Gerry Davey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gerry Davey |
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| Born | September 5, 1914 Port Arthur, ON, CAN |
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| Died | February 12, 1977 (aged 62) Orange County, FL, USA |
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| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
| Weight | 150 lb (68 kg; 10 st 10 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing / Defence | ||
| Played for | Princes ZSC Lions Streatham Falkirk Lions Wembley Lions Streatham Royals |
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| National team |  Great Britain |
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| Playing career | 1931–1950 | ||
John Gerald Davey (born September 5, 1914 – died February 12, 1977) was an amazing ice hockey player. He played in the top league in England, called the English National League. John was also a key player for the Great Britain national ice hockey team. This team did something incredible: they won the gold medal at the 1936 Winter Olympics! Because of his great achievements, John Davey is now a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
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John Davey's Hockey Journey
Even though John Davey was born in Barking, England, he learned to play ice hockey far away! His family moved to Port Arthur, Ontario in Canada when he was a child. That's where he started playing with a team called the Elmwood Midgets.
Playing for Clubs
When John was 16 years old, in 1931, he moved back to England with his mother. He quickly joined the Princes team, playing in the English League. A newspaper in London even helped him get a spot on the team!
After a short time playing for ZSC Lions in Switzerland, John came back to the UK. He joined Streatham in 1933. Later, from 1938 to 1940, he played for the Falkirk Lions in the Scottish National League. He even coached the Falkirk team in 1938–39!
During World War II, John Davey joined the Royal Canadian Navy. But he didn't stop playing hockey! He played in the Toronto Services League. After the war ended in 1946, John returned to Streatham. He used to play as a right wing, but now he started playing in defence. The next year, in 1947–48, John moved to the Wembley Lions. After that, he even tried being a referee for a bit. But he couldn't stay away from playing and returned for a short time in 1949–50 with the Streatham Royals.
Playing for Great Britain
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Ice Hockey | ||
| Gold | 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen | Team |
When John Davey arrived in England, he made a big impression with the Princes club. He was chosen to play for the Great Britain national team in the 1932 European Championships in Berlin. The team finished seventh, but John was amazing, scoring seven of the team's eleven goals!
John continued to play for the Great Britain team in all the big international tournaments from 1932 to 1939. The most famous one was the 1936 Winter Olympics. John got sick before a big game against Canada. But he bravely got out of his sick bed and scored a goal just 40 seconds into the game! Great Britain won that game 2–1, which helped them win the gold medal.
John also helped the Great Britain team win a bronze medal in the 1935 Ice Hockey World Championships. This also earned them a silver medal in the European Championships. They won more silver medals in the 1937 and 1938 World Championships. After World War II, John played for Great Britain again at the 1948 Winter Olympics, where they finished in sixth place.
John Davey scored a total of 43 goals for the Great Britain national team. This is still a record today!
Amazing Awards
- Won an Olympic gold medal in 1936.
- Won a World Championship silver medal in 1937 and 1938.
- Won a European Championship gold medal in 1937.
- Was added to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1949.
Records John Davey Holds
- He scored the most goals ever for the Great Britain national team, with 43 goals.
