Alex Shibicky
A swift and skilled Rangers winger who was part of the famed 'Bread Line' and helped pioneer the modern slapshot.
1914–2005 (age 91)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: May 19·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alex Shibicky brought speed, grit, and a touch of innovation to the New York Rangers' lineup in the rough-and-tumble era of the 1930s and 40s. The Winnipeg-born forward broke into the NHL with the Rangers in 1935 and quickly became a fixture on a line with the Colville brothers, a unit famously dubbed the 'Bread Line' for their ability to earn their keep. Shibicky was a key contributor to the Rangers' 1940 Stanley Cup victory, a hard-fought triumph that ended the team's long championship drought. While a solid two-way player, his name is often linked to hockey history for his claimed role in developing the slapshot; he and teammate Phil Watson practiced a powerful, wind-up shot that evolved the game's offensive arsenal. His career, like so many of his generation, was interrupted by wartime service, and he played only a single season after returning before hanging up his skates.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Alex was born in 1914, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alex Was Born
The biggest hits of 1914
Alex's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1914Born
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Started school
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Became a teenager
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1930Could drive
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1932Could vote
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Turned 21
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1944Turned 30
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1954Turned 40
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 50
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 60
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 70
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 80
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2005Died at 91
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
Key Achievements
- Won the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1940.
- Credited by many hockey historians as one of the first players to regularly use the slapshot in game situations.
- Played his entire NHL career (1935-1942, 1945-46) with the New York Rangers, appearing in over 300 games.
- Was a member of the Rangers' effective 'Bread Line' with Neil and Mac Colville.
Did You Know?
He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, missing three full seasons.
After hockey, he worked for many years as a sales representative for a tobacco company.
He was of Ukrainian descent, with the original family name being 'Shybytsky'.
He was known for his exceptional skating speed, a major asset in the pre-original-six era.
“We were a unit; you passed to where the man was going to be.”
