CHUCK LEFLEY January 20, 1950 - January 26, 2026

The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame is saddened to hear of the passing of Honoured Member Chuck Lefley. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Growing up in Grosse Isle, Manitoba, Lefley played a number of sports in the Western Interlake area. A tremendous skater, he loved the freewheeling aspect of hockey that his skating skills allowed him. The tall and speedy Lefley joined the MJHL Winnipeg Rangers in 1966 at the age of 15, earning the MJHL Rookie of the Year award.  After the 1966/67 season, Lefley jumped at the chance to skate with the Winnipeg-based Canadian National team. He enrolled at the University of Manitoba and spent a year practising with the Nats before joining their lineup full-time in 1968, making it to the 1969 World championship in Stockholm, Sweden.

After the Nats broke up in the spring of 1970, Lefley returned to junior for the final few games of the WCHL Brandon Wheat Kings season. Shortly after, he was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens sixth overall in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft. Assigned to the American Hockey League Montreal Voyageurs, he’d make a brief appearance with the Habs in the 1971 play-offs earning his name on the Stanley Cup.

Lefley would win the AHL Calder Cup with the Voyageurs in 1971/72 before joining the Habs lineup full-time for the 1972/73 season, winning another Stanley Cup.

After 2 twenty-plus goal seasons, he was traded from the Canadiens to the St. Louis Blues for Don Awrey in late 1974. The following season, Lefley set a Blues franchise record, scoring 43 goals. He began to feel burnout from the pro game. Lefley left the Blues after the 1976/77 season and headed home to Gross Isle. However, an offer came up to join Jokerit Helsinki for the 1979/80 season. Following that season he headed to Dusseldorf, Germany to play alongside his brother Bryan before St. Louis GM Emile Francis convinced him to return to the Blues in 1979. 

Lefley would battle through two injury-plagued seasons before retiring partway through the 1980/81 season. He'd return to Grosse Isle and together with his younger brother Glen purchased a farm.

You can enjoy listening to Chuck talk about his tremendous career on our MBHHF Oral History channel; CLICK HERE