Bernie Geoffrion
The flamboyant Montreal Canadiens star who didn't just use the slapshot—he weaponized it, earning a nickname from the sound of his puck hitting the boards.
1931–2006 (age 75)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: February 16·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bernie 'Boom Boom' Geoffrion played hockey with a joyful fury. Coming up with the dynastic Montreal Canadiens of the 1950s, he was part of a roster so deep in talent that he was often on the 'second' line behind the great Maurice Richard. Geoffrion carved his own legend with a thunderous innovation: he perfected and popularized the slapshot. Before him, it was a rarely used, almost ungainly move; Geoffrion turned it into a terrifying offensive weapon. His powerful drives were so distinctive that the Montreal Forum crowd began chanting 'Boom! Boom!' as the puck rocketed off his stick and into the boards or the net. He won scoring titles, Stanley Cups, and eventually, his place in the Hall of Fame, not just as a great player, but as a man who changed how the game was played from the blue line in.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bernie was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent 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 Bernie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Bernie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
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
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2006Died at 75
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
Key Achievements
- Won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer in 1955 and 1961.
- Was a key member of six Stanley Cup championship teams with the Montreal Canadiens.
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972.
- Scored 393 goals in his 16-season NHL career, a significant total for his era.
- Later coached the New York Rangers and the Atlanta Flames, becoming the Flames' first head coach.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Boom Boom' originated from French Canadian sportswriter Charlie Boire, describing the sound of his slap shot.
He married Marlene Morenz, the daughter of Canadiens legend Howie Morenz.
He is credited, along with others like Andy Bathgate, for developing and popularizing the modern slapshot technique.
He coached a young Phil Esposito when he was with the Rangers.
His number 5 was retired by the Montreal Canadiens, though it was originally retired for his teammate and defenseman Bernie 'Boomer' Geoffrion's predecessor, Doug Harvey, and later honored for both.
“When I took my slapshot, I didn't aim for the corners. I just shot for the net, and the puck would find its way in.”
