Gordon William "Doc" Roberts (September 5, 1891 – September 2, 1966) was a Canadian 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 h ...
forward who played for the
Ottawa Hockey Club and
Montreal Wanderers
The Montreal Wanderers were an amateur, and later professional, ice hockey team based in Montreal. The team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League (FAHL), the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA), the National Hockey Association ...
of the
National Hockey Association
The National Hockey Association (NHA), officially the National Hockey Association of Canada Limited, was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor of today's National Hockey Lea ...
(NHA) and the
Vancouver Millionaires
The Vancouver Millionaires (later known as the Vancouver Maroons) were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926. Based in Vancouver, British C ...
and
Seattle Metropolitans
The Seattle Metropolitans were a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle, Washington, which played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1915 to 1924. During their nine seasons, the Metropolitans were the PCHA's most successful ...
of the
Pacific Coast Hockey Association
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was a professional ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The PCHA was cons ...
(PCHA). He was a member of the Ottawa team that defended the
Stanley Cup in a 1910
challenge; Roberts scored seven
goals
A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.
Goal may also refer to:
Sport
* Goal (sports), a method of scoring in many sports, or the physical structure or area where scoring occurs
** Goals, the goal frame in ...
in two games in his team's victory over the
Edmonton Hockey Club
The Edmonton Hockey Club was a Canadian amateur men's ice hockey club first organized in 1894 and formally established in 1896. The club consisted of two teams, the Thistles who were the elite players, and the Stars who were young prospects. The ...
. He moved to Montreal in 1910 where he was consistently among the NHA's leading scorers with the Wanderers while also studying medicine at
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
.
While in Montreal, Roberts attended
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
, where he studied to become a physician. Following his graduation, he settled in British Columbia to begin his medical career. Continuing his hockey career, Roberts joined the Vancouver Millionaires where he was named a PCHA all-star at
left wing and led the league in scoring with 43 goals in
1916–17. He retired from hockey in 1918 following a season in Seattle before Vancouver lured him back to the game one year later. Roberts left the sport again in 1920 and his medical career ultimately took him to
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
where he practiced for over 40 years. He was posthumously inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971.
Playing career
Roberts participated in several sports in his youth. In addition to hockey, he played
lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...
and
football. Roberts focused on hockey, however, and played for several teams in his hometown of
Ottawa. He was the leading scorer of the Ottawa City Hockey League in 1908–09 as a member of the Emmitts Hockey Club with 19
goals
A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.
Goal may also refer to:
Sport
* Goal (sports), a method of scoring in many sports, or the physical structure or area where scoring occurs
** Goals, the goal frame in ...
in six games.
When he turned professional in 1909 by joining the
Ottawa Hockey Club, Roberts was one of the youngest players in his league at the age of 18 years.
He scored three goals with the team in a single game in the short-lived
Canadian Hockey Association before Ottawa jumped to the
National Hockey Association
The National Hockey Association (NHA), officially the National Hockey Association of Canada Limited, was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor of today's National Hockey Lea ...
(NHA) for the remainder of the season. In nine NHA games, Roberts recorded 13 goals.
Ottawa was the defending
Stanley Cup champions and, during the season, were
challenged for the trophy by the Alberta champion
Edmonton Hockey Club
The Edmonton Hockey Club was a Canadian amateur men's ice hockey club first organized in 1894 and formally established in 1896. The club consisted of two teams, the Thistles who were the elite players, and the Stars who were young prospects. The ...
in January 1910. The ''
Ottawa Citizen
The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
History
Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris, it was renamed the ''Citizen'' in 1851. The new ...
'' described Roberts as being the star of the first game. The paper praised his defensive
checking in addition to his four goals scored in an 8–4 victory. He added three goals in the second game as Ottawa retained control of the Stanley Cup by a 21–11 aggregate score.
Having enrolled at
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
to study medicine, Roberts moved to Montreal.
He continued to play hockey and lacrosse but could not play football as McGill was unable to have him certified as an amateur.
Also ineligible to play collegiate hockey,
he joined the
Montreal Wanderers
The Montreal Wanderers were an amateur, and later professional, ice hockey team based in Montreal. The team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League (FAHL), the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA), the National Hockey Association ...
for the
1910–11 NHA season. Roberts played only four NHA games that year, but thereafter was consistently one of the league's leading scorers.
Following a pair of 16-goal seasons, Roberts finished second in league scoring with 31 goals in
1913–14 and with 29 in
1914–15. He was also named a league all-star in 1914.
Roberts found it difficult to both study and play hockey, but praised the support of his classmates and the faculty in helping him earn his degree. He had to complete an extra year of schooling after failing his second year, but graduated from McGill in 1916.
Following an 18-goal season in
1915–16, he left Montreal to take up practice in
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
.
Roberts continued his hockey career and joined the
Vancouver Millionaires
The Vancouver Millionaires (later known as the Vancouver Maroons) were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926. Based in Vancouver, British C ...
of the
Pacific Coast Hockey Association
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was a professional ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The PCHA was cons ...
(PCHA).
He led the PCHA in scoring with 43 goals – in 23 games – and was named a league all-star on left wing.
His medical career took him to
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
and as a result, he joined the
Seattle Metropolitans
The Seattle Metropolitans were a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle, Washington, which played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1915 to 1924. During their nine seasons, the Metropolitans were the PCHA's most successful ...
for the
1917–18 PCHA season
The 1917–18 PCHA season was the seventh season of the professional men's ice hockey Pacific Coast Hockey Association league. Season play ran from December 28, 1917, until March 8, 1918. The season was reduced to 18 games per team. The Seattle Me ...
