Steamer Maxwell

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Steamer Maxwell bigraphy, stories - Canadian ice hockey player

Steamer Maxwell : biography

May 19, 1890 – September 11, 1975

Fred "Steamer" Maxwell (May 19, 1890 – September 11, 1975) was a Canadian amateur ice hockey player. He played Rover in the days of seven-man hockey at the turn of the 20th century, spending six seasons with the Winnipeg Monarchs of the Manitoba Hockey League (MHL) between 1909 and 1915. Considered one of the top players of his era, he won two Manitoba provincial championships with the Monarchs and was a member of the team that won the 1915 Allan Cup as Canadian senior amateur champions. Maxwell spurned multiple offers to turn professional and ultimately quit playing hockey when he learned some of his peers at the senior amateur level were getting paid.

A long-time coach at the senior level, Maxwell led the Winnipeg Falcons to an Allan Cup championship in 1920; the team went on to win an Olympic Gold medal as Canada’s representative in the 1920 Olympic ice hockey tournament. He coached into the 1930s, leading several teams to senior and junior championships. Maxwell is an honoured member of the Manitoba Sports and Hockey Halls of Fame and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962.

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1909–10 Winnipeg Monarchs MHL 1 0 0 0 0
1910–11 Winnipeg Monarchs MHL 5 6 0 6
1911–12 Winnipeg Monarchs MHL 8 7 0 7
1912–13 Winnipeg Monarchs MHL 8 2 0 2
1913–14 Winnipeg Monarchs MHL 8 3 2 5 6 2 1 0 1 6
1914–15 Winnipeg Monarchs MHL 7 3 2 5 22 1 1 0 1 6
Senior totals 37 21 4 25 28 3 2 0 2 12

Coaching career

Maxwell remained in the game, turning to coaching. He served two seasons as coach of the Winnipeg Monarchs before moving to the cross-town rival Winnipeg Falcons. He led the Falcons to the 1920 Allan Cup, defeating the University of Toronto Varsity Blues by scores of 8–3 and 3–2. The victory also earned his team the right to represent Canada at the first Olympic ice hockey tournament at the Summer Games in Antwerp. His business interests outside of hockey prevented Maxwell from travelling to Belgium with his team; however the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) lists him as the coach for the gold medal winning Canadians, who outscored their opponents 29–1 in three games played.

Maxwell coached several Winnipeg teams throughout the 1920s and 1930s. He led the Winnipeg Rangers, Winnipeg Winnipegs and Elmwood Millionaires to Manitoba provincial senior championships in 1926, 1927 and 1930, respectively. He led the Millionaires’ junior team to a provincial title that same season.

Maxwell briefly coached in the professional ranks, with the Winnipeg Maroons of the American Hockey Association in 1927–28. The Toronto Maple Leafs attempted to sign him to coach their National Hockey League club in 1931, however team owner Conn Smythe chose to hire Dick Irvin instead after Maxwell insisted on a three-year contract. Instead, Maxwell returned to the Winnipeg Monarchs, where he led their junior team to the western Canadian championship in 1931–32. In the Memorial Cup final, Maxwell’s squad lost to the eastern champion Sudbury Cub Wolves.