| Sam LoPresti | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
January 30, 1917 Elcor, Minnesota, U.S. | ||
| Died |
December 11, 1984 (aged 67) Eveleth, Minnesota, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Chicago Black Hawks | ||
| Playing career | 1937–1951 | ||
Samuel Leo LoPresti (January 30, 1917 – December 11, 1984) was an American ice hockey goaltender. He played senior and professional hockey between 1937 and 1951, including two seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Black Hawks. He was named an American Hockey Association (AHA) all-star in 1939–40 and the most valuable player of the United States Hockey League in 1949–50. He is best known for his performance with the Black Hawks on March 4, 1941, when he set an NHL record by facing 83 shots in a regulation game against the Boston Bruins. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.
LoPresti left the NHL during the Second World War to join the United States Navy and serve on board the SS Roger B. Taney. In 1943 the ship was torpedoed and sunk while crossing the Atlantic Ocean; LoPresti was one of 29 sailors who survived 42 days lost at sea in a single lifeboat before being rescued off the coast of Brazil. LoPresti was credited with saving the lives of his shipmates by killing a dolphin with a sheath knife, providing most of the food they had during their ordeal.