Charles Albert "Babe" Siebert (January 14, 1904 – August 25, 1939) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
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 ...
and
defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...
who played 14 seasons in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) for the
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons (officially the Montreal Professional Hockey Club) were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935. They were the las ...
,
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 home ...
,
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 in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
and
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
. He won the 1926
Stanley Cup championship with the Maroons, and was a member of the famous "
S Line
S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''.
Histor ...
", and another with the Rangers in 1933.
A physical forward known for his
fighting
Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
ability while with the Maroons and Rangers, an apparent decline in his play was reversed when he switched to defence after he was traded to the Bruins. Siebert was named an
all-star three times after the switch and won the
Hart Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, is an annual award for the most valuable player in the National Hockey League (NHL), voted by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The original trophy was dona ...
as the NHL's most valuable player in 1937 as a member of the Canadiens.
Siebert was named the
head coach of the Canadiens upon his retirement as a player in 1939. He never coached a game as he drowned in
Lake Huron prior to the
1939–40 NHL season. The league organized an
all-star benefit game that raised $15,000 for Siebert's family. He was inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964.
Early life
Born in
Plattsville, Ontario, Siebert grew up in the nearby community of
Zurich, located on the eastern shores of
Lake Huron.
He became obsessed with hockey at an early age, playing the game nearly every day.
He played intermediate hockey in Zurich and
Exeter before moving to
Kitchener to play junior hockey.
Though his elder brothers mocked his simple playing style—he used his size and strength to push his way through opponents—Siebert was invited to join the
Kitchener Greenshirts
The Kitchener Greenshirts name has been used by five separate ice hockey teams playing in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. These include one 'Senior A' level hockey team, two 'Junior A' level teams, and two 'Junior B' level teams. The name has also b ...
in 1922.
He won the
Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and eastern Canadian junior championships with Kitchener in 1922–23, but lost 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 t ...
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
to the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.[Niagara Falls Cataracts
Niagara may refer to:
Geography Niagara Falls and nearby places In both the United States and Canada
*Niagara Falls, the famous waterfalls in the Niagara River
* Niagara River, part of the U.S.–Canada border
* Niagara Escarpment, the cliff ...](_blank)
, winning the OHA senior championship in 1924–25.
Professional career
Siebert was signed by the
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons (officially the Montreal Professional Hockey Club) were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935. They were the las ...
in 1925 and made his professional debut that same year. He finished second on the team with 16 goals as the Maroons finished second in the NHL standings.
Montreal defeated the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
and
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
in the playoffs to win the NHL championship.
Siebert scored three points in the
1926 Stanley Cup Final as the Maroons defeated the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
champion
Victoria Cougars
The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1911 to 1924 under various names, and (after the PCHA's merger with the Western Canada Hockey League) in the W ...
to win the
Stanley Cup.
When
Hooley Smith
Reginald Joseph "Hooley" Smith (January 7, 1903 – August 24, 1963) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Maroons, Boston Bruins and New York Americans. He won the Stanley Cup twice, with ...
arrived in Montreal in
1926–27, Siebert was paired with Smith and
Nels Stewart
Robert Nelson "Old Poison" Stewart (December 29, 1899 – August 21, 1957) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Maroons, New York Americans and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League. He is an Honoure ...
.
The trio were known as the "S Line" and emerged as one of the top scoring lines in the NHL.
Stewart was the goal scorer on the line while Smith set him up with his passing game, but it was Siebert who used his strength and speed to move the puck out of their defensive zone and to create space for his line mates.
His physical style of play occasionally resulted in Siebert being brought in front of league president
Frank Calder
Frank Sellick Calder (November 17, 1877 – February 4, 1943) was a British-born Canadian ice hockey executive, journalist, and athlete.
Calder was the first president of the National Hockey League (NHL), from 1917 until his death in 1943. He ...
for supplementary discipline, as in December 1927 when he was suspended for a time following a violent melee with
Billy Boucher
William Martin Boucher (November 10, 1899 – November 10, 1958) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Boucher played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Hamilton Tigers, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and New York Americans ...
of the
New York Americans
The New York Americans, colloquially known as the Amerks, were a professional ice hockey team based in New York City from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the second to play ...
. When Boucher responded to an elbow by slashing Siebert over the head, the latter player responded with repeated wild swings of his own stick at Boucher, injuring him.
Siebert's best offensive season came in
1931–32 when he finished eighth in league scoring with 39 points. It proved to be his last season with the Maroons, as the team was struggling financially and chose to sell him 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 home ...
for cash.
He went on to win his second Stanley Cup that year.
He struggled offensively for much of the season, however, and it was rumoured he would be traded. The trade finally happened early in the
1933–34 season as he was sent to 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 in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
in exchange for
Vic Ripley
Victor Merrick Ripley (May 30, 1906 – March 26, 1962) was a Canadian hockey centerman who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Eagles. He also played sever ...
and
Roy Burmeister
Roy Samuel Burmister (August 12, 1905 – January 19, 1980) was a Canadian ice hockey left winger known for his speed. He played 67 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Americans between 1929 and 1932, scoring four goals and ...
. The deal reunited Siebert with former S Line member Nels Stewart.
