Frank Nighbor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Frank Nighbor |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1947 | |||
Nighbor with the Vancouver Millionaires in the 1913–14 season
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| Born | January 26, 1893 Pembroke, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | April 13, 1966 (aged 73) Pembroke, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Toronto Blueshirts Vancouver Millionaires Ottawa Senators Toronto Maple Leafs |
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| Playing career | 1912–1930 | ||
Frank Nighbor (born January 26, 1893 – died April 13, 1966) was a famous Canadian ice hockey player. People called him the "Pembroke Peach." He played as a forward, mostly for the Ottawa Senators. He also played for the Toronto Blueshirts, Vancouver Millionaires, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Nighbor was a true champion. He won the Stanley Cup five times! He won it once with the Vancouver Millionaires and four times with the Ottawa Senators. He was known for being a great defensive player. He was very good at stopping opponents from scoring goals. He used special moves like the "poke check" and "backchecking."
Frank Nighbor was also known for being a fair player. He was the first player ever to win the Hart Memorial Trophy. This award goes to the most valuable player in the league. He was also the first to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. This award is for the player who shows the best sportsmanship and skill.
Playing Career Highlights
Frank Nighbor started playing hockey in his hometown of Pembroke. He played for the Pembroke Debaters in 1910–11. His team won the Citizen Shield, which meant they were champions of the Ottawa Valley.
In 1911, Nighbor turned professional. He joined the Port Arthur Bearcats. His friend, Harry Cameron, helped him get on the team. Frank showed everyone how good he was by scoring six goals in his very first game!
In 1912, Nighbor joined the new Toronto Blueshirts team. He scored 25 goals in just 18 games! After one season, he moved to the Vancouver Millionaires. He helped the Millionaires win the Stanley Cup in 1915. They beat the Ottawa Senators in the finals.
After winning the Cup, Nighbor joined the Ottawa Senators. He played for them until 1930. He was a key player for the Senators in the 1920s. He helped them win four more Stanley Cups! These wins were in 1920, 1921, 1923, and 1927.
His best season was in 1916–17. He scored an amazing 41 goals in 19 games! He tied for the league lead in scoring that year. In 1919–20, he scored 26 goals and had 15 assists. He then scored 6 more goals in the playoffs. He led the Senators to their first Stanley Cup win in the NHL.
In 1925, something special happened. Lady Byng, who was the wife of Canada's Governor-General, invited Nighbor to her home. She was a big fan of the Senators. She showed him a beautiful trophy. She asked him if the NHL would like to give it to the most gentlemanly player. Nighbor thought it was a great idea. To his surprise, Lady Byng gave him the trophy right there! This made him the first winner of the Lady Byng Trophy. A year before, he had also been the first to win the Hart Trophy.
In 1929–30, Nighbor was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Senators team was having financial problems at the time. He played 22 games for the Maple Leafs. He then retired from hockey. He made a very short comeback in 1931–32. He played one game for the Buffalo Bisons.
Playing Style and Skills
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Frank Nighbor was known for his amazing stick skills. He was a master of the "sweep check." This is when a player lays their stick flat on the ice. They move it in wide circles to take the puck away. He was also great at the "poke check." This is a quick jab with the stick to steal the puck.
He was very skilled and smart with the puck. He was also a good scorer. But what made him truly special was his sportsmanship. Lady Byng was so impressed by him that she created the Lady Byng Trophy. It is given to the player who shows the best sportsmanship and skill. In 1916, a newspaper said that Nighbor had never taken a major penalty. Most of his penalties were small, like tripping, often by accident during his famous poke check.
Nighbor mostly played as a centre forward. But early in his career, he also played as a left winger.
Besides his stick skills, Nighbor was very fast. The Ottawa Senators were known for their speed in the 1920s. They could play hard for all 60 minutes of a game. After the 1920 Stanley Cup Finals, a star player from another team, Frank Foyston, praised Nighbor. He said Nighbor's speed and poke check made his team's forwards feel "demoralized."
Nighbor once said in an interview that he learned his famous poke check from watching his teammate, Jack Walker.
Life After Hockey
After retiring from playing, Frank Nighbor became a coach. He coached teams like the Buffalo Bisons and London Tecumsehs. Later, he worked in an insurance business.
Frank Nighbor passed away from cancer on April 13, 1966, in Pembroke. He was 73 years old. He had four children.
Nighbor received many honors for his amazing career. He was put into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947. He is also in the Canada Sports Hall of Fame and the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. In 1998, The Hockey News ranked him as one of the top 100 greatest hockey players ever.
In 2010, a collector bought Nighbor's old Ottawa Senators jersey for $33,000! There is even a street named after him in Ottawa, called "Frank Nighbor Place."
Achievements
- Stanley Cup – 1915 (with Vancouver), 1920, 1921, 1923, 1927 (with Ottawa)
- Hart Trophy – 1924
- Lady Byng Trophy – 1925, 1926
- NHA scoring leader – 1916–17
