Toe Blake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Toe Blake
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1966
Photo as coach of the Canadiens, circa 1960s
Born	(1912-08-21)August 21, 1912 Coniston, Ontario, Canada
Died	May 17, 1995(1995-05-17) (aged 82) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	162 lb (73 kg; 11 st 8 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Montreal Maroons Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1934–1948

Joseph Hector "Toe" Blake (born August 21, 1912 – died May 17, 1995) was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He played and coached in the National Hockey League (NHL). Toe Blake is best known for his long time with the Montreal Canadiens. He won the Stanley Cup an amazing eleven times with them, as both a player and a coach. In 2017, Blake was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Toe Blake's Amazing Hockey Journey

Playing Days: From Junior to NHL Star

The Punch Line: Maurice Richard (bottom left), Elmer Lach (centre), and Toe Blake (bottom right)

Toe Blake started playing junior and senior hockey in the Sudbury area. He was part of the Sudbury Cub Wolves team that won the Memorial Cup in 1932. He then played for the Hamilton Tigers before joining the Montreal Maroons of the NHL in February 1935.

Blake played only eight games with the Maroons in the 1934–35 season. He didn't score any points. Even though he didn't play in the playoffs, his name was added to the Stanley Cup when the Maroons won it that year. After that, Blake played for the Montreal Canadiens until he retired in 1948.

In 1938–39, Blake won the Hart Memorial Trophy. This award goes to the NHL's Most Valuable Player. In the same year, he was also the league's top scorer with 47 points. For his last eight seasons, he was the team's captain. He led the Canadiens to Stanley Cups in 1944 and 1946. In 1946, he received only one small penalty all season. This helped him become the first Canadien to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for good sportsmanship.

The Famous Punch Line

While playing for the Canadiens, Toe Blake was part of a famous line called the "Punch Line." He played left wing with Elmer Lach at center and Maurice Richard at right wing. This line was incredibly strong!

Blake scored the winning goal in the 1944 Stanley Cup Finals. This goal helped the Canadiens sweep the Chicago Blackhawks in four games. The next season, the Punch Line made history. They were the second group of linemates ever to finish first, second, and third in NHL scoring in one season. Lach had 80 points, Richard 73, and Blake 67.

End of His Playing Career

Toe Blake

On January 11, 1948, Blake's NHL playing career ended. He collided with a New York Rangers player, Bill Juzda, and hit the boards hard. He suffered a serious ankle injury. In 1998, The Hockey News ranked him number 66 on their list of the NHL's 100 greatest players ever.

Coaching the Canadiens to Glory

After retiring as a player, Toe Blake spent eight years coaching minor-league teams for the Canadiens. In 1955–56, he became the head coach of the Canadiens. He took over from Dick Irvin. Blake spoke French fluently, which was important for the team. Also, the Canadiens' management believed Blake, who used to play with Maurice Richard, could help manage Richard's strong personality.

Blake coached the Canadiens for thirteen years. During this time, he won eight Stanley Cups! This is the most titles for any coach in the team's history. It's the second-most league-wide, only after Scotty Bowman. As of 2015, no other coach has matched his 500 regular-season wins with the Canadiens.

He won championships in his first five seasons as head coach. This amazing streak is still an NHL record today.

Blake retired after the Canadiens won the Cup in 1968. This ended his 33 years involved with the Canadiens organization.

Blake was initially against Jacques Plante wearing a mask during games. He worried it would affect Plante's vision. However, on November 1, 1959, a shot from Rangers player Andy Bathgate broke Plante's nose. After that, Blake finally allowed Plante to wear a mask.

Toe Blake's Life Off the Ice

Early Life and Nickname

Toe Blake was born in what is now the ghost town of Victoria Mines. He grew up playing outdoor hockey in Coniston, near Greater Sudbury in Northern Ontario.

His nickname "Toe" came from his younger sister. She had trouble saying his name, "Hector," and it sounded like "Hec-toe." So, the nickname "Toe" stuck! He also had another nickname, "the Old Lamplighter," because he often scored goals and activated the light behind the net.

Life After Hockey

After retiring from the Canadiens, Blake and his family lived in Montreal. In 1952, he opened "Toe Blake's Tavern" in Montreal. It was near the Montreal Forum, where the Canadiens played. The tavern closed in 1983.

In his later years, Blake faced health challenges. He passed away from pneumonia on May 17, 1995, at 82 years old. He was the uncle of hockey player Mike Blake.

Honors and Recognition

Toe Blake was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966 as a player. In 1982, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. A park near his home in Montreal West is named in his honor.

In 2011, the community center in his hometown of Coniston, Ontario, was renamed the "Toe Blake Memorial Arena" to honor him.

Career Statistics

* Stanley Cup Champion.

Coaching Record

Awards and Achievements

Toe Blake earned many awards during his amazing career:

• Stanley Cup champion — 1935 (as a player with Montreal Maroons)
• Stanley Cup champion — 1944, 1946 (as a player with Montreal Canadiens)
• Stanley Cup champion — 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968 (as head coach of Montreal Canadiens)
• Hart Trophy — 1939 (NHL's Most Valuable Player)
• Scoring Leader — 1939 (most points in the league)
• Lady Byng Trophy — 1946 (for sportsmanship)
• NHL First Team All-Star — 1939, 1940, 1945
• NHL Second Team All-Star — 1946
• In January 2017, Blake was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.