Scotty Davidson

Allan McLean "Scotty" Davidson (March 6, 1891 – June 16, 1915) was a Canadian ice hockey player and soldier. He was considered one of the top wingers of the game's early years. He led his Kingston junior team to two Ontario Hockey Association championships in 1910 and 1911, when he moved to Calgary for the 1911–12 season and led the Calgary Athletics senior team to the Alberta provincial championship. Davidson turned professional with the Toronto Blueshirts in 1912 and was among the National Hockey Association's leading scorers the following two seasons. He captained Toronto to the Stanley Cup championship in 1914.

Scotty Davidson
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1950
Born (1891-03-06)March 6, 1891
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Died June 16, 1915(1915-06-16) (aged 24)
Belgium[1]
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Right Wing/Defence
Shot Right
Played for Toronto Blueshirts
Playing career 1912–1914

Upon the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Davidson volunteered with the Canadian Expeditionary Force; he was the first professional hockey player to do so. He was killed in action on 16 June 1915,[2] while fighting in Belgium. Hailed as a hero by his peers, Davidson was said to have been killed after refusing to retreat during a battle. A military record reports he was "killed instantly by a shell which exploded near him in the trench." [3] He is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. Davidson was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1950.

Playing career

Davidson was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, and learned the game through his coach, James T. Sutherland.[4] He first played in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) senior division in 1908–09 where, as a 17-year-old, he led the league with eight goals in four games.[5] He joined the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHA junior division in 1909 where he emerged as a top player in the league.[4] He was known for his shooting ability and was considered a strong backchecker. Davidson served as team captain,[6] and led the Frontenacs to OHA junior titles in 1910 and 1911.[7] He was a standout in the 1911 championship, leading his team back from a 3–0 deficit to win the game.[1]

Davidson with the Calgary Athletic Club in 1911–12.

After leaving the junior game, Davidson moved to Alberta where he played senior hockey for the Calgary Athletics. He scored three goals in four regular season games and added another three goals in three playoff games.[8] The Athletics won the provincial championship, but were defeated by the Winnipeg Victorias for the Allan Cup.[9] While with the Calgary Athletics Davidson played defence (either point or cover point).

He returned to Ontario for the 1912–13 season when he was signed by the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association (NHA).[4] Davidson made his professional debut with Toronto in their season-opening loss to the Montreal Canadiens,[10] and finished his rookie season with 19 goals in 20 games.[8] He started the season on defence (point), the same position he had played the previous season in Calgary, but was soon switched to right wing.

The Blueshirts named him team captain for the 1913–14 season, and he responded by finishing in the top ten in NHA goals with 23 and second in assists with 13.[5] Tied atop the standings with the Montreal Canadiens after the regular season, the Blueshirts faced the Canadiens in a two-game, total-goal series for both the O'Brien Cup, the NHA championship, and control of the Stanley Cup, the Canadian championship. Following a 2–0 loss at Montreal, Davidson played a key role in Toronto's 6–0 victory in the return match. He scored two goals, including Toronto's third which clinched the championship.[11] The title represented the first time a team from Toronto won the Stanley Cup.[12]

The Blueshirts then immediately faced the Victoria Aristocrats of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association held in March 1914.[13] It was considered an unofficial challenge for the Stanley Cup as the Aristocrats failed to arrange the series with the Cup's trustees.[6] Toronto emerged with three consecutive victories to win the series that was on occasion violent – Davidson was involved in a fight late in the third game that touched off a melee involving most players for both teams.[13]

Military career

When World War I broke out in 1914, Davidson was the first professional hockey player to volunteer with the Canadian Expeditionary Force.[5] He served with the Eastern Ontario Regiment of the Canadian Infantry, and attained the rank of lance-corporal.[14] While on his way to England on the steamer SS Cassandra Davidson showed off his athletic skills by winning the championship in a big boxing tournament held on the boat, defeating David Carson of Kingston, Ontario in the finals.[15]

