Taffy Abel

Clarence John "Taffy" Abel (May 28, 1900 – August 1, 1964) was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a member of two Stanley Cup championship teams. He was the first United States-born player to become a NHL regular. He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Playing career

Clarence "Taffy" Abel was a silver medalist on the United States in the 1924 Olympics, serving as flagbearer for the U.S. delegation. Abel scored 15 goals for the United States in the tournament.

As a member of the Minneapolis Millers of the CHL during the 1925-26 season, Abel was named to the CHL's First All-Star team at the defense position.

Abel played in the NHL for eight years. He was signed by Conn Smythe to the New York Rangers, largely based upon his strong performance at the Winter Olympics in 1924. With the Rangers, he wore sweater number 4, and, paired with defenseman Ching Johnson, was a key member of the Stanley Cup winning Rangers team in 1927-28. After the 1929 season, Abel's rights were sold to the Chicago Black Hawks, where he played five more years, wearing sweater number 2. Abel was a member of the Cup-winning Black Hawks in 1933-34, his last NHL season.

Taffy Abel Arena

Clarence "Taffy" Abel Arena is a 4,000-seat hockey arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan on the campus of Lake Superior State University. It is home to the Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey team of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The arena is part of the Norris Center student athletic complex, which was built in 1976 and includes the 2,500-seat Cooper Gymnasium and other sports facilities for the school. The arena itself dates back to 1976; it was renovated and remodeled to its current larger form in the summer of 1995 following the Lakers' run of three national championships and eight straight NCAA tournament appearances, which continued into the first year of the arena. It was named after American ice hockey player Clarence "Taffy" Abel, who was born in Sault Ste. Marie. It is the only hockey arena in the United States which has a seating capacity greater than the enrollment of the school for which it's used.

Both Abel Arena and Cooper Gym are available for other events, including high school basketball and hockey.