Dishing the Dirt

[Sturminator]

Some information on Hooley Smith's 1926-27 season, his last in Ottawa, and the development of his defensive game throughout that period. It is my impression that Frank Nighbor was beginning to slow down considerably by this point in his career, and was no longer able to perform at his customary level for long periods of time, both in the course of a single game and over the course of the season. Hooley Smith seems to have largely stepped into Nighbor's role when the master was unable to go, and they formed a scary combination on the ice when Nighbor was healthy. It is likely Smith's partial replacement of Nighbor as lynchpin of the defense in this season that led to so much ink being generated about his play.

The first article is from The Ottawa Citizen - December 1, 1926:

"Hooley" Smith and Clancy starred for Ottawa on the offensive, while Nighbor, of course, showed up well for the defensive...

Ottawa's defensive work, particularly the poke work of Frank Nighbor at center-ice, was finished and spectacular. Nighbor and Hooley Smith, the latter following the old master's methods, broke the heart of the Bruins by their stick work.

We first start to see Frank Nighbor's absence from the team in early December 1926, shortly after the beginning of the NHL season. He is first listed as missing time with a "severe cold", which may have been truthfully the case, or may be the classic "undisclosed injury". This article is from the Regina Morning Leader - December 6, 1926:

The game served as a denial to the well-worn belief that Ottawa has a one-man team with Frank Nighbor, poke-checking center, as the kingpin. Nighbor was not in uniform owing to a severe cold but "Hooley" Smith, regular left wing, stepped into the breach, checked charging Canadiens and led his wings in convincing style.

But for a major penalty which "Hooley" drew for slugging xxxxxxxx as the second period ended, the game was fairly clean.

The next article is from four days later, after Nighbor's return to regular action with the team. From the Border Cities Star - December 10, 1926:

Hooley Smith and Frank Nighbor were once again the outstanding luminaries on the Ottawa front line and the pair of them have rarely turned in better displays. They poke-checked the Cougars dizzy from first to last, intercepted dozens of passes and worried every puck carrier from behind to such a good purpose that scarcely a Detroiter could get an open shot on the net.

Note from the passage about "worried every puck carrier from behind" that it appears Nighbor and Smith's defensive work was not restricted to merely hook-checking, but that they were dedicated back-checkers, as well. It is important to make these distinctions (between hook, poke and back-checking), as this era is sprinkled with many players who were good at one, but not the other, and at least the terms hook and poke checking seem to have been used interchangeably, although the meaning was quite different.

Here is a final article from December of 1926 which seems to describe pretty well the overall defensive play of those Senators teams. From the Ottawa Citizen - December 15, 1926:

The New York forwards were dashing into the attack but were being crowded off the puck before they could get set for a shot at the goal. The Americans were trying their best to play a combination game, but were making a terrible mess of it. Usually their passes were so far back that the line had to wheel about and start all over again. Frontal passes were covered by the Senators.

Hooley Smith stopped the entire American line single-handed and waded in for a drive which skidded along the ice to the skate of xxxxxxx...

Note the passage here about "frontal passes", which is almost certainly a reference to forward passes in the neutral zone, which had been a regular part of the eastern game for several years by this time. Hook-check masters Nighbor and Smith seem to have had no problems dealing with forward passing.

 

[Sturminator]

Moving forward to January of 1927 now, we see Nighbor again getting worn down physically and Smith assuming the lead checking role on the Ottawa forward line. This article is from the Ottawa Citizen - January 31, 1927:

Frank Nighbor of the Ottawas, who had been carded as a doubtful starter on account of an injury received at the Capital with Detroit on Thursday night, was the only casualty. Frank was put out of action in the latter part of the second period when his ankle was badly wrenched by Seibert (sic - he is actually referring to Babe Siebert), who had his stick caught in Nighbor's skate...

Hooley Smith was in his element. The favorite son of Balmy Beach revelled in the rough going. He took them all on one after another, missing only Benedict, and it cannot be said that any of his opponents took down the decision. Hooley's crouch-check and poke-check worked havoc with the Maroons all evening.

And here we see yet another term for the hook-check, as the author here refers to it as the "crouch-check", which may be the clearest of all terms used to describe this particular technique. From this point onwards, Frank Nighbor doesn't seem to have been fully healthy again until the very end of the season. In this next article, he is listed as a sub and based on the game description, doesn't seem to have played, at all - from the Ottawa Citizen - February 16, 1927:

Boucher and Clancy played their usual strong game on defence, holding out such clever goal-getters as the Cook brothers and stopping the rushes of the ponderous defencemen, Abel and Johnson, and they were also conspicuous with telling rushes on the New York net. The speed of Clancy and the stick-handling of Boucher were roundly applauded time after time.

At center ice, especially in the early stages of the game, Hooley Smith had the New Yorkers plainly worried. He used a sweeping pokecheck that had his opponents more or less bewildered and he also got away a few shots which gave "Shavatsky" considerable trouble. Frankie Finnigan played consistently from the start. He stood up under the heavy body-checking of the big New Yorkers and returned bump for bump, and his shooting was always on the mark.

