Norman Eugene Smith (March 18, 1908 – February 2, 1988) was a Canadian professional ice hockey

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...

who played 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 la ...

and 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

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 ...

Rookie career

Smith enjoyed much success in his rookie years with the

. He was playing his 20th game for the Maroons in 1930–31 when

Howie Morenz Howard William Morenz (September 21, 1902 – March 8, 1937) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Beginning in 1923, he played centre for three National Hockey League (NHL) teams: the Montreal Canadiens (in two stints), the Chicago Blac ...

was sent flying into the Maroons net and knocked off Smith, who was so badly injured that he was out for the rest of the season. Smith spent the next two seasons in the minors working on his rebound-control and all-around game. It was there in the minors that Smith started wearing his distinctive cap to stop the glare of the overhead lights from blinding him.

NHL career

In 1934, Smith was signed by the

. There, Smith played one of the most remarkable games ever in NHL history. He shut-out the Montreal Maroons in the NHL's longest game where he apparently lost of body weight during the 176-minute, 30-second affair on the way to a

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 ...

championship in 1935–36. His 92 saves in that same game are also a NHL record. Smith helped Detroit repeat as Stanley Cup Champions in 1936–37 and won the

Vezina Trophy The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's (NHL) goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the thirty-two NHL general managers vote to determine the winner. It is named in ...

that same year. After suffering an arm injury, he slumped in 1937–38 and the Red Wings finished last. During a game in 1938–39, he did not show up, causing a rift with coach

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 Millionair ...

. He was then traded to Boston along with $15,000 U.S. cash on November 16, 1938 for

Tiny Thompson Cecil Ralph "Tiny" Thompson (May 31, 1903 – February 9, 1981) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), first for the Boston Bruins, and later for the Detroit Red Wings. ...

, where there was no way he would beat out

Frank Brimsek Francis Charles "Mr. Zero" Brimsek (September 26, 1913 – November 11, 1998) was an American professional ice hockey goaltender who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks. He won ...

, and he was sent to the minors. Normie Smith retired rather than report to the minor leagues. He returned to play briefly with the Red Wings when

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

left a vacuum of players in the NHL.

Awards and achievements

(

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Fe ...

). * NHL First All-Star Team goalie (1937). *

Championship (

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

). * Holds

NHL 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 ...

record for most saves in a game (92).

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Normie 1908 births 1988 deaths Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Detroit Olympics (IHL) players Detroit Red Wings players Ice hockey people from Ontario Montreal Maroons players Pittsburgh Hornets players Quebec Castors players Sportspeople from Toronto Stanley Cup champions Vezina Trophy winners Windsor Bulldogs (1929–1936) players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States