Glen Skov played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Montreal Canadians. In his Junior days, he constituted one-third of what some consider to be the Windsor Spitfires’ greatest ever line. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Skov was the first hockey player inducted into the Windsor-Essex County Sports Hall of Fame.

Born in Wheatley, Ontario on January 26, 1931, Skov graduated from Windsor’s W. D. Lowe High School.

As a young man, Skov enjoyed an historic career with the Windsor Spitfires in Ontario Hockey Association Junior “A” play. In the 1949-50 season, Skov and his linemates Earl Reibel and Eddie Stankiewicz built a legendary collective reputation as they amassed a record 333 points. Skov scored 51 goals and added 51 assists to contribute 102 points to that total. Stankiewicz matched him with 54 goals and 48 assists, while Riebel racked up 129 points through 53 goals and 76 assists.

Skov was drafted into the NHL by the Detroit Red Wings. He spent time playing minor league hockey with the USHL’s Omaha Knights and the Detroit Hettche and Windsor Ryancretes, both of the IHL, before graduating to the full Red Wings roster in 1951. All in all, he played four full seasons and parts of two further campaigns with the Wings.

Skov’s spell in Detroit proved to be the most successful of his career. In 1951-52, Skov’s first full season with the Red Wings’ NHL team, he received the Detroit Broadcasters’ Association Rookie of the Year Award. More importantly, during his years in Detroit the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1952, 1954, and 1955.

After leaving Detroit, Skov went on to play a further six seasons in the NHL: five with the Chicago Blackhawks, and one with the Montreal Canadians. He enjoyed a final spell as Player/Coach of the League and Playoff Champion Hull-Ottawa EPHL club before calling it a career in 1961.

Skov’s long reach and tenacious checking helped to establish him as one of the preeminent defensive forwards and penalty killers of the Original Six era. Skov’s remit to contain the opposing teams top scorer often pitted him directly against legendary names like Maurice Richard and Jean Béliveau. Despite his primarily defensive role, Skov still amassed 113 goals, 153 assists, and 266 points in his 703 regular season and playoff NHL games.

Glen Skov passed away on September 10, 2013 in Palm Harbor, Florida.