Eddie Gerard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eddie Gerard
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1945
Born	(1890-02-22)February 22, 1890 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Died	August 7, 1937(1937-08-07) (aged 47) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	168 lb (76 kg; 12 st 0 lb)
Position	Left Wing/Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Ottawa Senators Toronto St. Patricks
Playing career	1910–1923

Edward George Gerard (born February 22, 1890 – died August 7, 1937) was a Canadian ice hockey star. He was a player, coach, and manager. Eddie, as he was known, was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He played for his hometown Ottawa Senators for 10 seasons.

Eddie started his career as a left winger. Later, he became a defence player. He had to stop playing in 1923 because of a throat problem. Eddie won the Stanley Cup four times in a row! This was from 1920 to 1923. He won three times with the Senators. In 1922, he also helped the Toronto St. Patricks win. He was the first player ever to win the Cup four years in a row.

After playing, Eddie became a coach and manager. He worked with the Montreal Maroons from 1925 to 1929. He won another Stanley Cup with them in 1926. He also coached the New York Americans for two seasons. Then he went back to the Maroons. His last coaching job was with the St. Louis Eagles in 1934. He retired because his throat problem returned. Eddie passed away in 1937 due to this illness.

Eddie Gerard was known as a great athlete in many sports. He was famous in rugby football before hockey. He played as a halfback for the Ottawa Rough Riders. Outside of sports, he worked for the Canadian government. He was a printer and later worked in surveying. People thought he was one of the best defence players of his time. He was tough but played fairly. Eddie Gerard was one of the first nine players chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945. He is also in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Eddie Gerard's Life Story

Eddie Gerard was born on February 22, 1890, in Ottawa. He was one of seven children. His middle name, George, honored George Washington. George Washington also had a birthday on February 22. Eddie grew up in Ottawa's New Edinburgh area. Many future National Hockey League (NHL) players lived there too. These included Aurèle Joliat and the four Boucher brothers.

Outside of hockey, Eddie worked as a printer. He worked for the Canadian government. In 1912, he changed jobs. He started working for the Geodetic Survey. He became a chief engineering clerk there.

Eddie had a throat problem for most of his adult life. It caused him discomfort during his hockey career. Cold air in arenas made it worse. This problem led him to retire from playing in 1923. It also made him stop coaching in 1934. In August 1937, his health got much worse. He died in Ottawa on August 7, 1937. He is buried in Ottawa's Beechwood Cemetery.

Eddie's Amazing Sports Career

Beyond the Ice Rink

Eddie Gerard was good at many sports. Canada's Sports Hall of Fame said he was a "first class cricketer." He was also a great paddler and a good baseball player. When he was 15, he helped his canoe club win a big championship. Later in life, he loved golfing and fishing.

He also played rugby football, which is like Canadian football. He joined the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1909. He helped them win a major title that year. He played for the Rough Riders until 1913. He left the team when he became a professional hockey player. Back then, Canadian football was only for amateurs. So, he could not play both professionally.

Starting His Hockey Journey

Gerard in 1912, before becoming a professional player.

Eddie started playing hockey for amateur teams in Ottawa. One team was the Ottawa New Edinburghs. In 1908, he played in a Stanley Cup challenge series. His team, the Ottawa Victorias, played against the Montreal Wanderers. Montreal won the series and kept the Cup.

As early as 1910, the professional Ottawa Senators wanted Eddie to join them. But he chose to stay an amateur. The Senators kept asking him to join. In 1913, he finally thought about becoming a professional.

In November 1913, the Montreal Canadiens offered him C$1,000 for the season. This was a lot of money back then! But Eddie said no. The Senators then offered him $1,500 for two seasons. This would make him one of the highest-paid players. He also got an offer from the Sydney Hockey Club for $1,600. They even promised him an extra $1,000 from advertisements.

After playing amateur hockey since 1907, Eddie decided to go professional in 1913. He stayed in his hometown with the Senators. He was a very popular athlete in Ottawa. He only agreed to sign with the Senators if he could keep his government job. He also received a $400 bonus when he signed.

Becoming a Hockey Legend

Gerard during the 1913–14 season, his first with the Ottawa Senators.

