Hughie Lehman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hughie Lehman |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1958 | |||
Lehman in 1912 with the New Westminster Royals.
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| Born | October 27, 1885 Pembroke, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | April 12, 1961 (aged 75) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
| Weight | 168 lb (76 kg; 12 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Sault Ste. Marie Marlboros (IPHL) Berlin Dutchmen (OPHL) Galt Professionals (OPHL) New Westminster Royals (PCHA) Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA/WCHL/WHL) Chicago Black Hawks (NHL) |
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| Playing career | 1908–1928 | ||
Frederick Hugh "Old Eagle Eyes" Lehman (born October 27, 1885 – died April 12, 1961) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He was known for his amazing skills and for being one of the first goalies to pass the puck to his teammates.
Hugh Lehman started his hockey journey playing for the Pembroke Lumber Kings and the Berlin Dutchmen. In 1911, he joined the New Westminster Royals. After three seasons, he moved to the Vancouver Millionaires in 1914. Lehman played for Vancouver for half of his 22-year career. It was with the Millionaires that he won his only Stanley Cup. He tried seven other times to win the Cup but wasn't successful.
In 1926, Lehman joined the Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played one full season there and part of another, even serving as a player and head coach. Many people think Jacques Plante was the first goalie to regularly pass the puck. But it was actually Hugh Lehman who started this practice! He would often pass the puck to his forwards and defensemen. He even scored a goal once by shooting the puck into the opponent's net! Lehman was recognized for his great career and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.
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Hugh Lehman's Playing Career
Hugh Lehman began playing hockey in the 1903–04 season. He played for the Pembroke Lumber Kings for his first three years. In 1906–07, he joined the Canadian Soo in the International Professional Hockey League (IPHL). This league was the first fully professional ice hockey league.
Lehman returned to Pembroke for the 1907–08 season. Then, in 1908–09, he joined the Berlin Dutchmen in the Ontario Professional Hockey League (OPHL). During the 1909–10 season, Lehman played in two different Stanley Cup playoff series with two different teams, the Berlin Dutchmen and the Galt Professionals. Unfortunately, he lost both times. He played with the Berlin Dutchmen until 1911.
Joining the PCHA and Winning the Stanley Cup
In the 1911–12 season, Lehman started playing for the New Westminster Royals. This team was part of the new Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA). He played three seasons for New Westminster and won the league championship in his very first year.
In 1914–15, Lehman moved to the Vancouver Millionaires in the PCHA. In his first season with the Millionaires, he had an impressive record of 14 wins and 3 losses. His goals-against average was 4.08, which was excellent for that time. Back then, goalies weren't allowed to drop to their knees to make saves.
In the Stanley Cup playoffs, Lehman helped the Millionaires make history. They became the first PCHA team to win the Stanley Cup! They won with a 3–0 record and a 2.67 goals-against average. This was the only Stanley Cup win for Lehman in his career. He played in seven other Stanley Cup attempts but lost them all. The Millionaires team that won the Cup included seven future members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. These legends were Lehman, Frank Nighbor, Cyclone Taylor, Si Griffis, Barney Stanley, Frank Patrick, and Mickey MacKay.
Later Years with Vancouver and the NHL
Lehman continued to play with the Millionaires until the 1925–26 season. During this time, he and some teammates had a funny experience. After an exhibition game in New York City, Lehman's wife bought many fancy clothes. To avoid paying extra taxes when returning to Canada, Lehman, with advice from teammate Cyclone Taylor (who was also an immigration officer), split the clothes among his teammates. This really confused the Customs officers!
In 1922–23, the Millionaires changed their name to the Maroons. They also joined the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). This league later became the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925–26. However, the league stopped operating after that season. While playing for Vancouver, Lehman played in six more Stanley Cup finals, but he lost every one after his first win in 1914–15.
After the WHL closed, Lehman joined the Chicago Black Hawks for the 1926–27 season. In Chicago, Lehman helped mentor a young goalie named Charlie Gardiner. Lehman played one full season and then four more games the next year. In 1926, at 41 years and 21 days old, Lehman became the oldest goalie to win his first NHL game. This record was broken much later, on February 22, 2020, by David Ayres.
Coaching Career
During the 1927–28 season, Hugh Lehman's playing career came to an end. The owner of the Black Hawks, Frederic McLaughlin, was drawing up some plays for the team. When Lehman saw them, he said they were "the craziest bunch of junk" he had ever seen. He expected to be fired for his outburst. Instead, McLaughlin appointed Lehman as Chicago's new head coach!
Lehman coached Chicago for part of that season. His team had a record of 3 wins, 17 losses, and 1 tie in 21 games. He was replaced by another coach, Herb Gardiner, the following season.
Playing Style
As a goaltender, Hugh Lehman was known for being a strong skater and excellent at handling the puck. He would often skate out to chase loose pucks. He was also famous for being able to pass the puck to his forwards, which often surprised the other team's defenders. While playing in the OPHL, Lehman even scored a goal by shooting the puck into the opponent's net. The first NHL goalie to do this was Ron Hextall in 1987.
Legacy
After retiring from ice hockey, Hugh Lehman worked in road construction. He eventually became the president of a paving company. In 1958, Hugh Lehman was honored for his contributions to hockey and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
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Lehman in 1912 with the New Westminster Royals.
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Lehman with the Vancouver Millionaires.
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The Vancouver Millionaires in 1914–15, after their Stanley Cup victory; Lehman is seated bottom row, far right.
