War stories of hockey players

[Professor What]

With today being Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day, I thought it might be an interesting topic to discuss war stories about some of the players that we study. One thing that pops into my head is Frank McGee and his swapping hands instead of swapping eyes so that he could get into the service despite being blind in one eye. That was some real dedication to a cause he believed in.

I know a lot of the guys played hockey in the service, but I still feel like there are some good stories that could be shared. In WW2, they were undoubtedly trying to help preserve the way of life that we knew. I think that's worth remembering.

Click to read more...

 

[jigglysquishy]

Excellent idea for a thread.

Hobey Baker famously dedicated himself to the war effort. He actually died in France after the war ended, from a mechanical failure in a plane.

 

[rmartin65]

I believe Bill Cook has quite the military experience, if I’m remembering correctly.

I think Dolly Swift was a fairly high ranking officer, but that’s pulling from memory.

 

[JackSlater]

With today being Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day, I thought it might be an interesting topic to discuss war stories about some of the players that we study. One thing that pops into my head is Frank McGee and his swapping hands instead of swapping eyes so that he could get into the service despite being blind in one eye. That was some real dedication to a cause he believed in.

I know a lot of the guys played hockey in the service, but I still feel like there are some good stories that could be shared. In WW2, they were undoubtedly trying to help preserve the way of life that we knew. I think that's worth remembering.

I always remember that McGee was killed specifically in the battle of Somme, one the the deadliest battles in history.

Doug Harvey requested to transfer to active duty rather than just playing on one of the military hockey teams and spent at least a year on active duty in the Navy when he was 20 or 21.

Sam LoPresti was 25 and Chicago's starting goaltender when he enlisted. Never played in the NHL again again upon his return. I remember that he was in active service as a gunner, but I did not know that his story was so colourful. I'll just copy it directly from his wikipedia page, largely sourced from a THN story.

"LoPresti joined the Navy's armed guard service and served aboard the SS Roger B. Taney as a gunner's mate assigned to duty protecting ships as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean. The ship was torpedoed and sunk during an Atlantic crossing in February 1943. Listed as missing in action, LoPresti was thought to be the first casualty among American professional athletes in the conflict.

As the 'Roger B. Taney' sank, LoPresti and the other Naval Armed Guards abandoned the ship on rafts, which were picked up the next morning by the lifeboats. He was one of 26 men who took refuge in the number 4 lifeboat with little water and food supplies. The lifeboat traveled towards the South American coast in a voyage of 42 days, traveling nearly 2,500 km southwest, before it were found and rescued off the coast of Brazil. The men had collected rain water when they could, at times drinking only 110 ml per day, and had only a small amount of biscuits and baker's chocolate for food. LoPresti was credited with saving the men's lives by catching the only real food they had during their entire ordeal after noticing dolphins swimming around their boat on one occasion. According to another sailor, LoPresti improvised a weapon by lashing a sheath knife to a boat hook. He plunged into the ocean and caught a 35 lb. dolphin. The men hauled it into the boat, drank its blood, and cooked its flesh in a metal bucket with rags and kerosene."

 

[Namba 17]

Took part in World War II. Serving in the naval infantry he was wounded in the foot in a battle near Shlisselburg in 1943 when he stepped on a German booby trap. After a month and a half rehabilitation at a hospital he returned to front into the infantry and served as a scout. Six months later he was wounded into his arm, but returned to the Leningrad front once again. He was wounded for the third time during the Krasnoye Selo offensive, when a "jumping mine" exploded very close to him. The wound was so serious, that doctors were going to amputate his leg, suspecting gangrene. Fortunately, this diagnosis had not been confirmed, but he was operated four times on the right leg and four times on the left one.
Nikolai Sologubov - Wikipedia
After all this he became the best WC defenseman 3 times and Soviet League all-stars 7 times.

 

[Overrated]

Wasn't Bobrov about to be deployed in Stalingrad before beyond pulled out last moment which likely saved his life?

 

[Namba 17]

Wasn't Bobrov about to be deployed in Stalingrad before beyond pulled out last moment which likely saved his life?

Bobrov never took part in war. He became army eligible at 1943 when Stalingrad was over, but never became a part of active army.
His older brother Vladimir, whom people considered as more talented, served army though. Vladimir was seriously wounded and never played anything after the war.

