Martin Joseph Walsh (October 16, 1884 – March 27, 1915) 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 ...
amateur
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
, later 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 ...
player. Walsh played for the
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 ...
, winning three
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
s in 1909, 1910 and 1911 and is a member of the
Hockey Hall of Fame
, logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg
, logo_upright = 0.5
, image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg
, caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992
, map_type =
, former_name =
, established = 1943
, location = 30 Y ...
. He retired from ice hockey in 1912 and moved west to Edmonton to work. In 1914, Walsh contracted
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
, succumbing to the disease in March 1915.
Early life
Walsh was born in
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toro ...
, the son of Michael and Catherine Walsh. Martin had an older sister Loretta and an older brother William. Walsh played junior hockey for the local
Kingston Frontenacs
The Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Frontenacs play home games at Leon's Centre, which opened in 2008.
Team history predates the OHA, back to 1945, to a te ...
. At seventeen, Walsh entered
Queen's University.
Walsh played hockey for the Queen's senior hockey team from 1902–1906, where he was a teammate of
George Richardson, and the team won the intercollegiate title in 1904 and 1906. The 1906 squad challenged for the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
in
1906
Events
January–February
* January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
against the
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 ...
. Walsh scored four goals in the two games of the series which was won by Ottawa. Walsh also played
rugby football
Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union and rugby league.
Canadian football and, to a lesser extent, American football were once considered forms of rugby football, but are seldom now referred to as such. The ...
for Queen's,
and was a member of their 1905 intercollegiate championship team.
Professional career
![Martin Walsh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Martin_Walsh.jpg)
Walsh turned professional for the
1906–07 season with the
Canadian Soo
The Sault Ste. Marie Marlboros, also known as the Canadian Soo and Soo Algonquins, was a professional ice hockey team from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. It was the lone Canadian entry in the International Hockey League of 1904–1907, and ...
of the
International Professional Hockey League
The International Professional Hockey League (IPHL) was the first fully professional ice hockey, professional ice hockey leagues, ice hockey league, operating from 1904 to 1907. It was formed by Jack Gibson (ice hockey born 1880), Jack "Doc" Gi ...
(IPHL), playing only seven games due to a fractured left ankle.
Walsh was sought after by several clubs, including the
Montreal Shamrocks
The Montreal Shamrocks were an amateur, later professional, and then amateur again men's ice hockey club in existence from 1886 to 1924, based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They were spun off from the Montreal Shamrocks lacrosse club. Starting off ...
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 ...
, but he decided to sign with Ottawa. He joined the Ottawa Hockey Club in 1907 and played for the club for five seasons, winning Stanley Cups in 1909, 1910 and 1911. He was a high-scoring forward and in 1909, Marty scored 42 goals in 12 games, and in his career playoffs, he averaged over three points per game, an extraordinary feat.
When 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 ...
was formed late in 1909,
Renfrew
Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former ...
attempted to sign Ottawa's star players including Walsh, but Walsh re-signed with Ottawa. When Walsh re-signed with Ottawa, players
Fred Lake
Frederick Lovett Lake (October 16, 1866 – November 24, 1931) was a Canadian professional baseball catcher and Major League manager for Boston American and National leagues teams in the early 20th century.
Lake hailed from Cornwallis Township, ...
and
Albert Kerr
Albert Daniel "Dubbie" Kerr (March 8, 1889 – September 17, 1941) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was a member of the 1909 and 1911 Ottawa Senators Stanley Cup-winning teams. Born in Brockville, Ontario, he started out as a pro ...
decided to turn down their Renfrew offers. Commenting on the financial aspects of the game in December 1909, Walsh stated that even though some player salaries could seem high-priced from an outside perspective, the game did not come without a sacrificial price of its own in the form of injuries:
In 1911, Walsh scored ten goals in a Stanley Cup challenge match against Port Arthur, second only to
Frank McGee's 14 in one game. After the 1911 season,
Bruce Stuart
Charles Bruce Stuart (November 30, 1881 – October 28, 1961) was a Canadian amateur and professional ice hockey forward who played for the Quebec Bulldogs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Wanderers, Portage Lakes Hockey Club, Pittsburgh Victorias ...
retired and Walsh was named captain of the team. Walsh played his last professional game with the Senators in 1912, finishing with 11 goals in 12 games for the
1911–12 season.
Walsh was recognized for his talent in 1962 when he was inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
, logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg
, logo_upright = 0.5
, image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg
, caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992
, map_type =
, former_name =
, established = 1943
, location = 30 Y ...
.
