Howie Morenz

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Howard "Howie" William Morenz, (June 21, 1902-March 8, 1937 in Mitchell, Ontario, Canada) was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League. He played mostly for the Montreal Canadiens from 1923 to 1934 and for the Chicago Blackhawks 1934 to 1935 and the New York Rangers 1935-1936 then again for Montreal 1936-1937.

Contents 1 Early Playing Days 2 "Babe Ruth of Hockey" 3 Decline 4 A reunion cut short 5 Tragic end 6 Legacy 7 References

[edit] Early Playing Days

Born in Mitchell, Ontario, Howie Morenz learned his hockey there. Before long, his family moved to Stratford and it was here that he starred on his junior and senior teams. It was when he scored 9 goals in one game that NHL teams began being very interested in signing him. The Montreal Canadiens succeeded, but not without wrangling from the Toronto St. Patricks, who contended he was still an amateur. Howie himself even had second thoughts about playing professionally, but Morenz had signed a contract and manager Leo Dandurand threatened that he would not play hockey at all if he did not play for the Canadiens. That brought Howie to tears, telling Dandurand that he didn't think he was ready for the NHL, and that Dandurand would be responsible for his ruin. Dandurand wilted, but only to the degree that he changed his tact. He rounded up several Canadiens players for an impromptu luncheon and tried to help Morenz shed some of his homesickness. When he showed up for his first workout and displayed his talents, Sprague Cleghorn said "He'll do." He made the team and didn't do too badly that season. He won a Stanley Cup in his rookie season and was very prominent in the playoffs. He was in the top ten scoring leaders the next season, too.

[edit] "Babe Ruth of Hockey"

Considered by many old-timers to be the greatest hockey player in hockey history, Howie Morenz was a three-time winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player and a two-time scoring leader (prior to the introduction of the Art Ross Trophy). He was nicknamed "The Stratford Streak," "The Mitchell Meteor," "L'homme eclair" (loosely translated as "the man of flash") and "The Babe Ruth of Hockey." When sportswriters referred to the 1920s as "The Golden Age of Sport," Morenz was listed as the hockey player of the age alongside Ruth in baseball, Red Grange in football, Jack Dempsey in boxing, Bobby Jones in golf and Bill Tilden in tennis.

Howie filled arenas like no one had before. His blazing speed electrified crowds wherever he played. When an exhibition game was held in Boston to see if hockey could work there, Charles F. Adams applied for a franchise in Boston. When Tex Rickard watched Howie in action, he got Big Bill Dwyer to get a New York franchise and insisted that Howie and the Montreal Canadiens be the opponent in the New York Americans first home game. From there, Boston and New York were sold on hockey. Capacity crowds greeted Howie and the Canadiens when they played in NHL cities.

Howie, for all practical purposes, had his best season in 1927-28, running away with the scoring championship in an era where forward passing was very restricted, scoring a league-leading 33 goals and leading the league in assists as well with 18. He scored 40 goals in 1929-30 and led the NHL in scoring in 1930-31.

Even though he was noted for his scoring, he was also an excellent backchecker, and the Canadiens never had to worry about a defensive specialist because Howie was that specialist. Also worth noting is what Charles L. Coleman said of him in The Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol.II "He bodychecked with the ferrocity of a giant."

[edit] Decline

In 1932-33, Howie ran into injury problems and his production wasn't as good. He further declined in 1933-34 and now the Montreal Forum fans began to boo their one-time hero. He became frustrated and began resorting to some rough play. Finally, Howie showed up in Leo Dandurand's office in tears. Perhaps to take some of the pressure off Howie, Leo traded him and Marty Burke along with goaltender Lorne Chabot to Chicago in exchange for Lionel Conacher, Roger Jenkins and Leroy Goldsworthy. Howie never warmed to the trade, but did accept it. He was valuable in helping his linemates Mush March and Johnny Gottselig score in 1934-35 and Chicago finished second in the American Division. Their playoff against the Montreal Maroons was evenly matched, as the Maroons scored the only goal in the series to win. Howie declined in 1935-36 and caught the wrath of owner Frederic McLaughlin who ordered him benched. He was left out of the lineup next and then was traded to the New York Rangers.

[edit] A reunion cut short

The Canadiens had hit the bottom in 1935-36 and new owner Ernest Savard wanted Cecil Hart to manage and coach the team. He would only agree if Howie was brought back to the team. The team knew that Howie would only be a morale booster, but in December 1936 and January 1937, Howie was starting to produce. He scored 4 goals and 16 assists and might be his old self again.Then, tragedy struck.

[edit] Tragic end

His career ended on January 28, 1937 when he suffered a multiple fracture broken leg, during a home game versus the Chicago Blackhawks. The injury did more than to just end his career, as it eventually took his life as a result of complications on March 8, 1937.

Things were going flawlessly for Howie at first in St. Luke's Hospital as he was recovering nicely. Friends and other players came to see him and brought him beer and booze. Writers kept hearing him rave that he'd be back the next year, but he was not as optimistic as in the first two weeks. Finally, Howie became upset and suffered a nervous breakdown over reports suggesting a benefit game be played for him. Cecil Hart, Canadiens manager-coach, said the idea should be scrapped and visitors were banned. Phone calls would be restricted to members of Howie's family and Hart himself, who knew Howie was against a benefit game. The Canadiens' physician, Dr. J.A. Hector Forgues, X-rayed his leg and found blood clots on the morning of March 8th, 1937. He scheduled an operation for the following day. But Howie,after telling a nurse he wanted to rest after eating a light supper, went to sleep and his palor suddenly changed. The nurse knew something was wrong. Attempts to revive him failed, and Howie was dead at the age of 34.

The Montreal Forum was turned into a shrine where a memorial was held for his thousands of loyal fans, many in tears, payed their respects to the gallant Canadien. His funeral was held at the Forum and it was broadcast all over Canada. Thousands later lined the funeral cortege as Howie's body was taken for burial.

On November 3, 1937, the Howie Morenz Memorial Game was played at the Forum, to raise money for the Morenz family. A combined team of Canadiens and Montreal Maroons was defeated 6-5 by a team comprised of all-stars from the other six teams then in operation in the NHL (the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, New York Americans, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

[edit] Legacy

Howie was one of the first to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945. He was also inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. His jersey number (#7) was retired on November 2, 1937.

In 1950, Howie Morenz was voted the outstanding hockey player of the first half of the 20th Century by a national press poll.

Howie Morenz is interred in the Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal, Quebec. His daughter Marlene is the widow of fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Bernie Geoffrion.

In 1998, 61 years after his last game, he was ranked number 15 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players, making him the highest-ranking pre-World War II forward.

[edit] References

Howie Morenz: Hockey's First Superstar by Dean Robinson

Preceded by: Herb Gardiner	Winner of the Hart Trophy 1928	Succeeded by: Roy Worters
Preceded by: Nels Stewart	Winner of the Hart Trophy 1931, 1932	Succeeded by: Eddie Shore
Preceded by: Bill Cook	NHL Scoring Champion 1928	Succeeded by: Ace Bailey
Preceded by: Cooney Weiland	NHL Scoring Champion 1931	Succeeded by: Harvey Jackson