Real “Chevy” Chevrefils A great hockey talent ruined by alcohol abuse

“On a walk through Heavenly Rest Catholic Cemetery in Windsor, Ontario, I came upon the grave of junior hockey great Réal Chevrefils — a name once full of promise, now quietly resting far from the spotlight he briefly knew.”

Chevrefils was a scoring sensation in junior hockey. As a member of the 1951 Memorial Cup–winning Barrie Flyers, he tallied an astonishing 52 goals and 51 assists in just 54 games that season. With numbers like that, NHL teams eagerly circled, hoping to sign what many believed could be the league’s next superstar.

When he finally joined the Boston Bruins, Chevrefils scored his first two NHL goals on the same night — February 17, 1952, on the road. It seemed like the beginning of something big.

But behind the promise was a personal struggle. Alcohol would shadow Chevy’s entire career. According to a teammate, the Bruins were not only unsupportive — they were, in fact, careless. Concerned about his size (170 pounds), the team allegedly encouraged him to “bulk up” by having a few beers with dinner. “Just what an alcoholic wanted to hear,” the teammate said.

By 1955, Boston had lost faith, and Chevrefils was traded to Detroit. Things didn’t go better there. After another short stint plagued by alcohol issues, he returned to Boston for the 1955–56 season. For a moment, he reignited: 31 goals and an NHL Second All-Star Team selection. It looked like the comeback was real.

But two years later, on his 27th birthday, Chevrefils played his final NHL game.

In later years, he settled in Windsor, living modestly and receiving an NHL pension of just $130 a month, with an additional $200 from a fund for needy ex-players. Much of his time was spent at Windsor’s Downtown Mission, sometimes shovelling snow for less than a dollar an hour.

Sadly, the divorced father of six, died on January 8, 1981 in Windsor, Ontario. He was only 48.

1932-1981