James Dobson
A tough, mustachioed NHL enforcer who played over 700 games, famously scoring the first goal in Buffalo Sabres history.
1936–2025 (age 89)·American evangelical Christian psychologist and author·Birthday: April 21·The Silent Generation
Biography
Reg Fleming's hockey card tells a story of grit: over 700 NHL games, nearly 1,500 penalty minutes, and a determined snarl beneath a thick mustache. The Boston-born right winger was the prototype of the old-school enforcer, a role he embraced to secure his fourteen-year career with six Original Six and expansion teams. His legacy, however, is punctuated by a singular moment of offensive glory. On October 10, 1970, as a member of the fledgling Buffalo Sabres, Fleming fired a shot past Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Les Binkley. The goal, scored just 1:18 into the second period, etched his name permanently in the record books as the first goal in Sabres franchise history. While he was better known for dropping his gloves than lighting the lamp, that historic marker provided a symbolic beginning for a passionate hockey city. Fleming played with a physical joy that made him a fan favorite wherever he went, from Chicago to New York to Boston, embodying the rugged spirit of his era.
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.
James was born in 1936, 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 James Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
James's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
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
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
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
1952Could drive
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
1954Could vote
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
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
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
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2025Died at 89
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
Key Achievements
- Scored the first goal in the history of the Buffalo Sabres franchise on October 10, 1970.
- Played 749 career NHL games for six different teams between 1960 and 1974.
- Won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1961.
- Accumulated 1,468 career penalty minutes in the NHL.
Did You Know?
He was known for his distinctive handlebar mustache.
Fleming played professional hockey until he was 40 years old, including several seasons in the WHA.
He is the older brother of former NHL player and coach Joe Fleming.
After hockey, he worked for many years in the security department at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
“The family is the cornerstone of society, and its health determines the health of the nation.”