It is also useful to note the emergence of Frank Finnigan during the 1926-27 season. Finnigan had previously been the sub at right wing behind Smith, but with Hooley often taking over Nighbor's role at center, Finnigan seems to have been the regular starter at right wing, and really blossomed on the season - it being his first significant offensive showing as a pro.

We see in this article more evidence of the vital role Smith played for the Senators in the 1926-27 season. From the Ottawa Citizen - February 17, 1927:

Hooley Smith was a tower of strength in front line defense, and a consistent menace on offense...

Frank Foyston tallied for Detroit with five minutes left to play, and the spectators screamed for the tying goal. Two minutes were left and four Cougars went up the ice in an effort to make it. Hooley Smith was all over the ice in efforts to prevent it, and was ably seconded by xxxxxx in a successful attempt to hold the Cougars back until the last bell.

Smith was the clear starter at center by the end of February, and it seems that Nighbor's role by this point was relegated to subbing in for Smith as needed. This article is from the Ottawa Citizen - February 23, 1927:

Manager xxxxx started out Hooley Smith at center as it was not considered that Frank Nighbor's injured ankle would stand up under a severe strain, but when Hooley showed signs of distress near the end of the opening period, he was called in and Nighbor sent out. For a few minutes the latter appeared to be of little use but after he got warmed up, played in his old time form. Shortly after the start of the third period, Hooley was forced to retire through an injury to one of his legs and Nighbor replaced him to carry on for the balance of the engagement. It was a good move on the part of Manager xxxxx as Hooley showed decided lameness.

We jump forward one month now, into March and near the end of the season, and find Nighbor seemingly recovered enough to start, and Smith back as the starting right wing. This article is from the Ottawa Citizen - March 25, 1927:

Not in years had Frank Nighbor played better than he played last night. The famous center ice star broke up rush after rush in the mid area and he led several well-directed attacks on the Leafs' citadel. Nighbor's goal in the third period, which settled the issue beyond doubt, was the result of one of the most beautifully executed plays ever witnessed in any hockey match.

Hooley Smith was in his element. Like Nighbor, he used his poke-check to advantage and he swooped in for shots on xxxxxx with repeated regularity...

Frank Finnigan showed all the old time form, which earlier in the season earmarked him as one of the brightest right wingers in the game. Finny was used a great deal, and his presence on the ice was a signal for much applause from the rush end crowd, with whom he is very popular.

Hooley Smith and Frank Nighbor both had their poke checks working to perfection, to the mortification of the Maple Leaf forward line, who seldom passed this indomitible (sic) duo.

Jack Adams played the greater part of the third period, and put up a more than creditable performance, stickhandling and backchecking in old time form, which only a few years back made him one of the most feared men in the hockey pastime.

Nice little plug for Jack Adams thrown in there.

At any rate, I think this is more than adequate to show what was going on in Ottawa on the season. Nighbor and Smith were very effective together when Frank could play, but the old master was hobbled for much of the time and Smith took over his role, giving Frank Finnigan his first chance at regular icetime in the Ottawa lineup.

 

[Sturminator]

Now a bit of summary information on Smith's 1926-27 season - likely the most telling of what I have gathered on him from this period. This first article is a pay-per-view Chicago Daily Tribune article that I copied as a PDF and to which I have subsequently lost the link - so you'll just have to trust me here. From the Chicago Daily Tribune - February 8, 1927:

In Nighbors (sic) and Hooley Smith, one of the newer Senator players, Ottawa has two of the greatest hook checking players in hockey. Nighbors (sic) took Smith in hand when Hooley joined the Senators last fall and taught him the finer points of the sport, including the art of hook checking - stopping an opponent's progress on the ice by hooking both the player's skate and the puck with the hockey stick - and now Smith is claimed to be a faster checker than his teacher.

This next article is a really excellent New York Times piece in which John Kieran picks his all-stars for the 1926-27 season. Again, I've got the PDF, but not the link - sorry. From the New York Times - April 4, 1927:

With the hockey stick-swingers still briskly battling away for the Stanley Cup, several readers have thought this a golden opportunity to raise the issue of an all-star hockey team. Step up and take your pick. Almost everybody agrees that Howie Morenz of the Canadiens belongs at centre ice on any all-star combination. Beyond that, all agreements are off.

And yet it's an odd thing that the ice has been cluttered up with cracking fine centres all Winter. In addition to Howie of the Flying Frenchmen there's Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators, Nels Stewart of the Maroons, Frank Boucher of the Rangers and Fredrickson, "that Icelander," of the Boston Bruins. A man looking for trouble on ice could find plenty of it without wandering beyond the blue lines on almost any rink.

There will be no lack of argument over the leading forwards of the season, but Bill Cook of the Rangers, high scorer of the league, seems to be entitled to first honors. Bun Cook makes a fine partner for Brother Bill, but there are other election districts to be heard from. xxxxxxx scored a raft of goals for the Black Hawks, and such hasty steppers as Pete Lepine and Aurel Joliat of the Canadiens must get more than a passing thought.