After
Eddie Shore
Edward William Shore (November 23, 1902 – March 16, 1985) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, principally for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, and the longtime owner of the Springfield Indians of the American Hocke ...
was suspended for his assault on
Ace Bailey
Irvine Wallace "Ace" Bailey (July 3, 1903 – April 7, 1992) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs for eight seasons, from 1926–1933. His playing career ended with a fight he encountered during ...
, Bruins coach
Art Ross shifted Siebert from left wing to defence.
The switch rejuvenated his career; he enjoyed a comeback season in
1934–35. Frequently remaining on the ice for entire games as one of Boston's key players, Siebert earned five votes in a 1935
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
poll naming the top comeback player in sport for that year. He later scoffed at the legend of his comeback in Boston, stating that he never lost his ability to play at the same level he did with the Maroons, instead blaming
Lester Patrick
Curtis Lester Patrick (December 31, 1883 – June 1, 1960) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (Western Hockey League after 1924), and ...
for improperly utilizing him in New York.
While Shore and Siebert were an effective pairing on defence, tensions between the two were evident. They shared a violent feud when they were opponents, and never spoke a word to the other as teammates.
Though he was named a
first team all-star in
1935–36,
the Bruins decided Siebert's career was in decline and chose to trade him to the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
along with
Roger Jenkins in exchange for
Leroy Goldsworthy
Leroy Delano "Goldy" Goldsworthy (October 18, 1906 – March 16, 1980) was an American ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League between 1929 and 1939.
Biography
Goldsworthy was born in Two Harbors, Minnesota and raised in E ...
,
Sammy McManus
Andrew Samuel McManus (October 22, 1911 — July 1, 1976) was an Irish-born Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 26 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Maroons and the Boston Bruins between 1934 and 1936. Th ...
and cash following the season.
He was immediately named the team's captain, a position he retained until his retirement. In his
first season with the Canadiens, Siebert earned his second all-star selection and won the
Hart Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, is an annual award for the most valuable player in the National Hockey League (NHL), voted by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The original trophy was dona ...
as the most valuable player in the NHL. He earned his third consecutive all-star selection in
1937–38.
Plagued by injuries in his final season,
Siebert announced his retirement in 1939 to become the head coach of the Canadiens.
Death and family
Siebert never had the opportunity to take up his new post. On August 25, 1939, while vacationing with his family and swimming with his daughters at
Lake Huron, he drowned attempting to retrieve an inflatable tire they were playing with.
Shocked by the news, Siebert's peers lauded his character and play, indicating that his death was a considerable loss to the game of hockey. Among them, his former manager with the Maroons,
Tommy Gorman
Thomas Patrick Gorman (June 9, 1886 – May 15, 1961), known as "T.P." or "Tommy", was a Canadian ice hockey executive, sports entrepreneur and athlete. Gorman was a founder of the National Hockey League (NHL), a winner of seven Stanley Cups a ...
, remarked that Siebert was popular with his fellow players and was a great defenceman who "lost fairly and won modestly".
At the time of his death, Siebert was visiting his cottage to celebrate the 80th birthday of his father, William. He cherished the time he had with his two daughters Judy and Joan, who were 11 and 10 years old respectively, when they witnessed his drowning.
His loss represented a significant financial burden for his family as he spent nearly all of his income paying for his
paraplegic wife's medical costs.
The league organized an all-star benefit game to aid Siebert's widow with the goal of raising $15,000. It was the third such benefit game in NHL history. The Montreal Canadiens faced an all-star team composed of the best players from the remaining teams. The all-stars defeated the Canadiens 5–2 in the game held on October 29, 1939.
Though organizers were disappointed with the attendance of just 6,000 fans, they met their $15,000 target.
A physical player and
fighter on the ice, Siebert was a soft-spoken family man off it.
He was especially faithful to his wife, Bernice, who was left a paraplegic following complications during the birth of their second child. Fans at the
Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum (french: Le Forum de Montréal) is a historic building located facing 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 ...
routinely saw him carry his wife to her seat before every home game, and then carry her out after.
At home, he did the housework that his wife was unable to do.
As a result, he was immensely popular with his peers and fans.
Siebert was inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964,
and is an honoured member of the
Waterloo Region
The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (KWC or Tri-Cities), and the townships of North Dumfr ...
Hall of Fame.
Career statistics
* Stanley Cup Champion.
Statistics sourced from
NHL.com
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
.
See also
*
Captain (hockey)
In ice hockey, the captain is the player designated by a team as the only person authorized to speak with the game officials regarding rule interpretations when the captain is on the ice. At most levels of play each team must designate one captai ...
*
List of members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Siebert, Albert
1904 births
1939 deaths
Accidental deaths in Ontario
Boston Bruins players
Canadian ice hockey left wingers
Deaths by drowning in Canada
Detroit Red Wings players
Hart Memorial Trophy winners
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Ice hockey people from Ontario
Kitchener Greenshirts players
Montreal Canadiens coaches
Montreal Canadiens players
Montreal Maroons players
New York Rangers players
People from Huron County, Ontario
People from Oxford County, Ontario
Stanley Cup champions
Canadian ice hockey coaches