Garry Unger
The ironman centre with rockstar hair who played a record 914 consecutive NHL games, a testament to grit and durability in hockey's toughest era.
Born 1947 (age 79)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: December 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
Garry Unger burst into the NHL with a flop of blond hair and a scorer's touch, but his legacy was forged in sheer resilience. Traded from Toronto to Detroit and then famously to St. Louis in a blockbuster deal for Red Berenson, Unger found his home with the Blues. It was there that his ironman streak took hold, a daily commitment to play through injury and exhaustion that saw him suit up night after night for over 11 years. In an era of brutal physical play and minimal protective equipment, his consecutive games record stood as a marvel of durability. Beyond the streak, Unger was a potent offensive force, a six-time All-Star with a quick release. After his NHL days, he became a star in the UK, coaching and playing, and later a distinctive figure as a minor league coach with his signature style intact.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Garry was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Garry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Garry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
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
1952Started school
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
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Set the NHL record for most consecutive games played (914), a record later broken by Doug Jarvis.
- Played in six NHL All-Star Games during the 1970s.
- Was the central piece in the 1971 trade that sent star forward Red Berenson from St. Louis to Detroit.
- Scored over 400 goals in his NHL career, peaking with a 41-goal season for the St. Louis Blues in 1972-73.
Did You Know?
His trade from Detroit to St. Louis was personally requested by Blues owner Sid Salomon Jr., who admired Unger's hairstyle.
After his NHL career, he played for and coached the Dundee Rockets in Scotland, becoming a major figure in UK hockey.
He was known for his distinctive long blond hair and sideburns, a rare look in 1970s hockey.
His ironman streak began on February 24, 1968, and ended on December 21, 1979.
“I just showed up to work every day; the streak was never the goal.”
