Harry Oliver
Encyclopedia
Harold "Pee-Wee" Oliver was a Canadian
ice hockey
forward who played for the Calgary Tigers
of the Western Canada Hockey League
(WCHL) and the Boston Bruins
and New York Americans
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He was a member of the Tigers' 1924 WCHL championship and won the Stanley Cup
with the Bruins in 1929. Oliver played nearly 600 games in a professional career that spanned 16 seasons and scored 217 goals. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1967.
and played both junior and senior hockey with the Selkirk Fishermen
. Oliver and the Fishermen won the Manitoba Senior Hockey League in 1919 and challenged the Hamilton Tigers for the Allan Cup
. Oliver scored a goal in the second game, but the Fishermen lost the two-game series on total goals, 7–6. He left Selkirk for a professional career in Calgary
in 1920. He played one season with the Calgary Canadians of the independent Big-4 League
in 1919–20 then moved to the Calgary Tigers
and the new Western Canada Hockey League
. Oliver quickly established himself as a star player in the WCHL, using his speed and shot to earn positions as a First-Team All-Star in both 1924 and 1925. He was a key member of the Tigers' team that won the 1923–24 WCHL championship, and lost to the Montreal Canadiens
for the Stanley Cup
.
When the WCHL collapsed in 1926, Oliver's rights were bought by the Boston Bruins
. His NHL career began on a line with Bill Carson
and Percy Galbraith
, and he led the Bruins in scoring each of his first three seasons with the team. He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 1929 and remained with the organization for eight years. The Bruins sold his rights to the New York Americans
in 1934, and Oliver completed his career with three seasons in New York. Well regarded for his genlemanly nature on the ice, Oliver was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1967, and is an honoured member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
Following his career, Oliver returned to Selkirk, working first as an electrician, then moved to Winnipeg
where he worked for the Weights and Measures Department of the Canadian Government. He died in 1985.
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...
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...
forward who played for the Calgary Tigers
Calgary Tigers
The Calgary Tigers, often nicknamed the Bengals, were an ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 1920 until 1927 as members of the Big Four League, Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League. The Tigers were revived in 1932, playing for a short-lived four years in the...
of the Western Canada Hockey League
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:...
(WCHL) and 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...
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...
of 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...
(NHL). He was a member of the Tigers' 1924 WCHL championship and 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...
with the Bruins in 1929. Oliver played nearly 600 games in a professional career that spanned 16 seasons and scored 217 goals. 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 1967.
Playing career
Oliver grew up in Selkirk, ManitobaSelkirk, Manitoba
Selkirk is a city in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, located about 22 km northeast of the provincial capital Winnipeg on the Red River, near . As of the 2006 census, Selkirk had a population of 9,515....
and played both junior and senior hockey with the Selkirk Fishermen
Selkirk Fishermen
The Selkirk Fishermen are a Junior "B" ice hockey team based in Selkirk, Manitoba. They are members of the Keystone Junior Hockey League...
. Oliver and the Fishermen won the Manitoba Senior Hockey League in 1919 and challenged the Hamilton Tigers for the Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
. Oliver scored a goal in the second game, but the Fishermen lost the two-game series on total goals, 7–6. He left Selkirk for a professional career in Calgary
Calgary
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...
in 1920. He played one season with the Calgary Canadians of the independent Big-4 League
Big-4 League
The Big-4 League was a top level senior ice hockey league that operated in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta for two seasons between 1919 and 1921. Created with the intention of competing for the Allan Cup senior-amateur championship, the league's existence was marred by accusations that its teams...
in 1919–20 then moved to the Calgary Tigers
Calgary Tigers
The Calgary Tigers, often nicknamed the Bengals, were an ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 1920 until 1927 as members of the Big Four League, Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League. The Tigers were revived in 1932, playing for a short-lived four years in the...
and the new Western Canada Hockey League
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:...
. Oliver quickly established himself as a star player in the WCHL, using his speed and shot to earn positions as a First-Team All-Star in both 1924 and 1925. He was a key member of the Tigers' team that won the 1923–24 WCHL championship, and lost to the 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 ...
for 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...
.
When the WCHL collapsed in 1926, Oliver's rights were bought by 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...
. His NHL career began on a line with Bill Carson
Bill Carson (ice hockey)
William Joseph "Doc" Carson was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 159 games in the National Hockey League. Born in Bracebridge, Ontario, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. He won the Stanley Cup in 1929 with the Boston Bruins, scoring the game winning goal...
and Percy Galbraith
Percy Galbraith
Percival Walter "Perk" Galbraith was a Canadian ice hockey forward. He was born in Toronto, Ontario.Galbraith started his National Hockey League career with the Boston Bruins in 1926. He would also play for the Ottawa Senators. He would retire from hockey after the 1934 season. He won the Stanley...
, and he led the Bruins in scoring each of his first three seasons with the team. He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 1929 and remained with the organization for eight years. The Bruins sold his rights 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...
in 1934, and Oliver completed his career with three seasons in New York. Well regarded for his genlemanly nature on the ice, Oliver 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 1967, and is an honoured member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
Following his career, Oliver returned to Selkirk, working first as an electrician, then moved to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
where he worked for the Weights and Measures Department of the Canadian Government. He died in 1985.
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 | ||
| 1917–18 | Selkirk Fishermen Selkirk Fishermen The Selkirk Fishermen are a Junior "B" ice hockey team based in Selkirk, Manitoba. They are members of the Keystone Junior Hockey League... |
MJHL | 2 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 0 | |||||||
| 1918–19 | Selkirk Fishermen | MSHL | 9 | 15 | 9 | 24 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1919–20 | Selkirk Fishermen | MSHL | 10 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1920–21 | Calgary Canadians | Big-4 Big-4 League The Big-4 League was a top level senior ice hockey league that operated in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta for two seasons between 1919 and 1921. Created with the intention of competing for the Allan Cup senior-amateur championship, the league's existence was marred by accusations that its teams... |
16 | 14 | 6 | 20 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1921–22 | Calgary Tigers Calgary Tigers The Calgary Tigers, often nicknamed the Bengals, were an ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 1920 until 1927 as members of the Big Four League, Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League. The Tigers were revived in 1932, playing for a short-lived four years in the... |
WCHL Western Canada Hockey League The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:... |
20 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1922–23 | Calgary Tigers | WCHL | 29 | 25 | 7 | 32 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1923–24 | Calgary Tigers | WCHL | 27 | 22 | 12 | 34 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1924–25 | Calgary Tigers | WCHL | 24 | 20 | 13 | 33 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1925–26 | Calgary Tigers | WHL | 30 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1926–27 | 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 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... |
42 | 18 | 6 | 24 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1927–28 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 43 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1928–29 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 43 | 17 | 6 | 23 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 1929–30 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 40 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 1930–31 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 44 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1931–32 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 44 | 13 | 7 | 20 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1932–33 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 47 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1933–34 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 48 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1934–35 | 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 | 47 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1935–36 | New York Americans | NHL | 45 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1936–37 | New York Americans | NHL | 20 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| WCHL totals | 130 | 90 | 49 | 139 | 68 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| NHL totals | 463 | 127 | 85 | 212 | 147 | 35 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 24 | ||||