Howie Morenz: "The Babe Ruth of Hockey"

I was reading Brian Thiel’s article “Chris Pronger: A Lame Duck Suspension” (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/13165)  when it occurred to me that we toss around the labels “superstar” and “phenom” a little too easily.

What does it mean to be a superstar in the NHL? Obviously, there are objective standards, statistics and awards and whatnot, but what about the subjective? What is it that makes us call a player a superstar?

In the 1920s (the “Golden Age of Sport”) there was Howie Morenz. Morenz was a back-checking forward born in Mitchell, Ontario. He played hockey from an early age and was one of the top players in Mitchell. Even at an early age he was known for his speed.  

It was only after his family moved to Stratford, Ontario that Morenz really became a star player. He benefited greatly from the organized, high-level amateur play. They dubbed him the “Stratford Streak” and he once scored nine goals in one game.

Naturally, the professional teams heard about this and became interested in the forward from Stratford. Supposedly he received offers from Toronto, Saskatoon and Victoria, but he decided to sign with the Montreal Canadiens.

He had second thoughts about this and sent back the signing bonus with an apology and a request that the team tear up the contract. General Manager Leo Dandurand threatened to blackball Morenz as well as sue for breach of contract.

Despite his initial reluctance to leave Stratford, Morenz settled into Montreal and in return, Montreal loved him. He led the team to a Stanley Cup his rookie year and over the next 10 years, he continued to thrill the Montreal fans with his speed and ability.

In the 1924-25 season he scored 28 goals in 30 games. In both the 1927-28 and 1930-31 seasons he led the league in scoring and for seven years he was the leading scorer on his team. In 1930 and 1931 Morenz helped lead the Canadiens to two more Stanley Cups.

In an era where forward passes were illegal, Morenz played furious end to end hockey and never hesitated to use his body. “He was the best. He could stop on a dime and leave you nine cents change. He was in a class by himself. And when he couldn’t skate around you, he’d go right over you,” said frequent Morenz opponent King Clancy.

Unfortunately, Morenz’s aggressive style caught up with his body in the 1930s. During a low-scoring 1933-34 season, the Montreal fans began booing Morenz. This bothered him greatly and reportedly he went to Leo Dandurand’s office in tears.

He was traded to Chicago along with Lorne Chabot and Marty Burke in exchange for Lionel Conacher, Roger Jenkins, and Leroy Goldsworthy. Although the Blackhawks were second in the American Division that year, they lost. The 1935-36 season was another unproductive one for Morenz, which resulted in him being first benched, then traded to the Rangers.

Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens were struggling badly in 1935. New owner Ernest Savard wanted Cecil Hart to manage and coach the team. Hart refused unless they brought Morenz back. Savard agreed and once more a Canadien, Morenz was starting to look like his old self, scoring four goals and 16 assists between December and January of that season.

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