Remembering Canadiens Legend Howie Morenz

He was deemed the "Babe Ruth" of hockey and the NHL's first superstar.

It was 72 years ago, on Mar. 8, 1937, that the hockey world lost Howie Morenz due to complications from a broken leg he suffered in a game just two months earlier.

A native of Stratford, ON, Morenz played in 14 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks.

He would be one of the top 10 scorers for 10 of those seasons.

In his first season with the Canadiens in 1924-1925, Morenz would win the first of three Stanley Cups with the franchise. The following season, he would finish in the top 10 in scoring.

He filled arenas like no one had before, electrifying crowds with this blazing speed wherever he played.

In fact, it was Morenz's playing ability in an exhibition game in Boston that led the prospective owners, Charles Adams and Bill Dwyer, to put teams in Boston and New York, respectively.

He had his best season in 1927–1928, running away with the scoring championship in an era when forward passing was very restricted. Morenz scored a league-leading 33 goals and led the league in assists as well, with 18.

Morenz scored 40 goals in 1929–1930 and led the NHL in scoring in 1930–1931.

He would win the Hart Trophy as the league MVP three times in 1928, 1930, and 1931.

From 1926 to 1932, Morenz would lead the Canadiens in scoring every season, although he shared the lead in 1925-1926 with Aurel Joliat.

In 1932–1933, he sustained some minor injuries and his production fell slightly, but he was still voted onto his second All-Star team.

His production declined further in 1933–1934, mainly due to an ankle problem sustained the season before. 

In spite of the injuries, the Montreal Forum fans began to boo their one-time hero. He became frustrated and began resorting to rough play.

Morenz would be traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, where he would play for a season and a half and then be traded to the New York Rangers.

He would return to the Canadiens in the 1936-1937 season at the request of new coach and manager Cecil Hart.

Morenz was having a comeback year, having amassed 20 points in 30 games.

Then tragedy struck.

On Jan. 28, 1937, he suffered a multiple-fracture broken leg when his skate caught a rut in the ice along the boards after a collision with Earl Seibert during a home game versus the Blackhawks.

He appeared to be recovering nicely, and writers kept hearing him rave that he would be back the next year, but he was not as optimistic as in the first two weeks.

Finally, Morenz became upset and suffered a nervous breakdown over reports suggesting a benefit game be played for him.

The Canadiens' physician, Dr. J.A. Hector Forgues, X-rayed his leg and found blood clots on the morning of Mar. 8, 1937.

He scheduled an operation for the following day. After telling a nurse he wanted to rest after eating a light supper, Morenz went to sleep, and his pallor suddenly changed.

After attempts to revive him failed, Howie Morenz died at the age of only 34. The cause of death was listed as a pulmonary embolism.

The Montreal Forum was turned into a shrine, where a memorial was held for his thousands of loyal fans.

His funeral was held at the Forum and broadcast all across Canada. Thousands later lined the funeral cortege as Morenz's body was taken for burial.

The Canadiens retired Morenz's No. 7 jersey on Nov. 2 of that year. His would be the first of just a handful to be retired by Montreal.

The following day, 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.

When the Hockey Hall of Fame opened in 1945, Morenz was one of the first 12 inductees.

Scoring 271 goals and 201 assists in 550 games, along with 22 points in 39 playoff games, he was ranked No. 15 in The Hockey News' 1998 list of 100 Greatest Hockey Players.