John Benedict "Peanuts" O'Flaherty (April 10, 1918 — July 16, 2008) was a Canadian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) 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. Tw ...

player who played 21 games in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

with 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 ...

and

Brooklyn 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 ...

. He was born in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Playing career

Peanuts received his nickname when a Toronto sports writer spotted him selling peanuts at

Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church and Wellesley, Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was originally constructed in 1931 as an indoor arena to host ice hoc ...

in 1933.
Legends of Hockey. Retrieved Oct. 30, 2007. In 21 career NHL games O'Flaherty recorded 5 goals and an assist for 6 points. He played several seasons in the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

with the

Pittsburgh Hornets The Pittsburgh Hornets were a minor-league professional men's ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Contrary to popular belief, the Pittsburgh Hornets did not evolve from the International Hockey League's Pittsburgh Shamrocks. The ...

in the 1940s. His son, Gerry O'Flaherty, would go on to play in the NHL from 1971 to 1979.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

References

External links

* 1918 births 2008 deaths Brooklyn Americans players Canadian ice hockey left wingers Canadian sportspeople of Irish descent New York Americans players 20th-century Canadian sportsmen Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Pittsburgh Hornets players Ice hockey people from Toronto Springfield Indians players Toronto Marlboros players Toronto St. Michael's Majors players {{canada-icehockey-winger-1910s-stub