Davidson earned the respect of his fellow soldiers who wrote of his bravery and fearlessness.[16] He once rescued a wounded officer while fighting in France, and one account of his death asserts that he was shot in the back and killed while attempting to carry an injured soldier to safety.[7] Another held that he died while on a bombing raid after refusing to retreat until he had spent his ammunition. He was said to have used his final grenade to kill a German officer before being killed himself.[16] Yet another version of Davidson's death was reported in the August 18, 1915 issue of the Calgary Daily Herald and claimed Davidson was sitting in the trenches playing cards with four other soldiers when a shell dropped in the midst of the party killing Davidson and his friends.[17]

Legacy

By the time he left hockey to fight in the war, Davidson was considered one of the top all-around players in the NHA.[16] Noted for his skating ability, it was said that he could skate faster backwards than most players could forwards.[6] In 1925, Maclean's named him the top right wing when it determined its all-star team of the game's greatest players,[5] an opinion shared by his former junior coach, who stated that he was "as good as any player to ever patrol a wing position".[6]

Davidson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1950,[4] and is honoured by the International Hockey Hall of Fame.[6] The Kingston Frontenacs erected a monument to his memory shortly after his death.[18] He was 23 years old when he was killed, and his name is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France.[14]

Career statistics
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1908–09 Kingston 14th Regiment OHA-Sr 4 8 0 8 11 4 4 0 4 6
1909–10 Kingston Frontenacs OHA-Jr
1910–11 Kingston Frontenacs OHA-Jr
1911–12 Calgary Athletics SASHL 4 3 0 3 3 3 0 3 6
1912–13 Toronto Blueshirts NHA 20 19 0 19 69 — — — — —
1913–14 Toronto Blueshirts NHA 20 23 13 36 64 4 3 0 3 18
NHA totals 40 42 13 55 133 4 3 0 3 18
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See also
  • List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career

References
  1. German, Trevor (May 16, 2008). "Why it is a memorial cup; Junior hockey trophy was named to honour hockey-playing Canadians killed in war". Waterloo Region Record. p. A13. Retrieved November 21, 2011.(subscription required)
  2. Circumstanced of Death Registers, First World War - Library and Archives Canada; Vol. 31829_B016, P. 599
  3. Circumstanced of Death Registers, First World War - Library and Archives Canada; Vol. 31829_B016, P. 599
  4. "Scotty Davidson biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  5. Duplacey, James; Zweig, Eric (2010). Official Guide to the Players of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Firefly Books. p. 123. ISBN 1-55407-662-5.
  6. Ellsworth, Ron. "Scotty Davidson – Stanley Cup champion and war hero". International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  7. Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players: The ultimate A–Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL. Toronto: Doubleday Canada. pp. 937–938. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
  8. "Scotty Davidson statistics". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  9. ""Scotty" Davidson goes east tonight". Calgary Daily Herald. November 23, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  10. "Torontos lose to Canadiens". Calgary Daily Herald. December 26, 1912. p. 9. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  11. "Torontos win championship of N.H.A. from Canadiens". Toronto World. March 12, 1914. p. 8. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  12. "Hockey". Toronto World. March 13, 1914. p. 8. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  13. "Toronto makes it three straight for Stanley Cup". Montreal Daily Mail. December 20, 1914. p. 8. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  14. "Casualty details: Davidson, Allan McLean". Canadian War Graves Commission. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  15. "Davidson won the boxing championship", The Calgary Daily Herald, Nov. 2, 1914 (pg. 8)
  16. "Scotty Davidsons's heroism one of the bravest acts of war". Calgary Daily Herald. December 9, 1915. p. 14. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  17. "Calgary Hockey Star Dies For His Country On the Belgian Plains", The Calgary Daily Herald, Aug. 18, 1915 (pg. 6)
  18. ""Scotty" Davidson met heroic death in France". Regina Morning Leader. December 7, 1915. p. 6. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
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