George Hainsworth

George Henry Hainsworth (June 26, 1893 – October 9, 1950) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League, and the Saskatoon Crescents in the Western Canada Hockey League. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

George Hainsworth
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1961
Born (1893-06-26)June 26, 1893
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died October 9, 1950(1950-10-09) (aged 57)
Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight 150 lb (68 kg; 10 st 10 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
Saskatoon Sheiks
Playing career 1926–1937

Personal

Hainsworth was born in the Kew Beach area of Toronto in 1893.[1] Hainsworth's family moved to Berlin, Ontario, where his father was a water commissioner for many years.[2] After his playing days were over, Hainsworth returned to Berlin (now named Kitchener) with his wife Alma and son Bill. Bill played goaltender, like his father, and played in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) as a junior and later as a senior player but never a professional.[3]

Playing career

Hainsworth played junior hockey for the Berlin Union Jacks then moved up to senior hockey with the Berlin City Seniors and the Kitchener Greenshirts.[3] One of the games he played for Kitchener against the Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club in the 1923 OHA playoffs was the first game that Foster Hewitt broadcast. By the end of the 1922–23 season, Hainsworth had played five seasons for the Greenshirts. At that time, Newsy Lalonde, manager of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) Saskatoon Crescents, needed a goalie. On the recommendation of Montreal Canadiens' part-owner Leo Dandurand, Lalonde signed Hainsworth to a pro contract of $2,500 per season with Saskatoon. Hainsworth played three seasons with Saskatoon before he was signed by Dandurand to play goal for Montreal in 1926. The Western league was in the process of folding, and Dandurand signed Hainsworth to a $6,500 per year contract before Toronto claimed him from the Western league players who were en masse moving to the National Hockey League (NHL).[2] Dandurand had to pay $5,000 to Saskatoon for the rights to Hainsworth.[3]

There was a need for a top goaltender in Montreal. Georges Vezina, the Canadiens goaltender, had recently died of tuberculosis. Vezina had played every game in team history from the 1910–11 NHA season until the opening game of the 1925–26 NHL season, when the illness proved too much for him. In his memory, the team decided to create the Vezina Trophy for most valuable goaltender in the NHL.

Hainsworth proved up to the challenge by winning the Vezina Trophy for the 1926–27, 1927–28 and 1928–29 NHL seasons. In 1928–29, he set an all-time record with 22 shutouts and a 0.92 goals against average while playing all 44 games.[4] In 1930 he set an NHL record that still stands, going 270 minutes and 8 seconds without allowing a goal during the playoffs for the Canadiens. He backstopped the Canadiens to back to back Stanley Cups in 1930 and 1931. Hainsworth served as the Canadiens' captain during 1932–33, becoming the second of only eight goalies to serve as an NHL team's captain.

Hainsworth was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1933 for Lorne Chabot in a move by Dandurand to land another French-Canadian on his roster and boost attendance.[2] Hainsworth helped the Maple Leafs reach the 1935 Stanley Cup Final. In 1936, Turk Broda won the goaltender job for Toronto, and Leaf manager Conn Smythe gave Hainsworth his outright release on November 25, 1936.[5] Hainsworth retired, but was persuaded to join the Canadiens again after goaltender Wilf Cude was injured.[6] Hainsworth played four more games for the Montreal Canadiens, from December 12 to 20, 1936, before retiring for good.[7][8]

Post career

In 1936, Hainsworth became a radio inspector with Dominion Electrohome Ltd. During World War II, he was a member of Kitchener's civil defence guard. In 1949, he was elected to Kitchener's city council.[9]

Hainsworth died in a head-on collision between his car and a light panel truck near Gravenhurst, Ontario, on Monday, October 9, 1950.[10] Hainsworth was pronounced dead at the scene from several broken ribs which punctured his heart. Hainsworth was returning home from Val D'Or, Quebec, where he and his wife had visited their son Bill.[9] He was 57. His funeral was held October 13 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Kitchener and the burial was at Woodlawn Cemetery.[11]

