Eric Prentice


Eric Dayton "Doc, Splendid Splinter" Prentice was a professional ice hockey left winger who played a total of 5 games in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prentice still holds the record for the youngest player ever signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs - he was 17. His brother Dean had a long career in the NHL, mainly with the New York Rangers, the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings.

Career

Prentice played the 1942–43 season with the Timmins Buffalo Ankerites in the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League. He then spent the 1943–44 season playing with Providence-Hershey in the American Hockey League. He made his only appearance in the NHL when he played five games for the Toronto Maple Leafs. During those five games, he failed to record a point and spent 4 minutes in the penalty box. In 1944–45, he played with the Pittsburgh Hornets in the American Hockey League. He then split the 1945–46 season between the Omaha Knights in the United States Hockey League and the Hollywood Wolves in the Pacific Coast Hockey League. He went back to the Wolves in 1946–47.
Next he then played for the Fresno Falcons in 1947–48. He then spent 1948–49 with the Philadelphia Rockets before ending his professional career in 1949–50 in Oakland-LA-Fresno in the PCHL.

Post-hockey

Prentice was the father of former Premier of Alberta Jim Prentice. Prentice died on December 8, 2002 in Coleman, Alberta from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.