Roy Gordon Conacher (October 5, 1916 – December 29, 1984) was a Canadian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) 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. In ice hockey, two o ...
left winger
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
who played 11 seasons in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) for 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 ...
,
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
and
Chicago Black Hawks
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, coordinates =
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. He was the NHL's leading goal-scorer in
1938–39, his first season in the league. Conacher was a member of two
Stanley Cup winning teams with the Bruins and scored the championship winning goal in 1939. He won the
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League (NHL) player who leads the league in points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the league by former player, General Manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has be ...
in
1948–49 season as the NHL's leading point scorer and was named a
first team All-Star.
Conacher was a member of the
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between ...
winning
West Toronto Nationals in 1935 as Canadian
junior champions and was a member of the
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...
senior champion Toronto Dominions in 1937. Playing in the shadow of his more famous brothers
Charlie and
Lionel, Roy was known as the "forgotten Conacher". He was posthumously inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998, following his brothers to become the only trio of siblings so enshrined.
Early life
Roy Conacher was born October 5, 1916, along with his twin brother Bert. They were the youngest children to Benjamin and Elizabeth Conacher and two of ten siblings: five boys and five girls.
The family grew up in the
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
neighbourhood of
Davenport, which his brother
Charlie described as "one of Toronto's higher class slums".
His father was a
teamster
A teamster is the American term for a truck driver or a person who drives teams of draft animals. Further, the term often refers to a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union in the United States and Canada.
Ori ...
, and struggled to earn enough money to support the family.
In the winter, he ploughed the snow off outdoor skating rinks to earn additional money.
All ten children were encouraged to participate in sports by the principal of Jesse Ketchum School, who felt that such pursuits would keep his students from getting into trouble.
Roy joined his elder brothers in playing hockey, and having started younger than they had, was regarded as a better skater.
Roy went on to join his brothers
Lionel and
Charlie in professional hockey. Bert was also an aspiring hockey player but his professional hopes were ended when lost an eye in his late teens to a freak accident while the brothers were playing
street hockey
Street hockey (also known as shinny, dek hockey, ball hockey, road hockey) is a collection of team sport variants played outdoors either on foot or with wheeled skates, using a either a ball or puck designed for play on flat, dry surfaces. The ...
in front of their home.
Playing career
Amateur
Conacher played his
minor hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from c ...
with the Toronto Marlboro organization and was a member of Ontario provincial championship winning teams at the bantam and midget age groups.
He next played
junior hockey
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
with the
West Toronto Nationals in the
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...
(OHA) junior league between 1933 and 1936.
In his third season, 1935–36, Conacher led the OHA junior league in scoring with 12
goals in 10 games.
The Nationals, led by Roy and Bert Conacher, won the OHA title and reached the
1936 Memorial Cup final against the
Saskatoon Wesleys.
In 12
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between ...
playoff games, Roy Conacher recorded eight goals and five
assists.
West Toronto won the best-of-three final in two consecutive games, 5–1 and 4–2, to capture the
Dominion junior championship.
Conacher played two seasons of
senior hockey
Senior hockey refers to amateur or semi-professional ice hockey competition. There are no age restrictions for Senior players, who typically consist of those whose Junior eligibility has expired.
Senior hockey leagues operate under the jurisd ...
, first with the
Toronto Dominions of the OHA senior league in 1936–37 where he was an all-star for the OHA senior championship winning squad.
He then played with then the
Kirkland Lake Hargreaves of the
Northern Ontario Hockey Association
The Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) is an ice hockey governing body for minor, junior and senior ice hockey. The NOHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada. The major league run by the NOHA is the Northe ...
.
Boston Bruins
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 ...
invited Conacher to their amateur camp in 1935 where the then 17-year-old made a good impression on manager
Art Ross
Arthur Howe Ross (January 13, 1885 – August 5, 1964) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive from 1905 until 1954. Regarded as one of the best defenders of his era by his peers, he was one of the first to skate with the puc ...
. Following his two seasons of senior hockey, the Bruins signed Conacher to a contract on October 23, 1938.
He made his
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) debut in the
1938–39 season and recorded 37 points in 47 games.
Conacher scored four goals in Boston's 8-2 victory of Chicago on February 21, 1939. His 26 goals were the most in the league; it would be 54 years before another
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
,
Teemu Selänne
Teemu Ilmari Selänne (; born July 3, 1970) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey winger. He began his professional career in 1989–90 with Jokerit of the SM-liiga and played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Winni ...
, would lead the league.
Conacher added ten points in 12 playoff games, including both goals in a 2–0 victory over the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...
in the fourth game of the
1939 Stanley Cup Final
The 1939 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was Boston's first appearance in the Finals since 1930; Toronto had appeared in the previous year. Boston won the series 4–1 to win their second Stan ...
, and he scored the
Stanley Cup-winning goal in the deciding contest.
Conacher remained a leading offensive threat throughout his tenure with Boston; he was one of the NHL's top ten scorers in his first four seasons, including the
1939–40 season despite missing 16 games due to a broken wrist.
He also finished second in goals in both
1940–41 and
1941–42 with 24 goals in each campaign.
By 1941, he had joined with
Eddie Wiseman
Edward Randall Wiseman (December 28, 1911 – May 6, 1977) was a Canadian ice hockey forward. He was born in Newcastle, New Brunswick, but grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Wiseman started his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red ...
and
Bill Cowley
William Mailes "Cowboy" Cowley (June 12, 1912 – December 31, 1993) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Eagles and Boston Bruins. Described as the Wayne Gretzk ...
to form the "Three Gun Line", so named because all three players were considered top scoring threats. Conacher had only one goal during the
1941 Stanley Cup playoffs
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eut ...
