Career
One of the most popular players in New York Rangers history, Hadfield had a sixteen-year career in the National Hockey League, tallying 323 goals and 389 assists with 1154 penalty minutes in 1002 career games with the Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Originally signed by the Chicago Black Hawks and assigned to their junior league affiliate Saint Catharines Teepees of the Ontario Hockey League, Hadfield established himself as a physical presence, tallying many more penalty minutes than points. Assigned to Chicago"s Buffalo Bisons farm team in the American Hockey League the following season, he was left unprotected after the 1961-1962 season and claimed by the Rangers in the intra-league draft.
By the 1963-1964 season, Hadfield had cemented a place in the Rangers" lineup as an enforcer.
Gradually, he focused more on scoring than on fighting - especially with feared enforcer Reggie Fleming on the squad - and paired with teammates Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert, became known as the famous "GAG line" (which stood for Goal A Game). From the 1967-1968 season on and with the resurgence of the long-time doormat Rangers as a strong team, Hadfield would never again score less than 20 goals in any full season.
Hadfield"s best season was 1971-1972. Signed to a lucrative contract the following summer seen to deter Hadfield from defecting to the newly created World Hockey Association, he could not maintain his 1971-1972 level of scoring, and was traded after the 1973-1974 season to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenceman Nick Beverley.
He scored thirty goals in each of his two full seasons for the Penguins, although plagued by injuries and weight troubles, but sustained a knee injury towards the end of the 1975-1976 season which forced his retirement.
At the time of his retirement, Hadfield was fourth in Rangers" franchise history in goals, assists and points (behind his linemates Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert, and Andy Bathgate), second in penalty minutes (behind Harry Howell) and fourth in games played (behind Ratelle, Howell and Gilbert). He currently stands ninth in franchise history in scoring and third in penalty minutes. Hadfield now owns the Vic Hadfield Driving Range and instructional centre in Oakville, Ontario.
In 2009, Hadfield was ranked Number.
20 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & Sons). After his stellar 1971-1972 season, Hadfield was named to Team Canada for the 1972 Summit Series.
Controversially, after playing sparingly in just two games, he left the team after the Swedish exhibition games and returned home to Canada, drawing criticism for his move.