Hod Stuart

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Hod Stuart bigraphy, stories - Canadian ice hockey player

Hod Stuart : biography

20 February 1879 – 23 June 1907

William Hodgson "Hod" Stuart (February 20, 1879 – June 23, 1907) was a Canadian professional ice hockey cover-point (now known as a defenceman) who played nine seasons for several teams in different leagues. He also played briefly for the Ottawa Rough Riders football team. With his brother Bruce, Stuart played in the first professional ice hockey league, the American-based International Professional Hockey League (IPHL), where he was regarded as one of the best players in the league.

Frustrated with the violence associated with the IPHL, he left the league late in 1906 and returned to Canada, where in 1907 he helped the Montreal Wanderers win the Stanley Cup, the championship trophy for hockey. Two months later, he died in a diving accident. To raise money for his widow and children, the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association hosted an all-star game, the first of its kind to be played in any sport. An estimated 3,800 spectators attended the Hod Stuart Memorial Game on January 2, 1908, described by the Montreal Herald as "unique in the history of hockey in Montreal, if not in the whole of Canada".

In an era when defencemen were expected to stay behind during the play, Stuart became known for his ability to score goals while playing a defensive role, and for his ability to remain calm during matches that often turned violent. He also became known for his work to reduce that violence and to increase the salaries of hockey players. His efforts were acknowledged when the Hockey Hall of Fame was created in 1945 and he became one of the first nine players to be inducted. He was joined there by his brother Bruce in 1961.

Awards

WPHL

Award Year(s)
First All-Star Team 1903

IPHL

Award Year(s)
First All-Star Team 1905, 1906
  • Awards from Total Hockey

Personal life

Stuart was born in Ottawa, Ontario, the eldest son of William Stuart and Rachel Hodgson. He had two brothers, Alex and Bruce, and two sisters, Jessie and Lottio. Stuart was involved in sports from an early age. His father had been a good curler and was once point skip of the Ottawa Curling Club, and both Hod and Bruce played hockey from a young age, often for the same teams. Stuart also played rugby and football, and played for the local professional football team, the Ottawa Rough Riders.

Outside of hockey Stuart worked as a bricklayer, and later in his life he also worked with his father in construction. He was said to have been a quiet person, and unlike other athletes of his era was not one to talk about his exploits, except with close friends. Loughlin, his wife, came from Quebec; around 1903 they were married and had two children together.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1898–99 Ottawa Hockey Club CAHL 3 1 0 1
1899–00 Ottawa Hockey Club CAHL 7 5 0 5
1900–01 Quebec Bulldogs CAHL 7 2 0 2
1901–02 Quebec Bulldogs CAHL 8 5 0 5
1902–03 Pittsburgh Bankers WPHL 13 7 8 15 29 4 1 2 3 2
1903–04 Portage Lakes Hockey Club Exhib. 14 13 0 13 23 9 4 0 4 12
1904–05 Calumet Miners IPHL 22 18 0 18 19
1905–06 Pittsburgh Professionals IPHL 20 11 0 11 50
1905–06 Calumet Miners IPHL 1 0 0 0 0
1906–07 Pittsburgh Professionals IPHL 4 1 3 4 19
1906–07 Montreal Wanderers ECAHA 8 3 0 3 21 4 0 0 0 8
CAHL totals 25 13 0 13
WPHL totals 13 7 8 15 29 4 1 2 3 2
IPHL totals 47 30 3 33 88
ECAHA totals 8 3 0 3 21 4 0 0 0 8