.
He retired in 1918 to focus on his medical career in the
Howe Sound
Howe Sound (french: Baie (de /d')Howe, squ, Átl'ka7tsem, Nexwnéwu7ts, Txwnéwu7ts) is a roughly triangular sound, that joins a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia. It was designated as a UNESCO Biosp ...
region of British Columbia,
but was lured back to the PCHA by the Millionaires for the
1919–20 season. He scored 16 goals in 22 games for Vancouver before permanently retiring from hockey.
Playing style
Roberts was considered by his contemporaries to be one of the greatest left wings in the sport's history. His
wrist shot
A wrist shot is a type of hockey shot that involves using arm muscles (especially those in the wrist and forearm) to propel a puck forward from the concave side of the blade of a hockey stick. Generally, when the puck is shot in a similar manne ...
, one of the most fearsome of the pre-1927 era, became the stuff of legend across the country, in both the
PCHA and
NHA. Amongst the sporting press, he was often said to have had "the hardest and most deceptive shot in hockey" during the 1910s.
Roberts was sometimes described as being the inventor of the "curved shot", preceding and outmatching players such as
Harry Cameron,
Babe Dye
Cecil Henry "Babe" Dye (c. 1898 — January 3, 1962) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto St. Patricks/Maple Leafs, Hamilton Tigers, Chicago Black Hawks, and the N ...
and
Didier Pitre
Joseph George Didier "Cannonball" Pitre (September 1, 1883 – July 29, 1934) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Nicknamed "Cannonball," he was renown for having one of the hardest shots during his playing career. One of the first playe ...
.
Bernie Morris
Bernard Patrick Morris (August 21, 1890 – May 16, 1963) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played for the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1915 to 1923. When the Metropolitans became the f ...
, and Hall of Famers
Frank Foyston
Frank Corbett "Flash" Foyston (February 2, 1891 – January 19, 1966) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Foyston was a member of Stanley Cup championship teams three times: with the Toronto Blueshirts in 1914, the Seattle M ...
and
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 ...
all attested to the unrivalled effectiveness and dramatic trajectory of Roberts’ shot.
Clint Benedict
Clinton Stevenson "Praying Benny" Benedict (September 26, 1892 – November 12, 1976) was a Canadian professional lacrosse goalie, ice hockey goaltender who played for the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Maroons. He played on four Stanley Cup-win ...
, often considered the greatest goalie of the 1893–1926 era also gave praise to Roberts’ accuracy coupled with his ability to curve the puck.
Roberts was noted for being able to get his shot off at very bad angles from close in, as well as drive it in from far outside the reach and typical positional range of defenceman.
[Ottawa Citizen - Jan 19, 1910]
Notwithstanding his shooting prowess, Roberts was also well regarded for his stamina and skating ability,
as well as being an above-average defensive checker.
Despite being a physical player, Roberts (like his contemporary
Frank Nighbor
Julius Francis Joseph "Pembroke Peach" Nighbor (January 26, 1893 – April 13, 1966) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played primarily for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and National Hockey Leag ...
) was noted for his gentlemanly conduct on the ice – which he may have used to protect himself from retaliation.
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 ...
bench boss George Kennedy told a story of a game against the
Montreal Wanderers
The Montreal Wanderers were an amateur, and later professional, ice hockey team based in Montreal. The team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League (FAHL), the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA), the National Hockey Association ...
in which
Didier Pitre
Joseph George Didier "Cannonball" Pitre (September 1, 1883 – July 29, 1934) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Nicknamed "Cannonball," he was renown for having one of the hardest shots during his playing career. One of the first playe ...
was being tripped and butt-ended by the rugged Wanderers winger:
......''Kennedy screamed at Pitre, ‘Are you afraid of Roberts?’
'No, sure not,’ was Pitre's surprised response.
‘Well, why don't you hit him back?’ Kennedy snapped.
‘How can I hit back?’ Pitre asked. ‘Roberts, he is very polite, very nice. Each time I fall, he helps me get up and apologizes and says it is an accident ... can I hit a man who is apologizing to me? No, never, it is not done......’'
Personal life
Born September 5, 1891, and raised in Ottawa, Roberts was the youngest of ten children; he had eight brothers and a sister.
His brother Laurie was also a doctor and athlete, while another brother, Eddie, fought and died in the First World War. Roberts returned east in 1922 where he did post-graduate studies in New York. The Ottawa Senators, then of 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 ...
, attempted to bring him out of retirement again and
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
sought his services as a
lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...
coach. Roberts turned down both offers and chose to retain focus on his medical career; He moved to
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
where he taught for a time at
Stanford University Hospital.
By 1925, he settled in
Oakland where he practiced as an
obstetrician
Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgic ...
for over 40 years.
Roberts also acted as a referee at
California Hockey League
The California Hockey League was a professional ice hockey league that existed from 1925 until 1933. Background
The popularity of ice hockey in southern California grew rapidly between World War I and the Great Depression, as the region experienc ...
games. Roberts died September 2, 1966, and in 1971 was posthumously inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame.
Career statistics
* Stanley Cup Champion.
References
*''Career statistics'':
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Gordon
1891 births
1966 deaths
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Ice hockey people from Ottawa
Montreal Wanderers (NHA) players
Montreal Wanderers players
Ottawa Senators (NHA) players
Ottawa Senators (original) players
Seattle Metropolitans players
Vancouver Millionaires players
Canadian ice hockey left wingers
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States