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1962 Hockey Inductees

Like the 1961 Hockey Hall of Fame Class, the Class of 62 was also large. This one however was very heavy on looking at builders (a couple of which we wonder aloud if they belong) and had six players, none of which we would consider headliners, and a couple we wonder if they belong at all. Basically, if this were televised, we wonder how low the ratings would have been.
As the eldest of the Smith family of Hockey players from Ottawa, Alf Smith had a bit of a rough road to the Hall of Fame. Smith started his career in the 1890’s but was declared ineligible for amateur contests and did not play in what was likely his prime. He would however reclaim his eligibility and had his most famed years as the Player/Coach of…
Considered one of the game’s early promoters, Ambrose O’Brien was actually a decent player himself. With his playing days over, O’Brien did his best to get his beloved town of Renfrew into the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association. When that failed, he essentially started up a rival National Hockey Association which had an immediate impact. Perhaps more importantly, he founded the Montreal Canadians which would become…
Many members of the 1920’s Ottawa Senators are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, so it should not be a large surprise that the owner of that team, Frank Ahearn was also inducted. His love of the game and ability to assemble winning rosters gave pride to the hockey mad capital of Canada. Ahearn tried to keep his team afloat in the 30’s, but due to…
In the city of Toronto, Frank Smith is credited for the growth of Minor Hockey. Smith created the Beaches Hockey League which would eventually morph into the Greater Metro Toronto Hockey League which would be the largest hockey organization in the world. That may not seem like a lot in the grand scope of the sport, but imagine the amount of kids he helped play the…
The owner of the New Westminster Royals of the Western Hockey League, Frederick Hume was a large part of the growth of the game in the Pacific Northwest. Hume did a lot to help sports in general in the Vancouver area throughout his life. Truthfully, though Frederick Hume’s hockey related accomplishments seem more appropriate for a Provincial Hall rather than the one in Toronto.
Another one of the game’s early heroes, Harry Hyland was a very good scorer and had his best efforts with the Montreal Wanderers. Hyland was a very good goal scorer (he once scored eight goals in a game) and was one of the better players for the Montreal Wanderers, but was he a Hall of Famer? Frankly, we have our doubts.
The son of Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, James E. Norris, James D. Norris assisted in the running of the Detroit Red Wings which his father owned. The younger Norris looked to strike out on his own, and along with Arthur Wirtz, purchased the struggling Chicago Black Hawks. Over time, he helped to make the team a viable franchise and in the early 60’s Chicago was…
Incredibly talented and double tough, Howard “Punch” Broadbent is a one of a select few who can claim to be the first true “Power Forward” of the game. Although he lost a few years due to military service in World War I, he came back with a vengeance helping the Ottawa Senators win three Stanley Cups. In the process, Punch Broadbent was the NHL’s leading scorer in…
One of the most consistent scorers of his day, Reg Noble may have never led the league in scoring, but was often in the hunt. Noble was also a tough player and a proven winner. On three occasions he raised the Stanley Cup over his head with three different teams. He may not have been the best player in his day, but up and down through…
Although Steamer Maxwell (Another cool ass name in the early days of sports) never turned professional, it was not because he was not good enough. Fred “Steamer” Maxwell had the skills, but he chose to remain in the amateur ranks. With that said, did he have enough of career to justify his Hall Of Fame entry? We have looked up and down at his resume and we…
The first Russian born player in the National Hockey League, Sweeney Schriner was a lot more than the answer to that trivia question. Schriner was only in “Mother Russia” for the first month in his life, and for all intensive purposes was like any other Canadian kid obsessed with Hockey. Schriner made an immediate impact in the pro ranks winning the Calder Trophy and leading the…
The original owner of the Boston Celtics also played a major role in the development of Hockey in the United States. Brown himself coached the amateur Boston Olympics to five titles and a World Championship and Olympic Bronze. He would later take over the financially struggling Boston Bruins as their president. He would also become the Vice President of the IIHF and the chairman of…