But how about Hooley Smith of the Ottawa Senators? Here's a chap who can cut his way to the net through the best of defenses. Nothing short of an injunction can keep Hooley off the first team.

Playing defense is an easy job on a hockey team. All that a chap has to do is to heave opposing attackers down to the ice or up into the seats, to cover the nets when the goalie is knocked out of position, to carry the rubber down the rink, to shoot a fair share of the goals, and to carry the brunt of battle through the merry warfare on ice.

With the exception of these few minor details a hockey game is just a night off for a defense man. When a team wins, who gets the credit? The forwards. When a team loses, who is to blame? Why, the defense, most certainly. No wonder that the favorite song of the back area boys is: "Oh, for the Life of a Fireman!"

It's no job at all to pick two good men and true out of this courageous crew. The difficulty is in keeping out those who probably deserve to get in. However, nobody could overlook "King" Clancy of the Senators or Herb Gardiner of the Canadiens. Clancy is a sturdy buffer in the backfield and a fast man down the ice. He's one of hockey's best triple-threat men - he can check, skate and shoot.

As for Gardiner, he's the real "sixty-minute man" of the league. He wants to play every game from the first face-off to the final whistle, and if any upstart comes on the ice to relieve him Herb is outraged. Not as brilliant as Clancy, he is perhaps steadier through a season's run. Then there's Mantha of the Canadiens, Sprague Cleghorn of the Bruins, George Boucher of the Senators, Ching Johnson of the Rangers and other cheerful checkers who belong in the front rank when heavy holsters are wanted in a hurry.

The last line of defense is the man with the heavy upholstery and the overgrown shinguards in front of the net. On the basis of preventing enemy scoring Alex Connell of the Ottawa Senators is first, second and third for the season. Through many of the boisterous battles of the brisk year on ice Alex held the opposing teams to a total of no goals at all, which is a reasonably small total for any given game.

George Hainesworth of the Canadiens, Lorne Chabot of the Rangers, Sleepy Benedict of the Maroons and xxxxxxxx of the Toronto club are all good men at the nets, but Connell had a wonderful run of shutouts on his season's slate and can't be crowded out of position.

That would leave Bill Cook and Hooley Smith in the forward line, Howie Morenz at centre, Gardiner and Clancy on defense and Connell in the net. Not a bad team with which to set out for a hockey war.

It's a great article, overall, and puts nicely in perspective what had previously looked like a disappointing season (going by the scoring statistics) on Smith's part. The last factor about Hooley's 1926-27 season that should be discussed is his infamous role in the melee at the end of the Cup Finals and subsequent suspension. More to come.

 

[Sturminator]

Now to wrap up the material we have on Hooley Smith, hook checking and the 1926-27 Ottawa Senators season - a pulling together of information regarding the infamous incident in the Cup Finals in which Smith was suspended for spearing an opponent in the face and one of the Bruins was suspended for life for his actions. This first article is from after Smith's trade from Ottawa to Montreal - and provides a fairly good overview to the situation as it stood before the start of the 1927-28 season. From the Nashua Telegraph - November 9, 1927:

The Ottawa Senators, conquerors of the Bruins in the last Stanley Cup series, will be without the services of one of their greatest players this year. Hooley Smith, whose efforts were a large factor in deciding Ottawa's supremacy, has been traded to the Montreal Maroons for Punch Broadbent and a sum reported to have been more than $20,000, making the total consideration the largest ever given for a hockey player. With the exception of this charge, Ottawa will have the same squad as last year. Although the acquisition of Smith should add a scoring punch to the Maroon's forward line, it will be a month before he will be able to play owing to a suspension incurred at the close of the Stanley Cup series for an attack on xxxxxxxx of the Boston Bruins.

First, we'll look at the events in question in the game report from the next day. This article is from the Ottawa Citizen - April 14, 1927:

With less than five minutes to go, the Bruins were all up on the attack. Hitchman and Boucher clashed near the boards in Ottawa's end of the rink and both were chased for the rest of the game. Hitchman was bleeding from the mouth when he went off. When play was resumed, Fredrickson was benched for hooking xxxxxx. In the dying moments of the game, xxxxxx scored on a long pass from xxxxxx. Connell was out of his net. The time was 6:45.

Hooley Smith jabbed xxxxxxx over the eye and knocked him cold. Hooley was benched, but not before Shore had swung on him and also took a penalty. It was four-man hockey to the finish. Game over. Ottawa, 3 : Boston, 1.

So it looks like what happened here is that, with the Senators leading 3-0 and the game and series all but over, things got chippy towards the end. Smith obviously overreacted by spearing one of the Bruins in the face, and Shore went after him, sending both men off the ice. It was obviously an undiscisplined play on Smith's part, but had no effect on his team's chances of winning.