, but the Bruins were the NHL's dominant team and swept the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in the Final to win their second Stanley Cup in three years.
In 1942, Conacher left the Bruins to enlist in the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environ ...
for the duration of the Second World War where he served as a physical training instructor. He continued to play hockey in the Canadian military leagues, playing first for the Saskatoon RCAF team in 1942–43, then with the Dartmouth RCAF for the following two seasons. He led the
Halifax city league with nine goals in 1943–44.
Toward the end of the war, Conacher was deployed to England where he continued to play with military teams, but the deployment also meant he was unavailable to return to the Bruins at the start of the
1945–46 season like many of his teammates did. He appeared in only four games late in the season following his discharge from the military.
Detroit and Chicago
Art Ross feared that Conacher would not be able to return to his previous form due to losing four seasons to military service when he was in his physical prime and opted to trade him.
Prior to the
1946–47 season, Ross sent Conacher to the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in exchange for
Joe Carveth. Conacher excelled with Detroit. He led the team with 30 goals and 54 points, seventh best in the league, and scored four goals in one game that were all assisted by
Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the ...
on a night where the latter player set an NHL record with seven assists.
Art Ross, once asked what his biggest mistake as a general manager was, replied "trading Roy Conacher".
Conacher became embroiled in a bitter contract dispute with Detroit manager
Jack Adams
John James Adams (June 14, 1894 – May 1, 1968) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach and general manager in the National Hockey League and Pacific Coast Hockey Association. He played for the Toronto Arenas, Vancouver Millionaire ...
following the season.
Adams offered $7,600 for the season, but Conacher refused to sign for less than $8,500.
Refusing to bow to his demands, Adams traded Conacher to the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
on October 22, 1947, in exchange for
Edward Slowinski
Edward Stanley "Eddie" Slowinski (November 18, 1922 – August 21, 1999) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 291 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1947 and 1953. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he spent most of ...
and a player to be named later.
Conacher, however, refused to report to the Rangers. He announced instead that he planned to retire from hockey, a decision he claimed to have been mulling over for a couple years. The trade to New York was nullified as a result of Conacher's failure to report.
Bill Tobin of the
Chicago Black Hawks
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
received permission from Detroit to speak with Conacher and successfully negotiated a deal with the player. Tobin claimed the negotiation was easy: "It wasn't hard to sign Roy. I offered him so much money he couldn't refuse." Tobin did not reveal what he was paying Conacher, but admitted that he spent $25,000 combined on the contract and to purchase him from Detroit.
Conacher averaged nearly a point per game in
1947–48 with 48 points in 52 games.
His best statistical season came in
1948–49 when he won the
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League (NHL) player who leads the league in points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the league by former player, General Manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has be ...
as the NHL's leading point scorer playing on a
line
Line most often refers to:
* Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity
* Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system
Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to:
Art ...
with
Bill Mosienko and
Doug Bentley
Douglas Wagner Bentley (September 3, 1916 – November 24, 1972) was a Canadian ice hockey left winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers as part of a senior and professiona ...
on a team that was coached by his brother Charlie.
Conacher recorded 68 points while his 26 goals were good enough for second in the league. Additionally, he was named to the
first All-Star team at left wing and played in the
1949 All-Star Game.
He remained among the league's scoring leaders in
1949–50 as his 56 points were sixth-best in the league.
He followed that up by leading the Black Hawks in goals (26) and points (50) in
1950–51. Conacher scored his 200th career goal during the season, at the time a rare feat for an NHL player. However, the physical toll of the sport caught up to him;
after playing 12 games of the
1951–52 season,
he opted to retire from the NHL. Chicago replaced him with his nephew,
Pete Conacher.
Personal life
During his final four seasons in the NHL, Conacher lived in
Midland, Ontario
Midland is a town located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Huronia/Wendat region of Central Ontario.
Located at the southern end of Georgian Bay's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the reg ...
. He remained in the community with his wife Fran and children Roy Jr., Mark and Candace.
Keeping active in hockey, he coached Midland's junior C team to a provincial championship and regularly played with oldtimers teams.
Conacher later moved to
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. T ...
where, after an eight-year battle with
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...
, he died in 1984.
Roy was one of several members of the Conacher family to play in the NHL. Three of his nephews, Pete and
Brian Conacher, and
Murray Henderson all followed.
Cory Conacher
Cory Conacher (born December 14, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Playing career
Growin ...
is also a distant relative of his.
Roy was relatively anonymous compared to his more famous brothers Lionel and Charlie, and was often referred to as the "forgotten Conacher".
Roy's career was recognized by the
Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998 when he was posthumously inducted by the veterans committee.
He joined Charlie (1961) and Lionel (1994) as the only trio of brothers to be so honoured.
Lionel Conacher, Jr. was a
CFL football player.
Career statistics
* Stanley Cup Champion.
Awards and honours
See also
*
List of family relations in the NHL
References
*''Career statistics'':
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conacher, Roy
1916 births
1984 deaths
Art Ross Trophy winners
Boston Bruins players
Canadian ice hockey forwards
Canadian people of Scottish descent
Canadian twins
Chicago Blackhawks players
Detroit Red Wings players
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Ice hockey people from Ontario
Memorial Cup winners
Military personnel from Toronto
Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II
Sportspeople from Toronto
Stanley Cup champions
Twin sportspeople
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States