Busher Jackson
Encyclopedia
Harvey "Busher" Jackson (January 19, 1911 June 25, 1966) was a Canadian
professional ice hockey
left winger
and defenceman
who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs
, Boston Bruins
, and New York Americans
in the National Hockey League
.
Jackson played for the Toronto Marlboros
along with future teammate Charlie Conacher
, and joined the Leafs in 1929, just a few days after Conacher. He immediately made a splash in his first game, when he sent Montreal Canadiens
star Howie Morenz
to the ice with a hard check. A dazed Morenz told the young Jackson, "You'll do."
Shortly afterward, Jackson was knocked out of the lineup with an injury. Trainer Tim Daly asked him to carry his teammates' sticks, as was the tradition for rookies at the time. Jackson refused, saying "I'm not here to carry sticks. I'm here to play hockey." Daly called him "a fresh busher"—a term for someone who had just been called up from the minors. The nickname stuck.
Midway through his first season, Maple Leafs co-owner/manager/coach Conn Smythe
put Jackson and Conacher on a line with another young forward, Joe Primeau
. This created one of the greatest forward lines in NHL history, the Kid Line
. They were an important part of the great Maple Leaf team that won the Stanley Cup
in 1932
.
After Jackson's scoring output dropped off in 1939, the Leafs traded him to the New York Americans
for Sweeney Schriner
. He played there for two years, and played his last three years with the Boston Bruins
. Late in his career with Boston, he saw some time on defence due to the decimation of NHL rosters during World War II
.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1971, which led directly to Smythe resigning as the Hall's president. There had been a falling-out between them several years earlier, and Smythe believed Jackson did not warrant admission to the Hall due to his character. In 1998, he was ranked number 55 on The Hockey News
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
Jackson is interred at Park Lawn Cemetery
in Toronto.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
left winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
and defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, and New York Americans
New York Americans
The New York Americans were a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League and the second to play in the United States. The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals...
in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
.
Jackson played for the Toronto Marlboros
Toronto Marlboros
The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989...
along with future teammate Charlie Conacher
Charlie Conacher
Charles William "The Big Bomber" Conacher, Sr. was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and New York Americans in the National Hockey League. An early power forward, Conacher was nicknamed "The Big Bomber," for his size, powerful...
, and joined the Leafs in 1929, just a few days after Conacher. He immediately made a splash in his first game, when he sent Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
star Howie Morenz
Howie Morenz
Howard William Morenz was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre for three National Hockey League teams: the Montreal Canadiens , the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers...
to the ice with a hard check. A dazed Morenz told the young Jackson, "You'll do."
Shortly afterward, Jackson was knocked out of the lineup with an injury. Trainer Tim Daly asked him to carry his teammates' sticks, as was the tradition for rookies at the time. Jackson refused, saying "I'm not here to carry sticks. I'm here to play hockey." Daly called him "a fresh busher"—a term for someone who had just been called up from the minors. The nickname stuck.
Midway through his first season, Maple Leafs co-owner/manager/coach Conn Smythe
Conn Smythe
Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe MC was a Canadian businessman, soldier and sportsman in ice hockey and horse racing. He is best known as the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1927 to 1961 and as the builder of Maple Leaf Gardens...
put Jackson and Conacher on a line with another young forward, Joe Primeau
Joe Primeau
Alfred Joseph Francis "Gentleman Joe" Primeau , was a Canadian professional ice hockey player.-Playing career:...
. This created one of the greatest forward lines in NHL history, the Kid Line
The Kid Line
The Kid Line was a NHL line for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1930s. It included Charlie Conacher, Harvey "Busher" Jackson and Joe Primeau. When they first came together as a line, Primeau was the oldest at 23 years old, while Jackson and Conacher were both 18...
. They were an important part of the great Maple Leaf team that won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 1932
1932 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1932 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-five series between the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto would win the series in three straight to win their first Stanley Cup.-Paths to the Final:...
.
After Jackson's scoring output dropped off in 1939, the Leafs traded him to the New York Americans
New York Americans
The New York Americans were a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League and the second to play in the United States. The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals...
for Sweeney Schriner
Sweeney Schriner
David "Sweeney" Schriner was a Russian-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Americans and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1935 and was the NHL scoring leader in 1935–36 and 1936–37...
. He played there for two years, and played his last three years with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. Late in his career with Boston, he saw some time on defence due to the decimation of NHL rosters during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1971, which led directly to Smythe resigning as the Hall's president. There had been a falling-out between them several years earlier, and Smythe believed Jackson did not warrant admission to the Hall due to his character. In 1998, he was ranked number 55 on The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
Jackson is interred at Park Lawn Cemetery
Park Lawn Cemetery
Park Lawn Cemetery is a large cemetery in the western Etobicoke section of Toronto, Canada. It currently has some 22,000 graves. It is managed by the Park Lawn Income Trust, which also runs five other cemeteries in Toronto. Controversy arose in 1995 when the company had re-zoned a section of the...
in Toronto.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1929–30 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
32 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1930–31 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 43 | 18 | 13 | 31 | 81 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1931–32 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 48 | 28 | 25 | 53 | 63 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 13 | ||
| 1932–33 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 48 | 27 | 17 | 44 | 43 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1933–34 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 38 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1934–35 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 42 | 22 | 22 | 44 | 27 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1935–36 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 47 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1936–37 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 46 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1937–38 1937–38 NHL season -European tour:After the Stanley Cup final finished, the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens played a nine-game exhibition series in Europe, becoming the first NHL teams to play outside North America. Six games were played in England, three in France... |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 48 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1938–39 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 42 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1939–40 | New York Americans New York Americans The New York Americans were a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League and the second to play in the United States. The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals... |
NHL | 43 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1940–41 | New York Americans | NHL | 46 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1941–42 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 27 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1942–43 1942–43 NHL season -NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:... |
Boston Bruins | NHL | 44 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 38 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 1943–44 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 42 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 636 | 241 | 234 | 475 | 437 | 71 | 18 | 12 | 30 | 55 | ||||