Quick Facts
Biography
Modere Fernand "Mud" Bruneteau (November 28, 1914 – April 15, 1982) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League. He played in many NHL games with his brother, Ed Bruneteau and later coached him on the Omaha Knights.
Bruneteau is famous for ending the longest game in NHL playoff history. He had been called up to the Red Wings just two weeks earlier and was still trying to adjust to the pace of the NHL when he was thrown into his first playoff series. On March 24, 1936 against the Montreal Maroons, Mud scored the winning goal at 16:30 of the sixth overtime (116:30 of total overtime) to win the game for Detroit 1–0. He had his best season in 1943–44 when he scored 35 goals in 39 games in the 50 game NHL season.
After his playing career was over, he became a successful minor league coach, leading the Omaha Knights to a number of United States Hockey League championships.
He was suffering from cancer when he traveled to Houston, Texas for cancer treatment in April 1982. While there, he fell gravely ill and died April 15, 1982.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1931–32 | Winnipeg K of C | WJrHL | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1932–33 | Winnipeg K of C | WJrHL | 11 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1933–34 | Winnipeg Falcons | MHL-Sr. | 15 | 13 | 4 | 17 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1934–35 | Detroit Olympics | IHL | 38 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1935–36 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 24 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1935–36 | Detroit Olympics | IHL | 23 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1936–37 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 42 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1937–38 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 24 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1937–38 | Pittsburgh Hornets | IAHL | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1938–39 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 20 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1939–40 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1940–41 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 45 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1940–41 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1941–42 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1942–43 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 50 | 23 | 22 | 45 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1943–44 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 39 | 35 | 18 | 53 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1944–45 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 43 | 23 | 24 | 47 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1945–46 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 28 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1945–46 | Indianapolis Capitals | AHL | 14 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1946–47 | Omaha Knights | USHL | 16 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1947–48 | Omaha Knights | USHL | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 411 | 139 | 138 | 277 | 80 | 77 | 23 | 14 | 37 | 22 | ||||
Awards and achievements
- Stanley Cup championships (1936, 1937, and 1943)
- “Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame