Carl Voss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carl Voss |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1974 (Builder) | |||
Voss in 1924 in football outfit while at Queen's University.
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| Born | January 6, 1907 Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Died | September 13, 1993 (aged 86) Lake Park, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | ||
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Toronto Maple Leafs New York Rangers Detroit Red Wings Ottawa Senators St. Louis Eagles New York Americans Montreal Maroons Chicago Black Hawks |
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| Playing career | 1926–1938 | ||
Carl Potter Voss (born January 6, 1907 – died September 13, 1993) was an American ice hockey player who became a true legend in the sport. He played as a forward in the National Hockey League (NHL) for many different teams between 1926 and 1938. After his playing days, he became a referee and later helped shape how hockey games were played and managed. Because of his huge impact on the sport, he was honored by being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.
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Carl Voss's Hockey Career
Carl Voss was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, in the United States. When he was a teenager, he moved to Canada. In 1925-26, Carl played for Queen's University's hockey team. They made it all the way to the Memorial Cup finals, which is a big championship for junior hockey teams in Canada. Even though they lost 2-1 to the Calgary Canadians, it showed Carl's talent early on.
After a short time with the Toronto Marlboros, Carl was signed by Conn Smythe, who was very important to the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was in the 1926-27 NHL season. Carl played only 14 games with the Maple Leafs at first. He spent about five years playing for their smaller, "minor league" teams. He was a top player for these teams, like the Toronto Falcons and the London Panthers in the Canadian Professional Hockey League, and the Buffalo Bisons in the International Hockey League (IHL). He even led the Buffalo Bisons to win championships two years in a row, in 1930-31 and 1931-32! In 1931-32, Carl was the top scorer in the IHL and was named to the league's First All-Star Team.
Becoming an NHL Star
In the 1932-33 season, Carl finally earned a full-time spot in the NHL with the New York Rangers. After playing 10 games, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. He had a fantastic season with the Red Wings, scoring 20 points in 38 games. This amazing performance made Carl Voss the very first player to win the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is given to the best rookie (first-year) player in the NHL.
Carl continued to play in the NHL, moving between several teams. He played for the Red Wings again, then the Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Eagles, New York Americans, and Montreal Maroons. He finally settled in with the Chicago Blackhawks for the 1937-38 season. That year was special because he helped the Blackhawks reach the Stanley Cup finals. He scored the winning goal in Game 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which meant the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup! It was Carl's first Stanley Cup win. Sadly, the next season, Carl injured his knee during training camp. The injury was so bad that he had to retire from playing hockey in the fall of 1938. He played a total of 261 games in the NHL.
Carl Voss: A Football Champion Too!
Many people don't know that Carl Voss was also a fantastic football player! While he was at university, he played four seasons (from 1924 to 1927) with the Queen's Golden Gaels football team. In 1924, his team won the 12th Grey Cup, which is the championship trophy for Canadian football. Carl's name is actually engraved on the Grey Cup for that victory!
This makes Carl Voss one of only a few special athletes whose names are on both the Stanley Cup (for hockey) and the Grey Cup (for football). Other famous people who achieved this include Lionel Conacher and Joe Miller.
Carl Voss's Life After Playing Hockey
After retiring from playing, Carl Voss started working for the U.S. branch of the Canadian Cycle and Motor Company (CCM), a well-known sports equipment company. For the next ten years, he was a key person connecting CCM with hockey teams across the United States.
During this time, Carl also worked as a referee for hockey games. He refereed games in leagues like the American Hockey League and various college games. As he gained more experience, Carl moved into important leadership roles in hockey. He became a consultant for on-ice officials, helping them do their jobs better.
Leading NHL Officials
Carl's skills in managing and organizing caught the attention of the National Hockey League. He was offered a very important job: the referee-in-chief of the NHL. He held this position for 15 years! During his time, he made many big changes to how the league's officials worked. Carl would look for talented new officials in the minor leagues to bring them into the NHL. Under his leadership, the number of on-ice officials in the NHL grew from 10 to 23.
Because of all his hard work and important contributions to improving ice hockey, Carl Voss was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974. He was recognized as a "builder" of the sport, meaning he helped make hockey better and stronger for everyone.
Carl Voss's Awards and Achievements
- Grey Cup champion in 1924.
- IHL champion in 1931 and 1932.
- Selected to the IHL First All-Star Team in 1932.
- IHL leading point scorer in 1932.
- Calder Memorial Trophy winner in 1933.
- Stanley Cup champion in 1938.
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974 as a builder.
