Johnny Peirson
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John Frederick Peirson (July 21, 1925April 16, 2021) was a Canadian professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
winger who played 11 seasons in the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) with the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
from 1946 to 1958. After retiring he became a commentator for the Bruins, serving in that role for more than two decades. Peirson played one season of university hockey with the
McGill Redmen The McGill Redbirds (formerly the McGill Redmen) and McGill Martlets are the varsity athletic teams that represent McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History In 1868, the first recorded game of rugby in North America occurred in M ...
and was part of their Queen's Cup-winning side in 1946. He was signed by the Boston Bruins and played for two of their minor league affiliates until 1947 when he made his NHL debut. After spending eight seasons with the organization and making two
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
appearances and the
1953 Stanley Cup Finals The 1953 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens. The Bruins were appearing in the Final for the first time since . The Canadiens, who were appearing in their third straight Finals series, won the series f ...
, he briefly retired in 1954 before returning the following year. He went on to play three more seasons and reached two more Stanley Cup Finals before retiring for good in 1958.


Early life

Peirson was born in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
,
Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
, on July 21, 1925. His family relocated to
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
when he was 10 years old, and he spent the remaining part of his childhood there. He played for the
Montreal Junior Canadiens The Montreal Junior Canadiens were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Junior Hockey League from 1933 to 1961, and the Ontario Hockey Association from 1961 to 1972. They played out of the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History Th ...
when he was 18. Peirson served in the
Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and was stationed in the
European theatre The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II, taking place from September 1939 to May 1945. The Allied powers (including the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union and Franc ...
. After his stint in the military, Peirson was accepted into
McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
in 1945, and played one season for the
McGill Redmen The McGill Redbirds (formerly the McGill Redmen) and McGill Martlets are the varsity athletic teams that represent McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History In 1868, the first recorded game of rugby in North America occurred in M ...
. He was part of the team that won the Queen's Cup. Peirson scored a
goal A goal or objective is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan, and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. A goal is roughly similar to ...
and had an assist in the championship game, in which the Redmen defeated the
Toronto Varsity Blues The Toronto Varsity Blues are the intercollegiate sports program at the University of Toronto. Its 43 athletic teams regularly participate in competitions held by Ontario University Athletics and U Sports. The Varsity Blues trace their foundin ...
4–1 in an upset. It turned out to be McGill's final Queen's Cup for more than 60 years until they won it once again in 2008.


Professional career


Minor leagues

During the 1945–46 season, Peirson was scouted by the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
. They extended an offer to him for a pro tryout at the end of the season. Peirson, who was keen to earn some extra money for his education, accepted the opportunity and intended to return to school if his hockey career did not work out. He began his career with the Boston Olympics, the Bruins farm team that were members of the
Eastern Hockey League The Eastern Hockey League was a minor professional United States ice hockey league. Eastern Amateur Hockey League (1933–1953) The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL). The league was founded by Tommy Lockhart ...
. There, he amassed 15
points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...
(including five goals) in just 10 games in 1946–47. He was promoted to the
Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Bears have played in the American Hockey League (AHL) since the 1938–39 season, making it the longest continuously operating member club of the league still ...
of the
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
that same year. Meanwhile, the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) was engulfed in a gambling scandal that resulted in the expulsion of several players. This enabled elite young prospects like Peirson an opportunity to play in the NHL.


Boston Bruins (1947–1958)

Peirson made his NHL debut for the Boston Bruins on January 4, 1947, against the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
at
Montreal Forum Montreal Forum () is a historic building located facing Cabot Square, Montreal, Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the home o ...
. He was the fifth of nine alumni from McGill to play in the NHL. He was limited to only five games during his rookie season and did not record any points. His first two seasons were split between the Bruins and the Bears. His playing time in the NHL increased to 15 games during his sophomore season, and 59 games in 1948–49. In the latter season, he had the seventh-most goals in the NHL (22), the tenth-most points (43), and the eighth-highest goals per game (0.37). During the 1949–50 season, Peirson finished fifth in the league in goals (27) and eighth in points (52). He also had the fourth-highest goals per game (0.47) and fifth-highest points per game (0.91). He was named to his first NHL All-Star Game that same year. Peirson proceeded to lead the league in games played with 70 the following season. He was again selected to the All-Star Game that year. He briefly retired at the end of 1953–54 season, in which he finished ninth in the NHL in both goals (21) and goals per game (0.31). However, he reversed his decision in the middle of the 1955–56 season and returned on December 15, playing against the
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
. Peirson hit 20 or more goals in four seasons (1949, 1950, 1952, and 1954). The Bruins reached three
Stanley Cup Finals The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, ) is the annual championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL). The winner is awarded the Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional spo ...
during his career (
1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
,
1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
, and
1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...
), but lost each time. He retired for a second and final time in 1958, after injuries began to take a toll. His "legs sort of disappeared", and he had earlier suffered a broken right jaw in December 1952, which kept him sidelined for three weeks and necessitated his wearing a steel protective mask upon his return. He finished his NHL career with 153 goals and 173 assists for 326 points in 545 games.


Post-playing career

After retiring from professional hockey, Peirson was initially employed at the furniture manufacturing plant owned by his father-in-law. He later became a prominent broadcaster and colour analyst for the Bruins. He first worked on WBZ radio in 1969 alongside Fred Cusick, with whom as a player he had done a TV demonstration during one of CBS-TV's short-lived weekly NHL telecasts. He went on to work on WSBK television starting in 1971. He was initially paired with
Don Earle Donald Earle Clement (March 29, 1929 – December 12, 1993) was an American ice hockey announcer for the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League. Earle was born Donald Earle Clement in Somerville, Massachusetts. He gra ...
, before being reunited with Cusick, who had moved from radio to TV. The pair would work together in that capacity for 18 years and notably covered the first four games of the
Summit Series The Summit Series, Super Series 72, Canada–USSR Series (), or Series of the Century (), was an eight-game ice hockey series between the Soviet Union and Canada, held in September 1972. It was the first competition between the Soviet nation ...
for American viewers. Peirson later shifted to the studio in 1985, before retiring a decade later at the end of the 1994–95 season. Peirson was also an avid golfer, competing as an amateur in tournaments in Canada and the United States. He finished in a tie for 51st at the 1950 Canadian Open held at
Royal Montreal Golf Club The Royal Montreal Golf Club ( French: Le Club de Golf Royal Montréal) is the oldest golf club in North America, and the oldest in continuous existence, celebrating 150 years in 2023. It was founded in Montreal by eight men in 1873. Permission ...
. In 2023 he would be named one of the top 100 Bruins players of all time.


Personal life

Peirson married Barbara Ann (Hunt) around 1951 and they were married for 70 years until his death. Together, they had four children: Robert, John Jr., Pamela, and Susan. Peirson died on April 16, 2021, at his home in Wayland, Massachusetts. He was 95 years old, and was the last surviving player of McGill's 1946 Queen's Cup-winning team.


Career statistics

Sources:


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Peirson, Johnny 1925 births 2021 deaths Boston Bruins announcers Boston Bruins players Boston Olympics players Canadian Army personnel Canadian Army personnel of World War II Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Canadian ice hockey right wingers Canadian military personnel from Manitoba Ice hockey people from Winnipeg McGill Redbirds and Martlets ice hockey players Montreal Junior Canadiens players National Hockey League broadcasters 20th-century Canadian sportsmen