One final bit on this incident...this finals series seems to have been the start of a long and violent rivalry between Smith and Eddie Shore. Later game reports from Smith's time in Montreal are sprinkled with mentions of the blood fued between these two players whenever the teams met. They seem to have genuinely hated each other. This last article is one I have in PDF form from the New York Times - December 15, 1927:

Hooley Smith, the hidden wingman of the Montreal Maroons' lineup, will emerge from his retirement just in time to take part in tonight's battle royal with the Canadiens at Montreal. Whether Hooley will be able to do a great deal toward stopping those fleeting Frenchmen remains to be seen. Nobody else has accomplished much in that direction.

It will be remembered that Smith, former star on the forward line of the champion Ottawa Senators, carelessly jabbed xxxxxxx of the Boston Bruins in the face with his stick during a heated period of the Stanley Cup games at Ottawa last April. For this little breach of etiquette, Smith was suspended from further activities for one month, beginning with the first game of the present season. He was also traded to Montreal for Broadbent.

As a result, Hooley has been a sort of missing link in the Maroon attack so far this season and undoubtedly will add a lot of temperament to the forward line when he gets moving. The fact that Smith was said to be gunning for Shore when he crashed into xxxxxxxx during that torrid session at Ottawa did not lessen the impact on xxxxxxx's nose - nor should it diminish the general rivalry sure to exist between the Maroons and Bruins.

 

[seventieslord]

This isn't much, but I thought it was interesting.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yyVkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z3sNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4815,1621738&dq=oatman&hl=en

look at the bottom part, not the gossip.

 

[Sturminator]

So...the results of my research on the Montreal Maroons, specifically regarding position switching. This first article gives a nice overview of the positional capabilities of the various Maroons players. From the Montreal Gazette - November 4, 1927:

There are only two regular defense players, xxxxxxx and Red Dutton, but the Maroons have three others who can fill in on the guard positions when required, namely, Nels Stewart, Hooley Smith and Babe Siebert, all of whom are perfectly at home in front of the net.

Hooley Smith can work in three positions, centre, right wing or defense. xxxxx can work at centre and right wing. Nels Stewart can play centre, right wing and defense. Babe Siebert is at home at left wing or defense. xxxxx is a centre or left wing player. xxxxxxx plays left wing and a fair defensive game. xxxxx is a right winger primarily, as is xxxxxxx.

With a galaxy of players as mobile as the Maroons, Manager xxxxxxxxxx should be able to meet any occasion without impairing the effectiveness of his team. In the practices he has tried out all the possible combinations and finds the results are about the same.

Interesting stuff. Apparently, these players were seen as rotating pieces of the defensive puzzle for the entire time they played in Montreal. This next piece is from later on in that same season - from the Ottawa Citizen - February 2, 1928:

xxxxxx, who has developed into a fast performer and who has achieved a reputation as a money-maker on the stock market; Red Dutton, the most improved defense player in hockey, and the durable Siebert, help to form a flashy and hard-checking defense.

Who in hockey has not heard of Hooley Smith, daring, dauntless and doughty, fearing no man, and accordingly to report few women, as John Bassett said at the banquet to the Senators last spring when they were acclaimed world's champions.

Smith, the daring chance-taker who makes more hazardous plays than any man in hockey, has twice been injured in recent games, and is playing with a fibre jockey cap to prevent head injuries. He has given xxxxxx the hockey attribute he has been seeking for years, a strong poke-check, and around his check and ability to stop headlong rushes by opponents, Maroons are building a mighty machine again...

Smith, of course, isn't the whole machine, though a strong cog. Any team that had Nels Stewart would think it well endowed in a scoring way. Stewart, rugged and rangy, whose vicious drive is the nemesis of many a goal tend, is now at left wing playing well. With Smith and xxxxxxx, he helps to work in a close-knit combination, and is particularly powerful in his body-checking propensities.

Based on what I've seen (didn't save all the articles), it seems that this was the regular formation for most of the season - Siebert on D, Stewart at LW and Smith at center with an undrafted on the right wing. This next article is from game one of the Maroons-Rangers playoff series that season - from the Rochester Evening Journal - April 5, 1927:

The Lineup:

The Maroons will have Clint Bendict in their nests (sic) with Babe Siebert and Red Dutton on defense. Hooley Smith at center and Nelson Stewart and xxxxxxx at the wings.

So that pretty much covers 1927-28.

 

[nik jr]

This isn't much, but I thought it was interesting.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yyVkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z3sNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4815,1621738&dq=oatman&hl=en

look at the bottom part, not the gossip.

you mean the part about oatman watching the opponent's face instead of the puck?

i found that when researching oatman. that kind of comments are generally not easy to find.

 

[seventieslord]

you mean the part about oatman watching the opponent's face instead of the puck?

i found that when researching oatman. that kind of comments are generally not easy to find.

I agree, that's why I thought it was worth posting. Anytime we can get a description of a players tendencies on the ice that is that explicit, it's valuable knowledge.

 

[Stoneberg]

This isn't much, but I thought it was interesting.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yyVkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z3sNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4815,1621738&dq=oatman&hl=en

look at the bottom part, not the gossip.