 

[sr edler]

There are tons of these stories related to the First World War obviously, both to pro and amateur athletes. Like Frank Fredrickson, Scotty Davidson, Coo Dion, George Francklyn, Eddy Cuzner, et cetera. Some of which died, some survived, some of which sat POW.

Eddy Cuzner, of the Toronto Varsity, was shot down and killed by the Red Baron (Manfred von Richthofen), for instance. Dion was first shot at Festubert, France, and then later when leaving for Canada on a ship it was submarined outside the Irish coast.

I think we touched on this on this site, briefly, some years ago, but Alan Livingstone McLeod on his flickr page (at Bigadore) does have a lot of profiles on hockey people involved in WW1.

2: Hockey & The Great War: Other than Hall-of-Famers

This is the second of two photo sets dealing with the nexus between hockey and the Great War. Set 1 addresses Hockey Hall of Fame players who were also soldiers in the war. This array, Set 2, recognizes players not admitted to the hall of fame who died either as soldiers in the Canadian...

www.flickr.com

1: Hockey & The Great War: The Hall-of-Famers

This is one of two photo sets on the subject of hockey and the Great War. This set addresses members of the Hockey Hall of Fame who were also soldiers in the war—thirty players, one referee and two individual in the HHoF builders category. A second set in my Flickr stream deals with players not...

www.flickr.com

Below is George Hay’s older brother Reg Hay dropping a letter from a balloon over England to his mother back in Canada. Reg Hay was a member of the 1915 Allan Cup winning Winnipeg Monarchs, where he was a teammate of Dick Irvin and Steamer Maxwell (and also later pros such as Clem Loughlin, Tommy Murray, Stan Marples, Del Irvine, and Dick’s older brother Alex Irvin). Reg Hay (a right winger) was actually a pretty decent scorer in playoff type of games.

Below are the 1915 Monarchs with the Allan Cup, Hay is seated second from the left right next to goalie Tommy Murray. Captain Alex Irvin is seated in the middle. His (more famous) younger brother Dick is in the back row (second from left).

 

[Overrated]

Bobrov never took part in war. He became army eligible at 1943 when Stalingrad was over, but never became a part of active army.
His older brother Vladimir, whom people considered as more talented, served army though. Vladimir was seriously wounded and never played anything after the war.

This is what I was referencing:

What's with the disrespect of Maurice Richard?

I mean - we have the two most active threads about whether Richard and Ovi are (apparently?) top 5 players because of their goalscoring. There's more to the game than just goalscoring. To be fair, the Ovi argument was based around a hypothetical series of best-case future events. The essence...

forums.hfboards.com

 

[overpass]

I believe Bill Cook has quite the military experience, if I’m remembering correctly.

Yeah, after serving in the artillery through several of the major battles of the war, Cook volunteered for the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force and served until 1919. One of his fellow soldiers remembered Cook as one of the bravest men he had ever known.

 

[Namba 17]

This is what I was referencing:

What's with the disrespect of Maurice Richard?

I mean - we have the two most active threads about whether Richard and Ovi are (apparently?) top 5 players because of their goalscoring. There's more to the game than just goalscoring. To be fair, the Ovi argument was based around a hypothetical series of best-case future events. The essence...

forums.hfboards.com

I've heard like 3 different stories about saving Bobrov from army, they are close, but different. Dont know which one is true, if any.
But this thread is about who served army and Bobrov clearly didnt

 

[tarheelhockey]

Bernie Morris had a war story of sorts…

Morris, Bernie (1890-1963)

Seattle Metropolitans center Bernie Morris's unlikely rise to hockey stardom belied an existence fraught with tragedy. Morris was unheralded and likely eyeing his final opportunity to better a desola

www.historylink.org

^ this is a great bio, by the way

The next day, Brougham wrote that a capacity crowd "saw the home club dish up one of the greatest exhibitions of hockey ever on up in the Fifth Avenue arena ... despite the failure of Bernie Morris, star forward of the Mets, to appear at his old position at center" ("Seattle Gets Big ..."). The Mets routed Vancouver 6-1 to all but clinch the series.