Playing style
![Martin J Walsh, Queen's University](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Martin_J_Walsh%2C_Queen%27s_University.jpg)
Like many other
centre forwards during the earlier years of professional hockey, Marty Walsh had his strongest suit in close proximity to the opponent net, where he would often park himself for redirections or deflections. 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 (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the '' ...
, in its January 26, 1911 issue, described a goal against 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 ...
on January 21 during the
1910–11 NHA season
The 1910–11 NHA season was the second season of the now defunct National Hockey Association. The Ottawa Hockey Club won the league championship. Ottawa took over the Stanley Cup from the Montreal Wanderers and defended it against teams from Ga ...
, where Walsh had positioned himself right in front of
Georges Vézina
Joseph Georges Gonzague Vézina (; ; , 1887 – , 1926) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association (NHA) and nine in the National Hockey League (NHL), all with the Montreal C ...
for the game-winning goal in overtime, and the puck had caromed off of Walsh and into the net after first having left teammate
Jack Darragh
John Proctor Darragh (December 4, 1890 – June 28, 1924) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Darragh played the forward position for the Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey League (NHL) and its predecessor the National Hockey ...
's stick. The newspaper pointed out that that was how Walsh got most of his goals, and that he usually wasn't a "showy" player.
The Ottawa Citizen from January 26, 1911 also pointed out that while Walsh couldn't skate like
Cyclone Taylor
Frederick Wellington "Cyclone" Taylor, MBE (June 23, 1884 – June 9, 1979) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and civil servant. A cover-point and rover, he played professionally from 1906 to 1922 for several teams, and is most well ...
, wasn't blessed with the beautiful foot work of
Albert Kerr
Albert Daniel "Dubbie" Kerr (March 8, 1889 – September 17, 1941) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was a member of the 1909 and 1911 Ottawa Senators Stanley Cup-winning teams. Born in Brockville, Ontario, he started out as a pro ...
, and didn't show as spectacular as
Bruce Ridpath
David Bruce Ridpath (January 2, 1884 – June 4, 1925) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and general manager. He was a member of the 1911 Stanley Cup champion Ottawa Senators before an automobile accident ended his playing career.
Rid ...
, his absence was still dearly felt for the Ottawas when he was off the ice, and exemplified the claim with a 5-minute slashing penalty on Walsh during the January 21 game against the Montreal Canadiens, by which "the Ottawa defence was demoralized, their attack seemed to melt to pieces, and before the Kingstonian's penalty had expired Canadiens had tied the score."
Walsh's hovering around the opponent net earned him the nickname "Stick-around" Walsh from famous
Montreal Victorias
The Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was an early men's amateur ice hockey club. Its date of origin is ascribed to either 1874, 1877 or 1881, making it either the first or second organized ice hockey club after McGill University. ...
player
Russell Bowie
Russell George Alexander "Russ, Dubbie" Bowie (August 24, 1880 – April 8, 1959) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was generally regarded as one of the best players of the pre-NHL era of the sport, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of ...
, but the January 26, 1911 issue of the Ottawa Citizen also claimed that "Marty's checking back has re
ued the Ottawa defence from many a perilous position this winter. He is always there with the poke and jab when the rubber is dangerously near the peerless
LeSueur."
Post-career
In 1912, Walsh left for
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
with
Dubbie Kerr to start a cattle ranch. Their plans changed when Kerr was lured out of retirement to play in the new
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). There were reports that the PCHA had signed Walsh as well, but he remained retired.
In 1913, Walsh moved west to the
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
area, where he worked as a paymaster
for the Grand Trunk Railway.
While in Edmonton, he coached the
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...
team for two seasons. He guided the Eskimos to the 1913 Inter-City Hockey League title and an
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are the ...
challenge.
In 1914, Walsh fell ill with
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
. In February 1915, Walsh entered the Gravenhurst Sanitorium for treatment, but when admitted, the doctors estimated he had only a short time left to live.
Walsh died on March 27, 1915. His remains were transported to Kingston for burial in St. Mary's Cemetery after a funeral at
St. Mary's Cathedral.
At his death, Walsh's only relative was his sister Loretta Keaney of Sudbury.
Awards
* 1908, 1909 – ECAHA/ECHA First All-Star team
* 1909 – ECHA Most Valuable Player
Statistics
* Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
Champion.
References
*
Notes
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Marty
1884 births
1915 deaths
Canadian ice hockey centres
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Ice hockey people from Ontario
Ottawa Senators (NHA) players
Ottawa Senators (original) players
Sault Ste. Marie Marlboros players
Sportspeople from Kingston, Ontario
Stanley Cup champions
20th-century deaths from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis deaths in Ontario