All-Star nod and a fifth-place finish in the Lady Byng voting.
After four games with Detroit and 57 with Chicago in 1955-56, Sandford retired, finishing his career with 106 goals, 145 assists, and 251 points in 503 games. For the Bruins, Sandford registered 94 goals, 136 assists, and 230 points in 442 games.
Earlier this fall, Sandford was named to the Bruins “Historic 100” as one of the team’s 100 most legendary players of all-time.
Following his playing days, Sandford became an off-ice official for the National Hockey League. Based in Boston, Sandford worked in various capacities including as a goal judge, official scorer, and supervisor of off-ice officials.
Sandford was also a long-time member of the Boston Bruins Alumni team, founding the organization along with Milt Schmidt.