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

 

[Sturminator]

Onto 1928-29 - we see the Maroons starting the year much the same as they ended it, with Babe Siebert on defense. There are actually two articles on the page - the first is simply a game summary which lists Siebert at defense, but the second is much more interesting. From the Montreal Gazette - November, 19, 1928:

xxxxxx, defense player of the Montreal Maroons, is out of hockey for three weeks at least and probably for all time. xxxxxx felt indisposed after the Canadiens game and underwent a medical examination which indicated a fairly serious physical condition. Saturday he was given a thorough examination at the Royal Victoria Hospital by a group of specialists. He was found to be suffering from a severe cold, threatening pneumonia, and also from a heart condition - and it is this latter ailment which may keep him out of hockey for all time.

The big defenseman had previously announced that he would retire from hockey after this season. xxxxx plans to enter the brokerage business. In the four years that he has been connected with the Maroons he has made an appreciable fortune chiefly through wise investments in the stock market.

While the exact cause of xxxxx's condition has not been made known, it appears that in the Maroon defense player there is the first casualty from "fast hockey" which has been predominant in the last four years in the N.H.L. The strain under which players are placed now because of the long campaign, the necessity of playing in rinks of all types and maintained at varied temperatures, long train jumps and a terrific pace set in the games, takes a toll just as surely as do direct injuries from sticks or bumps.

Maroons have three defense players out with other clubs who are subject to recall at any time...

Pretty fascinating stuff about xxxxx's personal life, but the commentary on the changes brought about by "fast hockey" over the last four seasons (so...starting sometime in 1924) are of quite special historical interest. Also worth noting here is that one of Montreal's two dedicated defensemen was knocked out for the season right as the year was beginning (he would actually come back to play two more full seasons in the NHL).

I will share my thoughts on the evolution of "fast hockey" in another post. I believe I can trace the genesis of the line change (or rather, of rolling lines throughout the game) to a specific team, year and manager. Anyway, in this next article, we see Montreal's reaction to the increasingly critical situation on defense - from the Montreal Gazette - November 20, 1928:

Hooley Smith for Maroons' Defense if Need Demands

Montreal Not to Recall Any Players on Loan to Take xxxxxx's Place

The Maroons management has decided against recalling any of the defense men they have on loan to other clubs and, for the time being at least, will not fill xxxxxx' position. xxxxx will be able to get into action by Thursday and with xxxxxx and Phillips for relief centre duty, if an emergency arises on the Montreal defense, Hooley Smith can always be dropped back and either xxxxxxx or xxxxxxx can take Smith's position up forward.

As it turns out, Smith would see considerable time on the blueline in the 1928-29 season, but not until later on in the year. Interestingly, this may have been Smith's best offensive season, although he would end up only 6th in assists and 10th in scoring. But before we get to that, we find Babe Siebert still playing defense for the Maroons as late as the 10th of December. I'm not going to quote the Montreal Gazette article, but Siebert is listed as a starting defenseman next to Dutton on the lineup card.

 

[seventieslord]

the guy you're referring to was notoriously wealthy thanks to his non-hockey endeavors. he also flaunted it.

 

[Sturminator]

Moving on into the second part of the 1928-29 season, we find Smith high up the scoring leaderboards in the early part of January. In this Calgary Daily Herald article dated January 9, 1929 we find Smith tied with Howie Morenz and two undrafteds for 3rd in the league with 12 points:

Goal Comparison

The American section of the N.H.L. is getting many more goals than the international group, latest figures showing the former with 147 counters against 110 in the latter. The goal-getting leaders are also in the American division with "Ace" Bailey of Toronto, and Nelson Stewart of Maroons, tied for first place with 15 points apiece...Howie Morenz , Hooley Smith and xxxxxxx were tied with 12 points apiece.

Bill Cook, former Saskatonian, is finding stiff competition from xxxxxxx. Both are right wingers. xxxxxx had eight goals and four assists up till Thursday against eight goals and three assists for William.

Later in January, we find Hooley Smith suddenly playing as a defenseman. It's not clear to me what precipitated the move or exactly when he actually made the switch, but Smith appears in the box score as a starting defenseman for the Maroons from this point forward in the season, and apparently played quite well in the role (more on that). I won't quote the article (from the Pittsburgh Press - January 26, 1929), but you can follow the link and look at the box score.

By the end of January, we find Smith now in 6th place overall in NHL scoring. The article (from the Montreal Gazette - January 29, 1929) simply has scoring tables, which I will not quote here. At any rate, Smith's standing on the scoring tables would continue to fall, and he would end up at 10th overall in league points by the end of the season. Some consolation, however, comes in the fact that he was evidently quite a good defenseman when called upon. Smith's defensive performances are praised more or less throughout this period, so I'll just give a couple of highlights. The first article is from the Montreal Gazette - February 1, 1929:

The high light of the struggle came ten minutes after the game got under way when xxxxxxx bagged his first goal since jumping to professional company. It was a brilliant effort that saw the former Olympic star race in from left wing to pick up xxxxx's rebound almost at Gardiner's feet and beat the smart Chicago netminder with a corner shot just as he was making a vain effort to save by diving face forward.

