Marty Barry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marty Barry
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1965
Born	(1905-12-08)December 8, 1905 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Died	August 20, 1969(1969-08-20) (aged 63) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	New York Americans Boston Bruins Detroit Red Wings Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1927–1941

Martin James "Goal-a-Game" Barry (born December 8, 1905 – died August 20, 1969) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was a forward who played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). These teams included the New York Americans, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and Montreal Canadiens. He played in the NHL from 1927 to 1940.

Barry was often one of the top scorers in the league. He won his first Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 1936. The next year, in 1937, he scored the goal that won the championship. Barry also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1936–37. This award is given to the most gentlemanly player in the NHL. He was also named to the first All-Star team. After his playing career, Barry coached hockey teams in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965.

Marty Barry's Early Hockey Career

Marty Barry was born in Quebec City, Quebec, on December 8, 1905. He grew up in Montreal. There, he played amateur hockey for different teams. He earned the nickname "Goal-a-Game Barry" because he scored so many goals.

Both the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Maroons did not sign him. So, Barry joined the New York Americans in 1927. He played his first NHL game in the 1927–28 season. He scored one goal in nine games for New York. Most of that season, he played in a different league. He played for the Philadelphia Arrows in the Canadian-American Hockey League (Can-Am League).

Barry stayed in the Can-Am League for the 1928–29 season. He played for the New Haven Eagles. Barry was the top scorer in the league that year. He scored 19 goals and had 29 points. He won the scoring title on the very last day of the season.

Playing for the Boston Bruins

In May 1929, the Boston Bruins picked Barry from the Americans. From then on, he played only in the NHL. He missed only two games in the next ten seasons. In the 1929–30 season, Barry scored 18 goals and 33 points. His Bruins team set an NHL record with 38 wins. This was in a 44-game season.

Barry scored three goals in the playoffs that year. This helped Boston beat the Maroons. However, the Canadiens defeated Boston in the Stanley Cup Final. Barry quickly became one of Boston's best offensive players. He scored an average of 23 goals each season for six years with the team.

The Bruins made him their team captain in 1933. He led the team in goals for three years in a row. These years were from 1931 to 1934. He scored 21, 24, and 27 goals. He was also the team's top point scorer three times. This was between 1932 and 1935. Barry was also among the league's top scorers. He finished seventh in the NHL with 37 points in 1932–33. He was fourth with 39 points in 1933–34. He finished eighth with 40 points in 1934–35.

A Disputed Goal and Forfeit

On March 14, 1933, a goal by Barry caused a big problem. It led to the first-ever NHL game forfeit. Barry scored a controversial overtime goal for Boston. This was in a home game against the Chicago Black Hawks. At that time, regular-season overtime was a full 10-minute period.

The Chicago coach, Tommy Gorman, was very angry. He punched the referee, Bill Stewart. The referee then called the police to remove Gorman. The Black Hawk players refused to keep playing without their coach. The game was given to Boston shortly after.

Winning the Stanley Cup with Detroit

Before the 1935–36 season, Barry was part of a big trade. The Bruins sent Barry and Art Giroux to the Detroit Red Wings. In return, Boston received Cooney Weiland and Walt Buswell. With Detroit, Barry played as the center on a high-scoring line. His wingers were Herbie Lewis and Larry Aurie.

Barry finished third in the NHL with 21 goals. He was second with 40 points. In the first playoff game, Barry played in the longest game in NHL history. It was a 1–0 win over the Montreal Maroons. The game needed six overtime periods to decide the winner.

The Red Wings beat the Maroons in the semi-final. Then, they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1936 Stanley Cup Final. This was Detroit's first NHL championship. Barry scored a goal in the final game, which Detroit won 3–2.

Repeating as Champions

Barry was a key player for Detroit as they won the championship again in 1936–37. He finished third in regular season scoring with 44 points. In the playoffs, he led all players with 4 goals, 7 assists, and 11 points. In the final game against the New York Rangers in the 1937 Stanley Cup Final, Barry scored twice. One of his goals was the Cup-winning goal. He also had an assist in the 3–0 victory.

He was named to the NHL's First All-Star team as a center. He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. This award goes to the league's most gentlemanly player.

Later Career and Retirement

After the 1937–38 season, Barry scored only nine goals. But he returned to the NHL leader board in 1938–39. He finished fourth with 41 points. The Red Wings tried to trade Barry to the Canadiens for several months. When Montreal seemed uninterested, Detroit let him go. He became a free agent just before the 1939–40 season.

Two days after his release, the Canadiens signed Barry. However, his time with Montreal was short. He scored only four goals and 14 points in 30 games. Montreal then released him. He signed with the Pittsburgh Hornets of the International-American Hockey League (IAHL) to finish the year. Barry played his last season of professional hockey in 1940–41. He was a player-coach for the Minneapolis Millers in the American Hockey Association (AHA).

Barry retired with 195 goals and 387 points in 509 NHL games. He was known as one of the best playmakers during his career. He was also good at scoring goals close to the net. Barry was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965.

Marty Barry's Life After Hockey

After retiring from playing, Barry coached the Millers for one more season in 1941–42. He then moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, with his wife and three children. Barry managed a grocery store in nearby Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

He stayed involved in hockey. Barry coached the St. Mary's Juniors in Halifax for many years. This was through the 1940s and into the 1950s. He also coached the Halifax Crescents of the Maritime Senior League for a while. Barry's junior team won Maritime championships. They also reached the eastern final of the 1947 Memorial Cup.

Barry wanted to make the competition better for his team. He convinced teams from as far away as Montreal to play in Halifax. This helped his players get noticed by professional scouts. In 1964, he was one of the first people inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. Barry passed away from a heart attack at his home on August 20, 1969.

Awards and Honours