Bears Mourn the Passing of John Henderson

October 6, 2024

The Hershey Bears are saddened to learn of the passing of former goaltender John Henderson. He was 91 years old.

Henderson, known as "Long John" for his 6'5" stature, was a team leader and backstopped the club to the 1969 Calder Cup title, recording one of his two playoff shutouts in the game that clinched the championship. He went 8-3 with a 2.91 goals-against average in that playoffs, after a strong 23-14-3 regular season with a 2.90 goals-against average in 41 games. 

He had two separate stints with the Bears, playing for Hershey from 1954-56 and returning to end his career with the club from 1966-70. Henderson's 152 games played with Hershey ranks 10th in franchise history, while his 63 wins with Hershey ranks 13th. He was inducted into the Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2021. 

Henderson also played 46 NHL games with the Boston Bruins, appearing in 45 games in 1954-55, and one in 1955-56.