John Brophy

Induction Year: 2025

Activity: Hockey

Location: Commack

John Brophy was a rugged defenseman who played 18 seasons in the Eastern Hockey League, racking up nearly 4,000 career penalty minutes between 1955 and 1973—the most in EHL history – and he played parts of nine seasons with the Long Island Ducks, retiring at the age of 40.

Famous for being the character that inspired Reg Dunlop – played by Paul Newman in Slap Shot -, Brophy had briefly been player-coach with the Ducks in the 1968–69 season, and became a full-time coach following his retirement as a player.

From 1986 to 1988, the native of Antigonish, Canada, was head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.

He died in 2016 at the age of 83, but his memory lives on.