Hank Bassen
# Hank Bassen

Henry "Hank, Red" Bassen (December 6, 1932 – May 29, 2009) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins between 1954 and 1968. He was the father of Bob Bassen, who played 765 regular-season games in the NHL.

## Playing career

Bassen began his NHL career in 1954 with the Chicago Black Hawks where he spent two seasons as the backup 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 the backup 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 as a backup 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.

Bassen died on May 29, 2009, of heart failure at age 76.

## Career statistics

### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
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| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
| 1949–50 | Calgary Buffaloes | WCJHL | 30 | 11 | 18 | 1 | 1800 | 111 | 0 | 3.70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1950–51 | Calgary Buffaloes | WCJHL | 37 | 8 | 27 | 2 | 2280 | 176 | 2 | 4.63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1950–51 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WCJHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 10 | 0 | 10.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1951–52 | Calgary Buffaloes | WCJHL | 42 | 21 | 17 | 4 | 2580 | 132 | 1 | 3.07 | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 180 | 13 | 0 | 4.33 | — |
| 1952–53 | Calgary Buffaloes | WJHL | 30 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 1860 | 145 | 0 | 4.68 | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 180 | 11 | 0 | 3.67 | — |
| 1953–54 | Chatham Maroons | OHA Sr | 55 | 22 | 30 | 3 | 3300 | 205 | 2 | 3.73 | — | 6 | 2 | 4 | 360 | 25 | 1 | 4.17 | — |
| 1954–55 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 21 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 1260 | 63 | 0 | 3.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1954–55 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 37 | 13 | 19 | 5 | 2220 | 121 | 3 | 3.27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1955–56 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 12 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 720 | 41 | 1 | 3.42 | .885 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1955–56 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 53 | 26 | 23 | 4 | 3300 | 201 | 0 | 3.65 | — | 5 | 2 | 3 | 299 | 20 | 0 | 4.01 | — |
| 1956–57 | Calgary Stampeders | WHL | 68 | 29 | 35 | 4 | 4125 | 223 | 5 | 3.24 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 180 | 12 | 0 | 4.00 | — |
| 1957–58 | Seattle Americans | WHL | 60 | 27 | 27 | 6 | 3600 | 184 | 3 | 3.07 | — | 9 | 5 | 4 | 557 | 21 | 0 | 2.26 | — |
| 1958–59 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 29 | 13 | 14 | 2 | 1740 | 102 | 2 | 3.52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1959–60 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 70 | 44 | 19 | 6 | 4220 | 172 | 5 | 2.45 | — | 11 | 9 | 2 | 696 | 22 | 0 | 1.90 | — |
| 1960–61 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 2120 | 98 | 0 | 2.77 | .894 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 220 | 9 | 0 | 2.45 | .917 |
| 1961–62 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 27 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 1620 | 75 | 3 | 2.78 | .902 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1961–62 | Sudbury Wolves | EPHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 180 | 14 | 0 | 4.67 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1961–62 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 557 | 30 | 0 | 3.23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1962–63 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 960 | 52 | 0 | 3.25 | .897 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1962–63 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 40 | 15 | 23 | 2 | 2400 | 134 | 2 | 3.35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1963–64 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | .882 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1963–64 | Cincinnati Wings | CPHL | 7 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 420 | 39 | 0 | 5.57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1963–64 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 26 | 9 | 15 | 2 | 1560 | 82 | 1 | 3.15 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | — |
| 1964–65 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 57 | 24 | 25 | 7 | 3433 | 182 | 2 | 3.18 | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | 240 | 15 | 0 | 3.75 | — |
| 1965–66 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 406 | 17 | 0 | 2.51 | .904 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 54 | 2 | 0 | 2.22 | .933 |
| 1966–67 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 8 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 384 | 22 | 0 | 3.44 | .898 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1966–67 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 570 | 18 | 3 | 1.89 | — | 9 | 8 | 1 | 541 | 15 | 1 | 1.66 | — |
| 1967–68 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 25 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 1299 | 62 | 1 | 2.86 | .909 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 156 | 46 | 65 | 31 | 8759 | 434 | 5 | 2.97 | — | 5 | 1 | 3 | 274 | 11 | 0 | 2.41 | .920 |

## Awards and achievements

* WCJHL Second All-Star Team (1950)
* WCJHL First All-Star Team (1952)
* OHA Sr First All-Star Team (1954)
* WHL First All-Star Team (1960)
* Outstanding Goaltender Award (fewest goals against - WHL) (1960)
* Leader Cup (MVP - WHL) (co-winner - Guyle Fielder) (1960)