Morris? He spent the game in a jail cell. According to the Times, "between the first and second periods, Bernie's lawyer brought a message from the center at Camp Lewis to his fellow skaters in their dressing room. It was a simple message but it did the work. 'Fight like (expletive) tonight and win'" ("Seattle Overwhelms Vancouver ..."). The Metropolitans scored all six of their goals in the final two periods. Morris was "under arrest at Camp Lewis on a technical charge of evading the draft" ("Seattle Overwhelms Vancouver ...").

First arrested a week prior, Morris thought the charges a big misunderstanding. A Canadian citizen, he had been drafted into the U.S. Army. He was required by treaty to register for the draft because he lived in Seattle. Exempted by the Canadian military because he was married, Morris initially was given an exemption and low classification by Seattle's Draft Board Number 6. He was later reclassified and sent a summons to report for his physical on November 5, 1918 – six days before the armistice was signed. Morris stated "he did not receive his notice" ("Bernie Morris Convicted ...") though he admitted "that he failed to notify the draft heads of his change of address and declared in defense that his former landlord failed to forward his mail to him" ("Faces Charge ..."). When confronted with the charges, he claimed to live in Seattle only during the season and said he spent the off-season working for the Canadian government "as a civilian employee in the spruce production division" ("Faces Charge ..."). The draft board took him at his word and no charges were filed.

On February 14, 1919, however, Morris was granted a divorce from his wife on grounds of desertion in Superior Court in Seattle. His wife had refused to leave Moose Jaw, while Morris testified under oath that "his residence had been in Seattle for the past three years" ("Hockey Star Is ..."). To the draft board, this admission meant he had lied about living in the U.S. only during the season, and they immediately sought to prosecute. After his arrest, Muldoon and Frank Patrick "declared that the charges are unfounded and that Morris will be cleared upon a full investigation" ("Faces Charge ...").

The trial was heavily covered in the newspapers, and "consuming more time than that of any enlisted man ever held in camp since it was established" ("Defense In Patrick ..."). The head of the state draft board, Captain Irvin Ziegaus, "asserted that Morris 'is unquestionably a willful deserter of the most flagrant type' and 'has been playing loose and fast with the military authorities of both Canada and the United States since October, 1917'" ("Fight To Have ...").

On April 12, Morris was convicted and sentenced to two years of hard labor at the U.S. Military Prison – Alcatraz. It was "the first conviction on the Pacific Coast ... of an admitted subject of another country for refusing to comply with military orders issued by the United States" ("Hockey Star Is ..."). It also was the first "sentence for desertion here since the signing of the armistice" and The Associated Press called the trial "the most bitterly contested of any man yet tried at Camp Lewis" ("Hockey Star Is ..."). Morris and his lawyer felt he had "been the victim of high-handed methods on the part of Camp Lewis military authorities" ("Celebrated Hockey Player ..."). An exasperated Frank Patrick told reporters he'd "fight the case right up to the president of the United States" and "expressed confidence that the verdict announced yesterday would be set aside" ("Bernie Morris Convicted ...").

Incarcerated at Alcatraz

The case was "appealed in three different ways, through the military courts of the United States, through the civil courts of the United States and through the Canadian government" ("Will Make Fight ..."). On October 15, 1919, his appeal was denied in San Francisco with the United States District Court of Appeals ruling he "must serve out the two-year sentence imposed on him" ("Court Refuses Morris ..."). One week later, Pete Muldoon gave an interview in Vancouver stating that "Bernie may get everything fixed up in December" and be back playing for the Metropolitans ("Seattle Manager Back ...").

On March 13, 1920, exactly one year after his arrest, Morris was granted an Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Army. He raced back to Seattle, making the team train for a five-day trip to Ottawa and the 1920 Stanley Cup Final. "Muldoon announced that he would play" as Morris had "signed a contract in December" with the Metropolitans and remained on the team roster for the season ("Bernie Morris Back ..."). The Ottawa Citizen noted that Morris "got into some difficulty in connection with the U.S. draft law and though it was eventually straightened out and the Seattle star exonerated" he had not played that season. The Times reported his discharge, while the P-I never mentioned the situation; he simply reappeared in the Game 1 box score. On Morris's death certificate, he is listed as an Army veteran with dates of service from November 5, 1918, to March 13, 1920.

