Zellio Toppazzini
Encyclopedia
Zellio Louis Peter Toppazzini (January 5, 1930 in Copper Cliff, Ontario
– April 1, 2001) was a professional ice hockey
player who played 123 games in the National Hockey League
. He played with the New York Rangers
, Boston Bruins
, and Chicago Black Hawks
. He was the brother of Jerry Toppazzini
who played 11 seasons in the NHL
, and the great-uncle of NHL player Justin Williams
who is currently with the Carolina Hurricanes
.
Toppazzini spent most of his career with the American Hockey League
Providence Reds
. Nicknamed Topper, Toppazzini is the all-time leading scorer in Reds history. During his 12 years sporting the uniform, from 1951 to 1964, he amassed 279 goals, 448 assists and 727 points in 650 regular season games, and another 16-28-44 in playoff action. All are team records.
In 1955-56 the line of Toppazzini, Paul Larivee and Camille Henry spearheaded the Reds to both regular season and Calder Cup championships. Toppazzini earned career highs of 42 goals, 71 assists and 113 points in leading the AHL in scoring and in the playoffs he also added 7-13-20.
In 2000, the The Rhode Island Reds Heritage Society named Toppazzini its "Player of the Century" and annually presents an award in his honor.
Toppazzini coached the Providence College
hockey team for four seasons from 1964-65 through 1967-68 compiling a 31-60-1 (0.342) record. His best and only winning season behind the PC bench was his first year (1964–65) when the Friars went 14-11-1 (0.558). Toppazzini was replaced by Lou Lamoriello
.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
– April 1, 2001) was a professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player who played 123 games in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. He played with the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, and Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. He was the brother of Jerry Toppazzini
Jerry Toppazzini
Jerome J. "Topper" Toppazzini is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
who played 11 seasons in the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, and the great-uncle of NHL player Justin Williams
Justin Williams
Justin Williams is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League...
who is currently with the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
.
Toppazzini spent most of his career with the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
Providence Reds
Providence Reds
The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League between 1926–1936 and the American Hockey League from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956...
. Nicknamed Topper, Toppazzini is the all-time leading scorer in Reds history. During his 12 years sporting the uniform, from 1951 to 1964, he amassed 279 goals, 448 assists and 727 points in 650 regular season games, and another 16-28-44 in playoff action. All are team records.
In 1955-56 the line of Toppazzini, Paul Larivee and Camille Henry spearheaded the Reds to both regular season and Calder Cup championships. Toppazzini earned career highs of 42 goals, 71 assists and 113 points in leading the AHL in scoring and in the playoffs he also added 7-13-20.
In 2000, the The Rhode Island Reds Heritage Society named Toppazzini its "Player of the Century" and annually presents an award in his honor.
Toppazzini coached the Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
hockey team for four seasons from 1964-65 through 1967-68 compiling a 31-60-1 (0.342) record. His best and only winning season behind the PC bench was his first year (1964–65) when the Friars went 14-11-1 (0.558). Toppazzini was replaced by Lou Lamoriello
Lou Lamoriello
Louis "Lou" Lamoriello is the CEO, president, and general manager of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
.