Elmer Ferguson facts for kids

Elmer Ferguson (born February 25, 1885 – died April 26, 1972) was a famous Canadian sports journalist. He was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. In 1910, Ferguson moved to Montreal. He became the sports editor for the Montreal Herald newspaper in 1913.

Elmer Ferguson was one of the most respected writers of his time. He was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982. An important award for sports media, the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, is named after him.

Elmer Ferguson's Early Career

Elmer Ferguson started working very young. When he was just six years old, he sold newspapers on the streets of Moncton, New Brunswick. At 17, he became a "copy boy" at the Moncton Transcript newspaper. A copy boy helps with small tasks around the newsroom.

Soon, he became a sports writer for the paper. By 1910, he was the news editor. With Ferguson in charge, the Moncton Transcript became the first newspaper in the Maritimes (a region in Eastern Canada) to print a full sports page every day.

Becoming a Sports Editor

After his time in Moncton, Ferguson moved to Montreal. He got a job as an editor at the Montreal Herald newspaper. In 1913, he became the sports editor for the paper. This meant he was in charge of all the sports news.

Elmer Ferguson quickly became a very well-known sports journalist. He wrote a popular column called "The Gist and the Jest of It." He worked as the sports editor for the Montreal Herald for 39 years. He kept writing his columns until the newspaper closed down in 1957. After that, he wrote for The Montreal Star until a few months before he passed away in 1972.

Radio Broadcasting

Besides writing for newspapers, Elmer Ferguson also worked on the radio. He was a "colour commentator" for hockey games. This means he helped describe the game and added interesting details.

He worked for the Montreal Maroons hockey team from 1933 to 1938. Then, he joined the broadcasts for the Montreal Canadiens from 1938 to 1967. He worked alongside other famous broadcasters like Doug Smith and Danny Gallivan.

Awards and Honors

Elmer Ferguson received many awards for his work. In 1968, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. He was honored as a "builder," meaning he helped grow and improve sports in Canada.

In 1984, Ferguson was one of the first people recognized as a "media honouree" by the Hockey Hall of Fame. This special honor is given to journalists and broadcasters who have made a big impact on hockey. The award given to future media honourees is called the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in his memory.