Rusty Crawford
Encyclopedia
Samuel Russell Crawford was a Canadian
professional ice hockey
forward
who played for the Quebec Bulldogs
of the National Hockey Association
(NHA), Ottawa Senators
and Toronto Arenas
of the National Hockey League
(NHL) and Saskatoon Crescents, Calgary Tigers
and Vancouver Maroons of the Western Canada Hockey League
(WCHL). He was a two-time Stanley Cup
champion, winning the trophy with the Bulldogs in 1913 and the Areans in 1918. Crawford was one of the sport's early stars and appeared in 258 games in the three major leagues, scoring 110 goals. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1962.
, winning the Shaver Cup with the team in 1910. Having also played amateur hockey in Verdun
, Quebec, Crawford moved to Saskatchewan, settling in Prince Albert
, and played in Saskatoon
for a couple seasons before he joined the Quebec Bulldogs
in 1912 and became a top scorer in the NHA during his time there.
In his first year in Quebec, the Bulldogs won the Stanley Cup
, defeating a challenger from Sydney, Nova Scotia
. Following the collapse of the NHA in 1917, the Bulldogs joined the newly formed National Hockey League, but chose not to operate in its first seasons. Crawford was claimed by the Ottawa Senators
in a dispersal draft. He began the 1917–18 NHL season with Ottawa, but was loaned to the Toronto Arenas
late in the season as the Senators were required to keep their roster within required limits after they signed Frank Nighbor
to a contract. Completing the season in Toronto, Crawford and the Arenas won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Pacific Coast Hockey Association
's Vancouver Millionaires
in a five-game series. The Arenas signed Crawford to a new contract prior to the 1918–19 season, a deal that was protested by Ottawa who claimed that they retained his rights since he was only given to Toronto on loan. NHL president Frank Calder
was required to arbitrate a resolution, and ordered the Toronto club to surrender one player of Ottawa's choice in exchange for Crawford. Following the season, Crawford returned to Saskatoon to play senior-amateur hockey with the Saskatoon Crescents
.
He remained with Saskatoon while they turned into a professional team with the formation of the Western Canada Hockey League in 1921. He was traded to the Calgary Tigers
in 1922 for cash. By the time he joined the Tigers, he was already considered one of the game's all-time great players. He won the WCHL and Western Canadian championships with the Tigers in 1924 and appeared in the 1924 Stanley Cup Final, where Calgary lost to the Montreal Canadiens
. After one more year in Calgary, Crawford was traded to the Vancouver Maroons in exchange for Fern Headley
. After one year in Vancouver, he moved onto the Minneapolis Millers
of the American Hockey Association
for four seasons and was a member of their 1927–28 championship team. Crawford announced his retirement in 1930 at the age of 45. He coached one season of senior hockey with Prince Albert of the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League in 1930–31 before leaving the sport for good. Crawford was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1962.
Following his retirement, Crawford was a farmer in the Prince Albert area until 1960 when he sold his farm and moved to Spruce Home, Saskatchewan
, where he remained until his death in 1972. He had at least one son, born around 1926 and named "Roddie".
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...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
who played for the Quebec Bulldogs
Quebec Bulldogs
The Quebec Bulldogs were a men's senior-level ice hockey team officially known as the Quebec Hockey Club, later as the Quebec Athletic Club. Their recorded play goes back as far as the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada in 1889, although the Quebec Hockey Club is known to have played since 1880...
of the National Hockey Association
National Hockey Association
The National Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor organization to today's National Hockey League...
(NHA), Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
and Toronto Arenas
Toronto Arenas
The Toronto Arenas, Toronto Blueshirts or Torontos was a professional men's ice hockey team that played in the first two seasons of the National Hockey League . It was operated by the owner of the Arena Gardens, the Toronto Arena Company...
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) and Saskatoon Crescents, 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 Vancouver Maroons 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). He was a two-time 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...
champion, winning the trophy with the Bulldogs in 1913 and the Areans in 1918. Crawford was one of the sport's early stars and appeared in 258 games in the three major leagues, scoring 110 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 1962.