Eddie's first game with the Senators was on January 28, 1914. He played 11 games that season. He scored 13 goals for the Senators. He also played two games for his old amateur team, the New Edinburghs. In the 1914–15 season, he played all 20 games. The Senators won the league championship. They played the Vancouver Millionaires for the Stanley Cup. Vancouver won the Cup that year.

Eddie played every game for Ottawa in the 1915–16 season. He scored 18 points. In the 1916–17 season, he had 26 points in 19 games. He even scored five goals in one game!

The NHA league changed to the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1917–18. In the first NHL season, Eddie had 20 points in 20 games. This was his best scoring year. He was also the player-coach for the Senators from 1916 to 1918. As captain, he helped lead the team.

Starting in the 1919–20 season, the Senators became a super strong team. They won the Stanley Cup three times in four years! This was between 1920 and 1923. Eddie had 16 points in 22 games that season. In the next season, he had 15 points. During the final game of the 1921 Stanley Cup Finals, he got six penalties.

Eddie played well again in the 1921–22 season. He had 18 points in 21 games. The Senators won the league championship but lost to the Toronto St. Patricks in the playoffs. After the Senators were out, Eddie got a special invitation. He was asked to play in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. A Toronto player was hurt. The Vancouver team agreed to let Toronto use Eddie as a replacement. Eddie helped Toronto win that game. This forced a fifth, deciding game. Toronto won the series, and Eddie got his third Stanley Cup in a row!

Back with the Senators for the next season, Eddie had 19 points. He broke his collarbone during a playoff series. He missed the first game of the 1923 Stanley Cup Finals. But he returned for the second game. The Senators won the Stanley Cup for the third time in four years! This was Eddie's fourth Stanley Cup in a row. He was the first player to achieve this amazing feat.

Before the 1923–24 season, doctors gave Eddie some bad news. His throat problem would get worse if he kept playing. The cold air in hockey rinks was harmful to him. So, Eddie had to retire from playing after 10 seasons with the Senators.

Because of his amazing career, Eddie Gerard was one of the first nine players chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945. He was also inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.

After Playing: Coaching and Managing

In the 1924–25 season, Eddie became the coach and manager for the Montreal Maroons. He took over halfway through their first season. He coached for five seasons with the Maroons. During this time, he won his fifth Stanley Cup in 1926! The Stanley Cup series that year was special. It was the last time a non-NHL team played for the Stanley Cup.

In the 1928 Stanley Cup Finals, a strange thing happened. The goalie for the opposing New York Rangers got hurt. Usually, another goalie from the crowd could fill in. But Eddie refused to let the Rangers use a goalie from the Senators. So, the Rangers' 44-year-old coach, Lester Patrick, played goalie himself! The Rangers won that game and later won the Stanley Cup.

On July 8, 1929, Eddie suddenly left the Maroons. He never said why. He took a year off from hockey. The New York Americans then offered him their coaching job. Eddie accepted. He coached the New York Americans for two seasons. He then resigned.

In late 1932, he returned to coach the Maroons. He coached them for two more seasons. Then, he was replaced by another coach.

Before the 1934–35 season, the Senators moved to St. Louis, Missouri. They changed their name to the St. Louis Eagles. Eddie was hired as their first coach and manager. He was paid $4,000, plus bonuses if they made the playoffs or won the Cup. But the team lost many games. His throat problems also got worse. Doctors told him to stay away from hockey rinks. So, Eddie resigned as coach on December 11, 1934. This was the end of his coaching career.

How Eddie Gerard Played

Eddie Gerard was seen as one of the most important players for the Senators. He was key to their three Stanley Cup wins. He started as a forward, scoring goals. But by his fourth season, he became a defence player. As a defender, he didn't score as much. His job was to stop the other team. But he could still "rush with the power of a forward."

Eddie was of average size for his time. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 168 pounds. But he was known as a very physical player. People said he "could hit with the force of a battering-ram." A hockey historian said he was "rugged but not a dirty player." He also "took his lumps without a whimper."

When he played for the St. Patricks in the 1922 Stanley Cup Final, people called him "one of Eastern Canada's premier athletes." They praised his "ability to administer a good heavy body check." He was also good at stick-handling. Another player, Sprague Cleghorn, said Eddie "was fast, he could stick handle, he was afraid of no man living," and "had brains." Eddie was also a great leader for the Senators. He was seen as an ideal captain.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

• Source: Hockey Hall of Fame

Coaching record

• Source: Hockey-Reference