The tally brought forth a tremendous ovation from a Maroon crowd that has been waiting as patiently as xxxxx himself to see him breaking into the scoring lists. They cheered the former Varsity Grad star to the echo as his teammates crowded around him and slapped his back and shook his hand in congratulation. Hooley Smith, boisterous as ever, expressed himself by vigorously rubbing xxxxx's hair with his gloved hand. The Maroons were quite a happy family after that, and the poor Hawks looked all the sorrier.

The second and last goal came from the stick of Nelson Stewart, and it was a typical Stewart tally. The big centre man took the puck from a face-off at the side of the Chicago cage, stick-handled and barged his way through the Hawk defense and beat Gardiner on a high corner drive. Two Hawks were roosting on the penalty bench at the time, but Nels had to bowl over three others before he got in on Gardiner.

But Gardiner played a great game, the sort of display local fans are beginning to expect from this sensational youngster, who seems to combine the best tricks of the late Houdini in keeping a storm of rubber out of his net. Gardiner gave another demonstration of black magic last night, and the only "curtains" he used were a puck, a goaler's stick and a keen eye and brain...

Once they got a goal, but it was offside and xxxxx heard the whistle and let them have it, but there were few occasions when the front rank could pass the poke-checking of Hooley Smith or the sturdy blocking of Red Dutton.

Next article is from the next game - from the Pittsburgh Press - February 3, 1929:

With xxxxx and xxxxxx playing great defensive games, and xxxxx cuffing down every shot near him, the Maroons had seldom chances to break through. Likewise Hooley Smith and Dutton formed an impregnable barrier for the visitors.

At any rate, Smith seems to have remained with Dutton as the starter on defense for the rest of the season, playing basically half the year on the blueline. It seems that Siebert played well into December, as well, and it may well be the case that the Maroons rotated Smith in when they rotated Siebert out, for whatever reason. They seem to have been shorthanded on the blueline all season after xxxxx's heart problems. Smith's 1928-29 season, in light of this information, looks a lot better than it did beforehand, and I think rates with his best peak seasons in terms of overall value (which is obviously higher than his raw scoring finish given half a season on the blueline).

 

[overpass]

I pulled this info from the NYT while I still had access. I held off putting it here since Lorne Chabot was a real option at the time, but now that he's drafted I'll post it.

The NYT published shots against and save percentages for goaltenders in the 1927-28 season. They did not publish these numbers for the full following season, for whatever reason, but they did publish them at the three-quarter mark of the season.

Here are the stats as published in the New York Times, Mar 8, 1929

[table="head;title"]Goalie | Games | Shots | Saves | GA | SV% | SA/60
Chabot | 34 | 1357 | 1299 | 58 | 0.957 | 39.9
Hainsworth | 33 | 1132 | 1095 | 37 | 0.967 | 34.3
Roach | 33 | 1313 | 1271 | 42 | 0.968 | 39.8
Dolson | 33 | 1302 | 1257 | 45 | 0.965 | 39.5
Thompson | 33 | 1075 | 1036 | 39 | 0.964 | 32.6
Gardiner | 33 | 1360 | 1301 | 59 | 0.957 | 41.2
Connell | 32 | 1163 | 1112 | 51 | 0.956 | 36.3
Miller | 32 | 1223 | 1173 | 50 | 0.959 | 38.2
Worters | 28 | 1156 | 1126 | 30 | 0.974 | 41.3
Benedict | 28 | 1064 | 1025 | 39 | 0.963 | 38.0
Walsh | 10 | 363 | 355 | 8 | 0.978 | 36.3
Himes | 1 | 60 | 57 | 3 | 0.950 | 60.0
Grant | 1 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 0.943 | 35.0
Forbes | 1 | 24 | 21 | 3 | 0.875 | 24.0
Total | 332 | 12627 | 12161 | 466 | 0.963 | 38.0[/table]

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

I found a great article from 1932 about Greatest Hockey Star (in history). I'll post it when everyone mentioned is drafted. One of "honorable mentions" will be a big surprise.

Howie Morenz seems to be the popular pick among newer fans, and Tommy Phillips the popular pick among old timers. Cyclone Taylor and Mickey MacKay are mentioned as the best for western fans too young to see Phillips.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

I'm working on a Charlie Gardiner bio. The short version is that it appears that the hockey world considered him the best goalie in the world, no question in the early 30s.

In the past, we knew that he was very good in the playoffs when he finally won the Cup in 1934. I found 2 articles suggesting he was great in the playoffs well before then. Posting here because of the prominent mention of Hugh Lehman:

From 1930:

Article Summarized: "Grueling Battle Lasts Almost Two Hours, Breaks League Record; Howie Morenz Scores Final Winning Goal, Marvelous Net Minding of Gardiner Saves Hawks from Overwhelming Defeat"

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=1554,3586865&dq=chuck+gardiner&hl=en

The miraculous goaltending of Chuck Gardiner in the Hawks nets, was all that kept the Canucks* from scoring time after time, but after being injured twice, the Chicago marvel at last succumbed to a shot from Morenz after 51 minutes and 53 seconds of overtime play.

