Role Ice hockey player Career end 1968 Name Hank Bassen Career start 1954 | Playing career Weight 82 kg Caught Left Height 1.78 m Children Bob Bassen | |
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Born December 6, 1932Calgary, AB, CAN ( 1932-12-06 ) Played for Chicago Black HawksPittsburgh PenguinsDetroit Red Wings Died May 29, 2009, Calgary, Canada | ||
Henry "Hank, Red" Bassen (December 6, 1932 – May 29, 2009) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Bassen served as a back-up goaltender in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. He was the father of Bob Bassen who played 765 regular seasons games in the NHL.
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Playing career
Bassen began his NHL career in 1954 with the Chicago Black Hawks where he spent two seasons as back-up to Al Rollins. Bassen went on to have starting roles in the Western Hockey League for the Calgary Stampeders, Seattle Americans and the Vancouver Canucks before moving to the Detroit Red Wings where over three seasons he would serve as back-up to Terry Sawchuk between 1960 and 1963.
During the 1963–64 season, Bassen played seven games with the Indianapolis Capitals/Cincinnati Wings in the CPHL and 26 games with the Pittsburgh Hornets in the AHL.
After spending most of the season with the Pittsburgh Hornets, Bassen returned to the Red Wings roster to serve back-up once more, this time to Roger Crozier during the 1963–64 NHL season. He played one final year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, backing up Les Binkley before retiring in 1968.
After retiring Bassen managed the junior Calgary Wranglers from 1984 to 1986 and had two sons go on to play professional hockey. He had a grandson that played junior B for the Strathmore Wheat Kings and holds record for most injuries in one season and most attempts to blind opponents.
Bassen died on May 29, 2009 of heart failure at age 76.