Gerry McNeil facts for kids

Gerry McNeil (born April 17, 1926 – died June 17, 2004) was a fantastic professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for the famous Montreal Canadiens team. Gerry helped the Canadiens win three Stanley Cups during his career. He was a key player for them between 1947 and 1956. One of his big wins was the Stanley Cup in 1953.

Career

Early Days in Hockey

Gerry McNeil first joined the Canadiens organization in 1943. He was only 17 years old at the time. He played for their farm team, the Montreal Royals. This team was part of the Quebec Senior Hockey League (QSHL).

While with the Royals, Gerry also practiced with the main Canadiens team. He was a practice goalie whenever they were in Montreal. Gerry was a star in the QSHL. He won the Byng of Vimy award three times. This award was for the league's most valuable player. In 1947, his team, the Royals, won the Allan Cup.

Becoming a Star Goalie

In March 1950, Gerry got a big chance. He was called up from the Cincinnati Mohawks team. This was because Montreal's main goalie, Bill Durnan, got hurt. Teams back then usually had only one goalie. That goalie played almost every minute of every game.

Gerry played six games and did an amazing job. He had a very low goals against average (GAA) of 1.50. This helped Durnan win his last Vezina Trophy. This award went to the goalie on the team that let in the fewest goals. Gerry's great start even earned him the "Schaefer player of the week" award.

When Durnan returned, he felt he wasn't playing his best. He decided to sit out a playoff game. Gerry was hesitant to take his spot. But Durnan talked to him and passed the "torch." Gerry then became the Canadiens' new starting goalie.

Playing Every Game

Gerry McNeil played every game for the Canadiens for a long time. This streak lasted from March 1950 to November 1952. It included two full seasons, 1950–51 and 1951–52. Each of these seasons had 70 games!

In the 1951 Stanley Cup playoffs, Gerry was incredible. He stopped every shot for 214 minutes against the strong Detroit Red Wings. This included two very long overtime games. He made 38 saves in extra time in one game. The Red Wings' manager, Jack Adams, said Gerry's goalkeeping was "the greatest" his team had ever faced.

The Canadiens won both games thanks to goals by Maurice Richard and Gerry's amazing play. The Detroit newspapers called him "the magician." The Canadiens went on to beat the Red Wings, who were expected to win. Detroit's coach, Tommy Ivan, said, "Gerry McNeil was the difference." The 1951 Stanley Cup Finals were special. Every game in that series went into overtime.

Stanley Cup Wins

Gerry had 10 shutouts in the 1952–53 season. A shutout means the goalie doesn't let any goals in. His play was super important because the Canadiens didn't score many goals that year.

In the last game of that season, they played Detroit. Gordie Howe was trying to score his 50th goal. This would have matched Richard's record. But Gerry stopped all five of Howe's shots. After the game, Gerry told Richard, "well Rock, he'll have to start over at one again."

Gerry won the Stanley Cup a few weeks later. He won it the night before his 27th birthday. He even got a shutout in the overtime game that won the Cup!

In the 1954 Stanley Cup Finals, Gerry had a tough overtime loss. In game seven, the puck went past him after hitting his teammate Doug Harvey. He decided to retire that summer. But he came back to play for the Montreal Royals a year later.

He also helped the Canadiens again in the 1956-57 NHL season. He filled in for Jacques Plante when he was sick. Gerry's name was even engraved on the Stanley Cup for the 1957 and 1958 Finals. This was because he was the team's backup goalie for the playoffs. He later played for the Rochester Americans and the Quebec Aces.

Gerry McNeil led the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Finals for four years in a row. This was from 1950 to 1954. These were the years he was their main goalie. This amazing streak was the start of the Canadiens reaching the Cup Finals ten times in a row!

Gerry was known for playing his best when it mattered most. He finished his NHL career with a 2.32 GAA in regular season games. But in the playoffs, his GAA was even better at 1.89. He played in three NHL All-Star games. These were in 1951, 1952, and 1953. He had a 2.00 GAA in those games. He also had 28 regular season shutouts. This earned him an NHL Milestone Award in 1982.

Personal life

Gerry McNeil was born in 1926. His parents were Peter McNeil and Rose Dyotte. He was married to Theresa Conway for 58 years. They had four children: Shannon, Karen, David, and Donna. They also had six grandchildren.

After he stopped playing hockey, Gerry worked as a sales representative. His last job was a regional sales manager for Thomas Adams, a company owned by Seagram's. He enjoyed spending winters in Panama City Beach, Florida. He would go with his hockey friends like Elmer Lach, Ken Mosdell, and Maurice Richard. He was a pallbearer at Maurice Richard's funeral in 2000. Gerry McNeil passed away in 2004.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

• - denotes name engraved on Stanley Cup