Return to the Ice

Morris played in all five 1920 Stanley Cup Final contests, starting Games 2 and 4 – both played by PCHA rules with seven men on the ice – though the Metropolitans lost the Cup to Ottawa. Out of shape, Morris performed well, with the Ottawa Citizen writing that "Morris is very dangerous as he slips in and out" ("Eastern Champions Came ...") and The Canadian Press reporting late in the series that he showed "with a little more training he would be one of the most dangerous men" on the Metropolitans ("Ice Title At ...").

 

[Albatros]

Bobby Bell was born in Montréal and played for the Victorias in the 1920s before moving to Europe to coach the Swiss national team at the 1928 Olympics in St. Moritz, winning bronze. He stayed in Switzerland coaching the national team as well as HC Davos until the early 1930s, winning bronze at the 1930 World Championships and four straight Swiss championship titles. In 1935 he moved to Germany winning the championship with Riessersee and coached also the national team to four straight European Championship bronze medals until 1939 when the Second World War broke out.

Bell then tried to get back to Canada by fleeing to Belgium, but it was not possible to secure passage over the Atlantic anymore and he was eventually arrested by the authorities as a suspected spy. As the German armies approached, Bell was transferred across the border to Abbeville, France with a group of other prisoners from Bruges. Eventually Abbeville became under attack as well, and before retreating the French captors led by captain Marcel Dingeon decided to execute all prisoners without a trial. A hand grenade was thrown into the basement acting as Bell's cell, but as it failed to explode he along with four cellmates was instead dragged out to the yard and shot there. Lieutenant Jules Léclabart then arrived to the scene and managed to stop the massacre before all prisoners had been killed, but for Bell and 20 others it was already too late. Captain Dingeon later committed suicide in a Vichy military hospital, while two of the executors, lieutenant René Caron and chief sergeant Émile Molet, were sentenced to death by the Germans and executed in Mont Valérien in 1942. Today there's a street named after lieutenant Caron in Abbeville, as well as in Humbercourt.

 

[Theokritos]

Wasn't Bobrov about to be deployed in Stalingrad before beyond pulled out last moment which likely saved his life?

Bobrov never took part in war. He became army eligible at 1943 when Stalingrad was over, but never became a part of active army.
His older brother Vladimir, whom people considered as more talented, served army though. Vladimir was seriously wounded and never played anything after the war.

More here: SIHR Blog - Bobrov's Second Birthday

If my memory doesn't fail me, my source for this story was the Bobrov biography by Anatoli Salutsky.

 

[Namba 17]

More here: SIHR Blog - Bobrov's Second Birthday

If my memory doesn't fail me, my source for this story was the Bobrov biography by Anatoli Salutsky.

Yes, as I said above, it's 3d variant of a story. Probably, it's the right variant

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

While we're on the subject, what NHLers actually deployed during WW2 in any meaningful capacity?

Im positive Ken Reardon was actually involved in combat, based on his life story Johnny Bower was reasonably close. Conn Smythe was deployed to France after D-Day and wounded. Howie Meeker was seriously injured by a grenade. John Mariucci served with the US Coast guard while also getting in service games. Lynn Patrick was an MP, and Muzz Patrick probably has the most impressive service record with Operation Torch, Anzio, and southern France.

Conversely Im just about positive that Turk Broda never left North America. Actually scratch that, several sources mention him in England, but I cant find reference to him landing on the continent. Same for Syl Apps, theres reference to them serving, but I cant find any evidence they were anything other than reserves. Sid Abel enlisted in the RCAF but also seems to have essentially been there to continue playing hockey in a military uniform. Similar story for Ken Mosdell, Gordie Drillon, Roy Conacher, Frank Eddolls, Cal Gardner, Joe Klukay, Tony Leswick, and Chuck Rayner. Jimmy Orlando tried to cheat the system and ended up a wanted man in the US for dodging the draft.

The Kraut line appear to have served as aircrew, not sure what capacity though. Reading this source sounds suspiciously similar to the typical enlisted-to-play-hockey story. I dont want to jump to conclusions there because bomber command would have been an incredibly dangerous gig if they were actually flying, but I cannot find any clear info on what any of the kraut line did in Europe

Brimsek is roughly half and half, spent most of 1943-1944 as essentially an enlisted hockey player before deploying on a naval cutter for the last year of the war. Would have been present in a support role for Tarawa & Saipan.