*yes, the Canadiens were referred to as "the Canucks" multiple times in the article. "Canucks" seems to be used as a nickname like "Habs" is today.

Abel on the Hawks defense was, outside of Gardiner, the greatest player on the ice.

XXX rushed Gardiner and knocked him down while trying to score. The game was held up for a minute while he recovered from a blow to the stomach. Chuck continued to perform brilliantly however, stopping seemingly impossible shots time after time

____________________

From 1931:

Charlie Gardiner is the greatest goalkeeper hockey fans ever saw. Saskatchewan hockey supporters cannot imagine what a team of superstars the Montreal Canadiens are - Johnny Gottselig and XXX are the best two forwards on the Black Hawks roster.

Gardiner is even better than Hughie Lehman, known as "Eagle Eye' was in his prime, and the way he comes out of his goal - sometimes as much as 15 feet - just breaks the hearts of opposing sharpshooters.

This isn't about Gardiner but I find it interesting:

One strange feature of the Black Hawk strategy is that the defencemen are changed every few minutes.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...BAJ&pg=5341,4644892&dq=charlie+gardiner&hl=en

So what can we gather from this? As early as 1931, after getting his very first First Team All-Star nod, Charlie Gardiner was already considered the best goalie ever by at least one observer (when I do his profile, I'll profile more quotes saying basically the same thing).

More evidence that Gardiner was perhaps the first "modern" goaltender. We already knew from Pelletier that he was unique in that he would leave the net to break up plays. Now it seems like he was unique for the era in that he would also come out of the net to cut down angles.

Also, more evidence as to how Hugh Lehman was the man to whom all goalies were compared in the West.

__________________

Here's an obituary from Gardiner:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...BAJ&pg=1161,6643051&dq=charlie+gardiner&hl=en

Some interesting tidbits:

Hugh Lehman taught Gardiner how to play goal and Duke Keats taught him how to "outguess" opposing forwards, back when Gardiner was still out west.

Also, apparently a very young Gardiner was ready to give up on his career after getting lit up, playing behind the "woeful" Blackhawks team of his early years. Duke Keats was the man who encouraged Gardiner to stick with it.

 

[seventieslord]

Here comes jarek, to say this proves Duke Keats is an above average to excellent ATD leader...

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

My favorite part of this article is that part where they basically say that it's impossible for a young whippersnapper like Howie Morenz to be better than a guy like Tommy Phillips. After all, back in the good old days of 7 man hockey, men had to play the whole game!

WHOSE THE GREATEST HOCKEY STAR?

They'll tell you in the East, if you but care to listen, that there is but one Howie Morenz, and that the flashy, hard-shooting forward of the Canadiens is hockey's greatest product. There is much pointing with pride to his remarkable speed, the tricky stickhandling and the sharpshooting which has made the Stratford boy shine so brightly in pro company these many years.

Granted that Howie is a grand hockey player, probably the greatest in recent years. But it's hard to be convinced that he outclasses some of the lads we watched back in the days of the old seven-man game, when players went the full 60 minutes with but a 10-minute rest.

The late Tommy Phillips, the Rat Portege stylist was quite the puck propellar. Tommy was fast and got many a goal. He could travel both ways at tremendous speed, was a wizard with a stick, took his bumps with the best of them and could shoot with either hand and drill the puck through almost infinitesimal spaces while skating at top speed.

Coast fans, who didn't get an opportunity to see the old-time easterners in action, find it hard to believe that anyone could be better than Fred "Cyclone" Taylor or Mickey MacKay were in their day. They were wonderful players too. Then there was Frank McGee of the famous Ottawa Silver Seven, and we can go right back as far as Dan Bain, a rushing, hard-shooting, forward of the Winnipeg Victorias and (undrafted player omitted), both prominent in the early days of Stanley Cup history.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

An article from 1944 about the newly proposed HHOF lists the following players as “nearly certain†to be inducted into the Hall: Georges Vezina, Hod Stuart, Howie Morenz, Tommy Phillips, Cyclone Taylor, Russel Bowie, Dan Bain, Frank McGee.

"There is a possibility Newsy Lalonde and several other early-day stars will be added to the first slate.â€

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...BAJ&pg=867,5600151&dq=dan+bain+winnipeg&hl=en

I find it interesting to compare the guys who were basically considered "no-brainer" inductions into the inaugural HHOF class with who actually made it (all the no-brainers plus several other guys). Interesting that Lalonde was passed over in 1945 and 1947, having to wait until 1950.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

OMG, someone stole **** from the HHOF!!!!!