Playing career
Crawford was born in Cardinal, Ontario, and played junior hockey in Vernon, near OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, winning the Shaver Cup with the team in 1910. Having also played amateur hockey in Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
, Quebec, Crawford moved to Saskatchewan, settling in Prince Albert
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan...
, and played in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
for a couple seasons before he joined the Quebec Bulldogs
Quebec Bulldogs
The Quebec Bulldogs were a men's senior-level ice hockey team officially known as the Quebec Hockey Club, later as the Quebec Athletic Club. Their recorded play goes back as far as the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada in 1889, although the Quebec Hockey Club is known to have played since 1880...
in 1912 and became a top scorer in the NHA during his time there.
In his first year in Quebec, the Bulldogs 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...
, defeating a challenger from Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
. Following the collapse of the NHA in 1917, the Bulldogs joined the newly formed National Hockey League, but chose not to operate in its first seasons. Crawford was claimed by the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
in a dispersal draft. He began the 1917–18 NHL season with Ottawa, but was loaned to the Toronto Arenas
Toronto Arenas
The Toronto Arenas, Toronto Blueshirts or Torontos was a professional men's ice hockey team that played in the first two seasons of the National Hockey League . It was operated by the owner of the Arena Gardens, the Toronto Arena Company...
late in the season as the Senators were required to keep their roster within required limits after they signed Frank Nighbor
Frank Nighbor
Julius Francis "Pembroke Peach" Nighbor was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League and National Hockey Association and Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL, Toronto Blueshirts of the NHA and Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific...
to a contract. Completing the season in Toronto, Crawford and the Arenas won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Pacific Coast Hockey Association
Pacific Coast Hockey Association
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association was a professional men's ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League...
's Vancouver Millionaires
Vancouver Millionaires
The Vancouver Millionaires were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926...
in a five-game series. The Arenas signed Crawford to a new contract prior to the 1918–19 season, a deal that was protested by Ottawa who claimed that they retained his rights since he was only given to Toronto on loan. NHL president Frank Calder
Frank Calder
-External links:*...
was required to arbitrate a resolution, and ordered the Toronto club to surrender one player of Ottawa's choice in exchange for Crawford. Following the season, Crawford returned to Saskatoon to play senior-amateur hockey with the Saskatoon Crescents
Saskatoon Sheiks
The Saskatoon Sheiks were a professional ice hockey team in the Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League from 1922 to 1928. The team was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, except for the end of the 1922 season, when they played in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.The team entered the WCHL in...
.
He remained with Saskatoon while they turned into a professional team with the formation of the Western Canada Hockey League in 1921. He was traded 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...
in 1922 for cash. By the time he joined the Tigers, he was already considered one of the game's all-time great players. He won the WCHL and Western Canadian championships with the Tigers in 1924 and appeared in the 1924 Stanley Cup Final, where Calgary 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 ...
. After one more year in Calgary, Crawford was traded to the Vancouver Maroons in exchange for Fern Headley
Fern Headley
Fern James Headley was an American professional ice hockey defenceman who played 27 games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins. He was born in Crystal, North Dakota....
. After one year in Vancouver, he moved onto the Minneapolis Millers
Minneapolis Millers (AHA)
The Minneapolis Millers were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Minneapolis Arena. The Millers originated in the Central Hockey League as a semi-professional team from the 1925-26 season. The team moved to the American Hockey Association along with...
of the American Hockey Association
American Hockey Association (1926–1942)
The American Hockey Association was a minor professional hockey league that operated between 1926 and 1942. It had previously operated as the Central Hockey League , and before that as part of the United States Amateur Hockey Association. The founding president was Alvin Warren, who also owned the St...
for four seasons and was a member of their 1927–28 championship team. Crawford announced his retirement in 1930 at the age of 45. He coached one season of senior hockey with Prince Albert of the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League in 1930–31 before leaving the sport for good. Crawford 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 1962.
