Steve Larmer
June 16, 1961 — Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Stephen Neil Larmer is a Canadian former NHL right wing who played 15 seasons in the league, won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year in 1983, played 884 consecutive games — the third-longest iron man streak in NHL history — and won the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994.
The Chicago Blackhawks Years
Born on June 16, 1961 in Peterborough, Ontario, Larmer was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1980 NHL Draft. He spent most of his career in Chicago, forming one of the best forward lines in the NHL alongside Denis Savard and Al Secord. Larmer was not the most flashy player on his line — Savard's skating and playmaking drew more attention — but he was quietly one of the most consistent scorers in the Western Conference, posting 20 or more goals in each of his first eleven NHL seasons. He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie in the 1982–83 season and went on to record 441 goals and 571 assists for 1,012 career points. His 884 consecutive games played, the third-longest consecutive game streak in NHL history, made him one of hockey's most reliable performers: he simply showed up and played.
The Rangers and the Cup
After requesting a trade from the Blackhawks in 1993 following a contract dispute, Larmer was dealt to the Hartford Whalers and then quickly to the New York Rangers. In New York he found a new context: the Rangers, coached by Mike Keenan, had assembled a roster of veteran players with one clear goal, ending the team's 54-year Stanley Cup drought. Larmer contributed 22 points in the 1994 playoffs as the Rangers won the Cup, defeating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games. It was the only championship of his career, and for Rangers fans of that era his addition to the team was seen as a crucial piece of the puzzle. He retired after that championship season, going out at the very top.
Did You Know?
Larmer's consecutive games streak of 884 began on October 6, 1982 and ended on October 15, 1993 — not because of injury, but because he requested a trade and the Blackhawks placed him on the inactive list rather than grant the trade immediately. The streak, which lasted more than eleven years, placed him behind only Doug Jarvis (914 games) and Garry Unger (914 games) in NHL history, and he was in contention to break the record when circumstances conspired against him.
Legacy
Larmer has been eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame for many years and has received votes but not yet been inducted — a situation that puzzles many observers who consider his combination of consistent scoring, durability, and team success to be Hall-worthy by any reasonable standard. He remains one of the most respected players of the 1980s in Chicago Blackhawks history and in the broader NHL community, a player whose steadiness and professionalism set a standard that younger players measured themselves against throughout his career.