Awards and achievements

Records
  • He is third all-time in professional (including both NHL and WCHL/WHL) shutouts with 104.
  • His 94 career NHL shutouts are third on the NHL's all-time list behind Martin Brodeur's 125 and Terry Sawchuk's 103.
  • Has the second lowest career goals against average in the NHL with 1.93, behind Alex Connell's 1.91.
  • Holds the NHL single-season shutout record with 22 shutouts in 1928–29.
  • Holds the NHL single-season goals against average record with 0.92 in 1928–29.
  • Holds the NHL single-playoffs record of time in net without allowing a goal, at 270 minutes and 8 seconds, in 1929-30.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPWLTMinGASOGAA GPWLTMinGASOGAA
1910–11 Berlin Mavericks Minor-ON ———————— ————————
1911–12 Berlin Union Jacks OHA Jr 43102401303.25 62313603005.00
1912–13 Berlin City Seniors OHA Sr 43102401213.00 84314803514.38
1913–14 Berlin City Seniors OHA Sr 77004201101.57 97115903113.15
1914–15 Berlin City Seniors OHA Sr 5500300911.80 42112401914.75
1915–16 Berlin City Seniors OHA Sr 88004801812.85 42202801803.86
1916–17 Kitchener Kew Beach TIHL ———————— ————————
1917–18 Kitchener Greenshirts OHA Sr 99005403103.44 53112981012.01
1918–19 Kitchener Greenshirts OHA Sr 95315702802.95 ————————
1919–20 Kitchener Greenshirts OHA Sr 86204801612.00 2011150602.40
1920–21 Kitchener Greenshirts OHA Sr 107306002232.20 101060606.00
1921–22 Kitchener Greenshirts OHA Sr 103706003813.80 ————————
1922–23 Kitchener Greenshirts OHA Sr 128407203212.67 ————————
1923–24 Saskatoon Crescents WCHL 301512318497342.37 ————————
1924–25 Saskatoon Crescents WCHL 281611117007522.65 2011120603.00
1925–26 Saskatoon Sheiks WHL 301811118126442.12 2011129401.86
1926–27 Montreal Canadiens NHL 4428142273967141.47 4112252611.43
1927–28 Montreal Canadiens NHL 4426117273048131.05 2011128301.41
1928–29 Montreal Canadiens NHL 4422715280043220.92 3030180501.67
1929–30 Montreal Canadiens NHL 4220139268010842.42 6501480630.75
1930–31 Montreal Canadiens NHL 442610827408981.95 106407222121.75
1931–32 Montreal Canadiens NHL 4825167300811062.20 41303001302.60
1932–33 Montreal Canadiens NHL 4818255298011582.32 2011120804.00
1933–34 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 4826139301011932.37 52303021102.19
1934–35 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 4830144295711182.25 73404611221.57
1935–36 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 4823196300010682.12 94505412702.99
1936–37 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 3021190902.84 ————————
1936–37 Montreal Canadiens NHL 42112701202.67 ————————
WCHL totals 88493455361212102.37 ————————
NHL totals 4652461447429,104937941.93 5222255348411281.93

Bibliography
  • Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Honoured Members: Hockey Hall of Fame. Bolton, Ontario: Fenn Publishing. ISBN 1-55168-239-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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References
  1. Podnieks, p. 42.
  2. "Dandurand Pat Newsy Wise to Hainsworth". Toronto Daily Star. October 11, 1950. p. 16.
  3. "Hainsworth, One of Hockey's All-Time Greats, Killed". Montreal Gazette. October 11, 1950. p. 16.
  4. Pelletier, Joe. "George Hainsworth". habslegends.blogspot.com.au. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  5. "Hainsworth Is Cut From Leaf Roster". The Montreal Gazette. November 26, 1936. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  6. "Canadiens Use Hainsworth - Subs For Injured Cude". Windsor Daily Star. December 14, 1936. p. 17. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  7. "Red Wings Suffer 4-3 Setback at the Hands of the Canadiens". The Windsor Daily Star. December 16, 1936. p. 28. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  8. "Cude Back in Nets for Chicago Game". The Montreal Gazette. December 22, 1936. p. 14. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  9. "Ex-Leaf Goalkeeper Dies In Head-On Highway Crash". Toronto Daily Star. October 10, 1950. pp. 1–2.
  10. Hockey Hall of Fame 2003, p. 42.
  11. "Hainsworth Funeral to be held Friday". Toronto Daily Star. October 11, 1950. p. 1.
  12. "George Hainsworth (1926-1937)". hockeygoalies.org. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  13. "George Hainsworth". Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
Preceded by
Sylvio Mantha		 Montreal Canadiens captain
1932–33		 Succeeded by
Sylvio Mantha
Preceded by
New Award		 Winner of the Vezina Trophy
1927, 1928, 1929		 Succeeded by
Cecil Thompson
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