Following his retirement, Crawford was a farmer in the Prince Albert area until 1960 when he sold his farm and moved to Spruce Home, Saskatchewan
Spruce Home, Saskatchewan
Spruce Home is a small farming community north of Saskatchewan's third largest city, Prince Albert. The first post office opened in 1908 at Sec.32, Twp.50, R.26, W2 surviving in this location for 9 years...
, where he remained until his death in 1972. He had at least one son, born around 1926 and named "Roddie".
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 | ||
| 1909–10 | Prince Albert Mintos | Sask-Pro | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | |||
| 1910–11 | Prince Albert Mintos | Sask-Pro | 7 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 26 | |||
| 1911–12 | Saskatoon Hoo-Hoos | Sask-Pro | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1911–12 | Saskatoon Wohlesalers | Sask-Pro | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | |||
| 1912–13 | Quebec Bulldogs Quebec Bulldogs The Quebec Bulldogs were a men's senior-level ice hockey team officially known as the Quebec Hockey Club, later as the Quebec Athletic Club. Their recorded play goes back as far as the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada in 1889, although the Quebec Hockey Club is known to have played since 1880... |
NHA National Hockey Association The National Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor organization to today's National Hockey League... |
19 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1913–14 1913–14 NHA season The 1913–14 NHA season was the fifth season of the National Hockey Association . At the end of the regular season, a tie for first place necessitated a playoff to determine the championship. The Toronto Hockey Club defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6–2 in a two-game, total-goals playoff... |
Quebec Bulldogs | NHA | 19 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1914–15 1914–15 NHA season The 1914–15 NHA season was the sixth season of the National Hockey Association and played from December 26, 1914 until March 3, 1915. Each team played 20 games. The Ottawa Senators won the NHA championship in a two game, total goal playoff against the Montreal Wanderers... |
Quebec Bulldogs | NHA | 20 | 18 | 8 | 26 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1915–16 | Quebec Bulldogs | NHA | 22 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1916–17 | Quebec Bulldogs | NHA | 19 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1917–18 | Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators (original) The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934... |
NHL | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1917–18 | Toronto Arenas Toronto Arenas The Toronto Arenas, Toronto Blueshirts or Torontos was a professional men's ice hockey team that played in the first two seasons of the National Hockey League . It was operated by the owner of the Arena Gardens, the Toronto Arena Company... |
NHL | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 51 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | ||
| 1918–19 | Toronto Arenas | NHL | 18 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1919–20 | Saskatoon Crescents Saskatoon Sheiks The Saskatoon Sheiks were a professional ice hockey team in the Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League from 1922 to 1928. The team was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, except for the end of the 1922 season, when they played in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.The team entered the WCHL in... |
SSHL | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1920–21 | Saskatoon Crescents | SSHL | 14 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1921–22 | Saskatoon/Moose Jaw Crescents | 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:... |
11 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1922–23 | Saskatoon Sheiks | WCHL | 19 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1922–23 | 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 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1923–24 | Calgary Tigers | WCHL | 26 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1924–25 | Calgary Tigers | WCHL | 27 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1925–26 | Vancouver Maroons | WHL | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1926–27 | Minneapolis Millers Minneapolis Millers (AHA) The Minneapolis Millers were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Minneapolis Arena. The Millers originated in the Central Hockey League as a semi-professional team from the 1925-26 season. The team moved to the American Hockey Association along with... |
AHA American Hockey Association (1926–1942) The American Hockey Association was a minor professional hockey league that operated between 1926 and 1942. It had previously operated as the Central Hockey League , and before that as part of the United States Amateur Hockey Association. The founding president was Alvin Warren, who also owned the St... |
32 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 51 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | ||
| 1927–28 | Minneapolis Millers | AHA | 34 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 27 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 1928–29 | Minneapolis Millers | AHA | 40 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1929–30 | Minneapolis Millers | AHA | 43 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHA totals | 99 | 66 | 32 | 98 | 204 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 19 | ||||
| NHL totals | 38 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 117 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | ||||
| WCHL totals | 121 | 34 | 21 | 55 | 102 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | ||||