Kraut line

The Kraut line were a trio of Boston Bruins players who played on the same NHL forward line: center Milt Schmidt, left wing Woody Dumart, and right wing Bobby Bauer. The name was devised by Albert Leduc, a player for the Montreal Canadiens, while the trio were playing for a Boston farm club in 1936; originally "The Sauerkraut Line", the nickname was later shortened to "The Kraut Line".^[1] The name referenced the German descent of the three players, all of whom grew up in Kitchener, Ontario, where they previously played for the Kitchener Greenshirts. The trio played almost 1,900 NHL games with the Bruins, but put their careers on hold during World War II to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force.^[2] They were one of the most dominant lines of any era, having finished first, second, and third in scoring during the 1939-1940 season, a feat repeated only twice; by the 1944–45 Punch line of the Montreal Canadiens, and the 1949–50 Production Line of the Detroit Red Wings.^[3] All three members of the Kraut line are inductees in the Hockey Hall of Fame.^[2]