Frank McCool
Encyclopedia
Francis McCool was a Canadian professional
ice hockey
goaltender
who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs
in the National Hockey League
. He was born in Calgary, Alberta.
of the Alberta Senior Hockey League
. In 1937-38
, McCool played in the Memorial Cup
with the Calgary Canadians
. In 1939-40, he enrolled at Gonzaga University
and played hockey there from 1940 to 1942. In 1942-43, McCool enrolled in the army. He played for one season for the Calgary Currie Army before being deployed in 1943-44.
After returning in 1944-45
, he signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs
. He was the top goaltender for the Leafs as he led them through the season and all the way to the Stanley Cup
. The Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings
in seven games and McCool set a franchise record for most shutouts in the postseason. He also set a NHL
record for most consecutive shutouts in the postseason with three, a record that has been tied but not beaten to this day. He also held another Stanley Cup record for the fewest goals allowed in the Final with nine. This stood until the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals
, when it was beaten by Boston Bruins
netminder Tim Thomas
. McCool also set another milestone as he became the first NHL goaltender
to record an assist. At the end of the season, McCool was the recipient of the Calder Memorial Trophy
.
After just playing in 22 games in 1945-46
, he retired after just two years because of severe ulcer
s. He suffered from ulcers during his career, and it was confirmed that ulcers played a part in his death on May 20, 1973.
, Alberta
.
McCool died on 20 May 1973 of stomach ulcers, a condition from which he had suffered often in his adult life.
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
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...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing 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...
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...
. He was born in Calgary, Alberta.
Playing career
McCool played minor hockey in his hometown of Calgary with the Calgary BronksCalgary Bronks (ice hockey)
The Calgary Bronks were a Senior ice hockey team from Calgary, Alberta. They were organized in 1928 in the Southern Alberta Senior League. It moved to the Alberta Senior League in the merger of 1936....
of the Alberta Senior Hockey League
Alberta Senior Hockey League
The Alberta Senior Hockey League or ASHL was a senior level ice hockey league that operated between 1936 and 1941 in Alberta, Canada. In 1941 the league ceased operations due to World War II....
. In 1937-38
1938 Memorial Cup
The 1938 Memorial Cup final was the 20th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions St. Boniface Seals of the...
, McCool played in the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
with the Calgary Canadians
Calgary Canadians
The Calgary Canadians were a junior ice hockey team that played in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 1924, they became the first team from Alberta to play for the Memorial Cup, and in 1926, the first to win it....
. In 1939-40, he enrolled at Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
and played hockey there from 1940 to 1942. In 1942-43, McCool enrolled in the army. He played for one season for the Calgary Currie Army before being deployed in 1943-44.
After returning in 1944-45
1944-45 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:...
, he signed a free agent contract with 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...
. He was the top goaltender for the Leafs as he led them through the season and all the way to 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...
. The Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in seven games and McCool set a franchise record for most shutouts in the postseason. He also set a 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...
record for most consecutive shutouts in the postseason with three, a record that has been tied but not beaten to this day. He also held another Stanley Cup record for the fewest goals allowed in the Final with nine. This stood until the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals
2011 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the 118th year of the Stanley Cup's presentation. The Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference Champion Vancouver...
, when it was beaten by 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...
netminder Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas (ice hockey)
Timothy James Thomas, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . Raised in Davison, MI, Thomas played college hockey for the University of Vermont for four years, from 1993–1997, during which he was drafted 217th overall by the...
. McCool also set another milestone as he became the first NHL goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
to record an assist. At the end of the season, McCool was the recipient of the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
.
After just playing in 22 games in 1945-46
1945-46 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:...
, he retired after just two years because of severe ulcer
Peptic ulcer
A peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
s. He suffered from ulcers during his career, and it was confirmed that ulcers played a part in his death on May 20, 1973.
Legacy
Frank McCool has an arena named after him in the southeast community of Lake Bonavista in the city where he was born, CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
.
McCool died on 20 May 1973 of stomach ulcers, a condition from which he had suffered often in his adult life.
Awards and achievements
- Calder Memorial TrophyCalder Memorial TrophyThe Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
winner in 19451944-45 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:...
. - Stanley CupStanley CupThe 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...
champion in 19451945 Stanley Cup Finals-References and notes:* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame . Lord Stanley's Cup. Bolton, Ont.: Fenn Pub. pp 12, 50. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7...
. - Shares NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe 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...
record for most consecutive shutoutShutoutIn team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s in the postseason (3). - Hold Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe 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...
record for most shutouts in the postseason (4). - First NHL goaltenderGoaltenderIn ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
to record an assist in 1945.
Regular season and playoffs
| 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 | W | L | T | Min | GA | SO Shutout In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.... | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
GP | W | L | Min | GA | SO | GAA | |||
| 1936-37 | Calgary Bronks Calgary Bronks (ice hockey) The Calgary Bronks were a Senior ice hockey team from Calgary, Alberta. They were organized in 1928 in the Southern Alberta Senior League. It moved to the Alberta Senior League in the merger of 1936.... |
ASHL Alberta Senior Hockey League The Alberta Senior Hockey League or ASHL was a senior level ice hockey league that operated between 1936 and 1941 in Alberta, Canada. In 1941 the league ceased operations due to World War II.... |
2 | — | — | — | 120 | 9 | 0 | 4.50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1936-37 | Calgary Canadians Calgary Canadians The Calgary Canadians were a junior ice hockey team that played in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 1924, they became the first team from Alberta to play for the Memorial Cup, and in 1926, the first to win it.... |
CCJHL | 1 | — | — | — | 60 | 3 | 0 | 3.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1937-38 | Calgary Columbus Club | CCSHL | 12 | — | — | — | 720 | 47 | 1 | 3.92 | 3 | — | — | 180 | 8 | 0 | 2.67 | |||
| 1937-38 1938 Memorial Cup The 1938 Memorial Cup final was the 20th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions St. Boniface Seals of the... |
Calgary Canadians | M-Cup Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | 240 | 19 | 0 | 4.75 | |||
| 1939-40 | Gonzaga University Gonzaga University Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga... |
WKHL West Kootenay League The West Kootenay League, also referred to as the West Kootenay Hockey League , is a defunct senior men's ice hockey league that operated in eastern British Columbia from 1922–1941, and also during the 1945-46 season... |
8 | — | — | — | 480 | 46 | 0 | 5.75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1940-41 | Gonzaga University | NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1941-42 | Gonzaga University | NCAA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1942-43 | Calgary Currie Army | ASHL | 24 | — | — | — | 1440 | 81 | 1 | 3.37 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 300 | 20 | 0 | 4.00 | |||
| 1944-45 1944-45 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:... |
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... |
50 | 24 | 22 | 4 | 3000 | 161 | 4 | 3.22 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 807 | 30 | 4 | 2.23 | |||
| 1945-46 1945-46 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:... |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 22 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 1320 | 81 | 0 | 3.68 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| NHL totals | 72 | 34 | 31 | 7 | 4320 | 242 | 4 | 3.36 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 807 | 30 | 4 | 2.23 | |||||