Sweeney Schriner
Encyclopedia
David "Sweeney" Schriner (November 30, 1911 – July 4, 1990) was a Russian-born Canadian
professional ice hockey
forward
who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League
(NHL) 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 won two Stanley Cup
championships with the Maple Leafs in 1941–42 and 1944–45. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1962.
in the Russian Empire
though his family emigrated to Calgary
, Alberta
when he was a month old. He was a natural athlete and in his youth played football
and soccer competitively, but was especially fond of hockey and baseball
. His hero growing up was a semi-professional baseball player by the name of Bob Sweeney. Schriner emulated Sweeney's playing style and as a result earned the nickname "L'il Sweeney" which was later shortened to just "Sweeney". Schriner preferred his nickname so much he would not respond to anyone who addressed him by his given name of David.
He learned the game of hockey on Calgary's outdoor rinks and played his minor hockey in the city. He was a member of the Calgary Canadians
junior team that appeared in the Memorial Cup
playdowns in both 1930 and 1931 before turning to senior hockey with the Calgary Bronks
.
invited Schriner to their training camp in 1933. They were impressed with his skating ability and signed him to a contract to play for their International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Stars
. He appeared in 44 games with the Stars in 1933–34, scoring 18 goals and 11 assists. He was promoted to the Americans lineup to start the 1934–35 NHL season, and in doing so, became the first Russian-born player in NHL history. Schriner was an immediate scoring sensation in the league; he was third in scoring amongst players in the Canadian Division at the midway point of the season. He finished the year with 18 goals and 40 points, and was named the league's rookie of the year
.
Shriner continued to display his scoring ability in his second season. He scored four goals in a 5–5 tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs
in the Americans second game of the 1935–36 season, en route to a 45 point season that led the league in scoring. Additionally, the Canadian Press
voted him to the First All-Star Team
for the season. He again led the league in scoring in 1936–37, with 46 points, and was named to the Second All-Star Team.
After five seasons in New York, the Americans dealt Schriner to the Maple Leafs in May 1939 in exchange for four players: Jimmy Fowler
, Busher Jackson
, Murray Armstrong
, Doc Romnes
and Buzz Boll. The five-for-one trade was unprecedented in the NHL at that time. Schriner remained an effective scorer in Toronto, earning the second First All-Star Team selection of his career in 1940–41. One year later, he was instrumental in the Leaf's comeback in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals
. He scored two goals in Toronto's 3–1 victory in the seventh game against the Detroit Red Wings
to lead the Leafs to their first Stanley Cup
championship in ten years. It was also the first time in NHL history a team overcame a 3–0 series deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series.
Frustrated by what he felt was too much individualism in the game, Schriner contemplated retiring from professional hockey in favour of taking up a coaching position in Alberta's senior league, though he had a change of heart and returned to the Leafs for the 1942–43 NHL season
. He again announced his retirement in June 1943, this time citing past injuries to his knee, and dissatisfaction with Leaf's owner Conn Smythe
's contract offer for the following season.
Instead, he returned to Calgary and joined an Army/Navy team in the Alberta Garrison League and following the local season, was signed Vancouver St. Regis of the Pacific Coast Hockey League
for their playoff run. He scored nine points in three games with Vancouver before a protest by the team's opponent resulted in both his and Vancouver's suspension by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
(CAHA) as he was still considered a professional player, and thus ineligible to play senior hockey. He appealed the decision, citing his position as a member of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve and rules of the time that automatically restored the amateur status of all active military personnel, and though he was supported by the British Columbia Hockey Association, the CAHA denied his appeal, stating that a reserve officer was not the same as soldier on active duty.
Schriner returned to the NHL and the Maple Leafs in 1944–45, and played two more years in Toronto before announcing his retirement for the third time in 1946. He returned to Alberta to coach the Lethbridge Maple Leafs
of the Western Canada Senior Hockey League
for two seasons before once again returning to the ice as a player with the Regina Capitals and finished fourth in WCSHL scoring in 1948–49. Schriner and the Capitals won the WCSHL and Western Canadian championships, but fell to the Ottawa Senators
in the 1949 Allan Cup
final.
Following the season, Schriner ended his playing career for the fourth, and final time. He coached a season of senior hockey in Nova Scotia, before returning to Alberta where he briefly coached a team in the Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1951. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1962, and the Canada West Universities Athletic Association
awards its top scorer each season with the David "Sweeney" Schriner Trophy.
to speak with young players who viewed him as a role model.