The Hockey Hall of Fame was broken into overnight and some of the top trophies in the game were stolen.
...
missing are the Calder and Conn Smythe trophies from the National Hockey League and the original Hart Trophy which was replaced about 15 years ago.
...
about 100 medals presented to Fred J. Robinson of Toronto, a famous speed-skater of the 1900s, were taken along with 40 medals from a collection of Dan Bain of Winnipeg, an old-time all-around athlete and captain of two Stanley Cup teams.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AJ&pg=5830,2369698&dq=dan+bain+winnipeg&hl=en

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

obviously, I was waiting for Bain to be drafted to dump the last three articles.

 

[nik jr]

I pulled this info from the NYT while I still had access. I held off putting it here since Lorne Chabot was a real option at the time, but now that he's drafted I'll post it.

The NYT published shots against and save percentages for goaltenders in the 1927-28 season. They did not publish these numbers for the full following season, for whatever reason, but they did publish them at the three-quarter mark of the season.

Here are the stats as published in the New York Times, Mar 8, 1929

[table="head;title"]Goalie | Games | Shots | Saves | GA | SV% | SA/60
Chabot | 34 | 1357 | 1299 | 58 | 0.957 | 39.9
Hainsworth | 33 | 1132 | 1095 | 37 | 0.967 | 34.3
Roach | 33 | 1313 | 1271 | 42 | 0.968 | 39.8
Dolson | 33 | 1302 | 1257 | 45 | 0.965 | 39.5
Thompson | 33 | 1075 | 1036 | 39 | 0.964 | 32.6
Gardiner | 33 | 1360 | 1301 | 59 | 0.957 | 41.2
Connell | 32 | 1163 | 1112 | 51 | 0.956 | 36.3
Miller | 32 | 1223 | 1173 | 50 | 0.959 | 38.2
Worters | 28 | 1156 | 1126 | 30 | 0.974 | 41.3
Benedict | 28 | 1064 | 1025 | 39 | 0.963 | 38.0
Walsh | 10 | 363 | 355 | 8 | 0.978 | 36.3
Himes | 1 | 60 | 57 | 3 | 0.950 | 60.0
Grant | 1 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 0.943 | 35.0
Forbes | 1 | 24 | 21 | 3 | 0.875 | 24.0
Total | 332 | 12627 | 12161 | 466 | 0.963 | 38.0[/table]

that may be the same report i asked about in the previous chat thread. but i guess the other statistics are in different articles.

Detailed statistics for the 1927-28 NHL season, which included unofficial tallies of shots by skaters and against goaltenders, and ice time numbers, were printed in what newspaper?

New York Times. These stats were a wonderful find a few years ago. Aurel Joliat took the most shots in the league; Alec Connell led in save percentage. Top defencemen like Buck Boucher, Eddie Shore and Lionel Hitchman played over 50 minutes per game.

http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Ultra-Hard-Hockey-Stats-90274.html

but that site says connell led in sv%. chart says not.

 

[Dreakmur]

I pulled this info from the NYT while I still had access. I held off putting it here since Lorne Chabot was a real option at the time, but now that he's drafted I'll post it.

Not sure why that chart would increase his likelyhood of getting drafted. Is showes that his save percentage is below the league average.

 

[EagleBelfour]

It's not really 'dishing the dirt', but I thought it was a very nice video of 8-10 ATD players.



I would recommend taking 10 minutes of your time and looking at the full video. If not, my summary if you just want to skim through it:

- You can see Viacheslav Starshinov speed at around 1:30. Was it VMBM that said something like: ''he was slow, but not dramatically''? Anyway, seems to be accurate.

- Lennart Svedberg at the 2:10 time is very impressive. Big guy with decent skating, beat two Russian player on a nice move and a great pass for a goal. Wow!

- At around 4:00, you can see just how impressive #13 Boris Mikhailov and especially #16 Valeri Kharlamov are. Very nice play. They are the best two players during that whole video.

- You can see Mikhailov speed on a breakaway at 5:20 and his overall impressive skillset afterwards. Far more than a 'glue guy', using ATD term.

- On a side note, first time I see a goaltender (Sweden) playing with an helmet with no facial protection!

- I was looking at this video, mainly because of my new acquisition, Vladimir Vikulov. You see him once in this, at the 7:40 mark, but wow! Great speed, soft hand, mystify the defenceman and beat the Swedish goaltender with a nice backend. I had to see it twice to fully appreciate the play. On a side note, Vikulov also beat T.Esposito in the Summit Series in Game 5 with a nice backend shot. Perhaps it was a weapon he liked to use, although we obviously cannot draw conclusion on two goals!

- Last but not least, #10 Alexander Maltsev at around 8:00 that completely mystify the Swedish defence to score a very nice one!

---

Hope some people enjoyed it!



-

 

[seventieslord]

Once there was a type of player who barged into the two defensemen lined up abreast and by sheer power tred to skate over them. Sprague Cleghorn was this type, but hs school of slam-bang hockey is not popular anymore, because it takes too much strength and endurance to stand the hardships of the play.

Cleghorn used to skate directly in between the defensemen, whether they closed in on him or not. Usually something would have to give, but generally, it was not Cleghorn!

....

 

[Sturminator]

....

Five bucks says Stevens would take his head off.