Michael Meyer
Storyteller Michael Meyer
Development Officer, Arts
& Science at UND
Available for the 2012-2013 school year.
Will Portray Cliff “Fido” Purpur,
Hockey Player and Coach
Cliff “Fido” Purpur was a native of Grand Forks born September 26, 1912, and lived until February 21, 2001. He played hockey for the University of North Dakota and later played professionally for the St. Louis Eagles, Chicago Black Hawks, and Detroit Red Wings. He was the first North Dakota hockey player to play in the National Hockey League and was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974. He only played one season for the Eagles. The team folded after the first year. He went on to play for the St. Louis Flyers in the American Hockey League. His most outstanding year1938-39 with the Flyers, 1938-39, he had 35 goals and 48 assists in just 48 games. Purpur was a small man, five feet six inches tall and weighing one-hundred fifty-five pounds, but he was fast and he had determination which made him a favorite of the fans in St. Louis. In 1988 he received the Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award. After his professional career was over Cliff returned to Grand Forks and lived here until his death. He was a successful coach at Central High School and at the University of North Dakota. According to the story told by Purpur himself he got the Fido moniker from a Minneapolis sportswriter, Fred Matthewson, who reported that Cliff was busier than a springer (a bird dog) in a field full of pheasants. The next day the name was published and it stuck. His real name was Clifford Joseph Purpur. It is worth noting that he was Yogi Berra’s favorite hockey player. Cliff Purpur was awarded North Dakota’s most prestigious award, the Roughrider Award in 1981.