I cannot find any info on what Max Bentley did while in uniform. Same for Hap Emms, Bud Poile, Allan Stanley.

Two NHLers in Joe Turner (A young goalie two years out of junior with a single NHL relief appearance) and Red Garrett (promising young defenceman for the Rangers) were killed during the war.
Relevant:

Toronto Maple Leafs: World War II Veterans - Overtime Heroics

www.overtimeheroics.net

Maple Leafs history: the inimitable Walter Broda

"Nobody had the flair that Turk had to come back after a bad game and play superlatively." - Conn Smythe

www.pensionplanpuppets.com

Sports Heroes Who Served: Hockey Goaltender Served in Coast Guard During WWII

Francis Charles "Kid Zero" Brimsek was an American professional ice hockey goaltender who played nine seasons for the Boston Bruins and one season with the Chicago Blackhawks before retiring in

www.defense.gov

Sid Abel: 100 Greatest NHL Players | NHL.com

Center of famed 'Production Line' with Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay

www.nhl.com

War And Hockey History

War has made a significant impact on hockey history. The NHL has continued play through many conflicts, with the two World Wars having th...

www.greatesthockeylegends.com

'Kraut Line' of Bruins honored before going to war | NHL.com

Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart, Bobby Bauer carried off ice after last game 75 years ago

www.nhl.com

Boston Bruin legend, former RCAF member, remembered

Boston, Bruin, legend, former, RCAF, member, remembered

www.lookoutnewspaper.com

Roy Conacher

The 1998 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies included Roy Conacher, who maybe now will finally get some recognition as a great player in his o...

blackhawkslegends.blogspot.com

Frankie Eddolls

Frankie Eddolls had an inadvertent way of breaking up good friends. In 1943 the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Eddolls to Montreal for another p...

nyrangerslegends.blogspot.com

Tony Leswick 1947 New York Rangers | HockeyGods

Tony Leswick 1947 New York Rangers. HockeyGods strives to untie hockey fans from across the globe covering all types of hockey imaginable. Inform, Involve, Inspire!

hockeygods.com

John Mariucci

history.vintagemnhockey.com

Main - MSGNetworks.com

MSG+ has moved toThe GOTHAM SPORTS App. Stream live games andoriginal content now! Learn more Blackout and territorial restrictions apply. MSG+ has moved toThe GOTHAM SPORTS App. Stream live games and original content now! Learn more Blackout and territorial restrictions apply.

www.msgnetworks.com

Muzz Patrick, 83, a Ranger On 1940 Stanley Cup Team (Published 1998)

Murray (Muzz) Patrick, former New York Rangers player, coach and general manager, dies at age 83; photo (M)7

www.nytimes.com

Hockeycentral | NHL | Movers | Hockey in World War II

Im skeptical that the impact of the war years on the level of NHL competition is much more than 1944-1945 being a joke.

My work on this, apologies if many of the links are dead, its been 2 years now.

The gist of what I found was that an overwhelming number of NHL stars were effectively shielded from the normal risks and responsibilities of being a soldier due to their high profile in the minds of the home front. This shameful display of favouritism was only halted by the canadian manpower shortage of the late war, when many of the NHL stars were shipped overseas but frequently used for the same silliness like hockey exhibition in the relative safety of England.

Ironically, one of the most impressive records was that of Leafs owner Conn Smythe. As a veteran of the Great war in his late 40s who spent time in a WW1 POW camp, by the standards of the time Conn could have entirely reasonably sat out the entire second world war without criticism. Even in service, his talents as a desk officer back in Canada would have been valued without question. Instead, this absolute maniac insisted on deployment to the front lines where he was seriously injured in Normandy. He developed chronic health issues as a result of this abdominal injury (IIRC from shrapnel).

Imagine being a post-war leafs player dissatisfied with your salary being a few hundred dollars too low, and you have to tell off someone as highly respected as that.

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

Correction as in the last thread, *Terry Reardon, not Ken landed on D-Day and suffered an injury (IIRC a leg injury) and rehabbed after the war to play with the Canadiens again.