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 11 seasons 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...
(NHL) for 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...
and 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 named Rookie of the Year in 1935 and was the NHL scoring leader in 1935–36 and 1936–37. He won two 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...
championships with the Maple Leafs in 1941–42 and 1944–45. 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.
Early life
Schriner was born in SaratovSaratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
though his family emigrated to 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...
, 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...
when he was a month old. He was a natural athlete and in his youth played football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
and soccer competitively, but was especially fond of hockey and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. His hero growing up was a semi-professional baseball player by the name of Bob Sweeney. Schriner emulated Sweeney's playing style and as a result earned the nickname "L'il Sweeney" which was later shortened to just "Sweeney". Schriner preferred his nickname so much he would not respond to anyone who addressed him by his given name of David.
He learned the game of hockey on Calgary's outdoor rinks and played his minor hockey in the city. He was a member of 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....
junior team that appeared 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...
playdowns in both 1930 and 1931 before turning to senior hockey with the 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....
.
Playing career
The New York AmericansNew 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...
invited Schriner to their training camp in 1933. They were impressed with his skating ability and signed him to a contract to play for their International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Stars
Syracuse Stars
The Syracuse Stars were a minor professional ice hockey team from Syracuse, New York, existing for 10 season from 1930 to 1940. The Stars name had previously been used by sports teams, including several Syracuse Stars baseball teams from the 19th century....
. He appeared in 44 games with the Stars in 1933–34, scoring 18 goals and 11 assists. He was promoted to the Americans lineup to start the 1934–35 NHL season, and in doing so, became the first Russian-born player in NHL history. Schriner was an immediate scoring sensation in the league; he was third in scoring amongst players in the Canadian Division at the midway point of the season. He finished the year with 18 goals and 40 points, and was named the league's rookie of the year
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...
.
Shriner continued to display his scoring ability in his second season. He scored four goals in a 5–5 tie 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...
in the Americans second game of the 1935–36 season, en route to a 45 point season that led the league in scoring. Additionally, the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
voted him to the First All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
for the season. He again led the league in scoring in 1936–37, with 46 points, and was named to the Second All-Star Team.
After five seasons in New York, the Americans dealt Schriner to the Maple Leafs in May 1939 in exchange for four players: Jimmy Fowler
Jimmy Fowler
Jimmy "The Blonde Bouncer" Fowler was a professional ice hockey player who played 135 games in the National Hockey League. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he played with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Syracuse Stars....
, Busher Jackson
Busher Jackson
Harvey "Busher" Jackson 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....
, Murray Armstrong
Murray Armstrong
Murray Alexander Armstrong was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and NCAA hockey coach.-Playing career:...
, Doc Romnes
Elwyn Romnes
Elwin Nelson "Doc" Romnes was a professional hockey player in the NHL.-Awards and achievements:*1936 Lady Byng Trophy winner...
and Buzz Boll. The five-for-one trade was unprecedented in the NHL at that time. Schriner remained an effective scorer in Toronto, earning the second First All-Star Team selection of his career in 1940–41. One year later, he was instrumental in the Leaf's comeback in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals
1942 Stanley Cup Finals
-References & notes:...
. He scored two goals in Toronto's 3–1 victory in the seventh game against 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...
to lead the Leafs to their first 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...
championship in ten years. It was also the first time in NHL history a team overcame a 3–0 series deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series.
Frustrated by what he felt was too much individualism in the game, Schriner contemplated retiring from professional hockey in favour of taking up a coaching position in Alberta's senior league, though he had a change of heart and returned to the Leafs for the 1942–43 NHL season
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:...
. He again announced his retirement in June 1943, this time citing past injuries to his knee, and dissatisfaction with Leaf's owner 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...
's contract offer for the following season.
Instead, he returned to Calgary and joined an Army/Navy team in the Alberta Garrison League and following the local season, was signed Vancouver St. Regis of the Pacific Coast Hockey League
Pacific Coast Hockey League
The Pacific Coast Hockey League was an ice hockey minor league with teams in the western United States and western Canada that existed in several incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952.-PCHL 1928-1931:...
for their playoff run. He scored nine points in three games with Vancouver before a protest by the team's opponent resulted in both his and Vancouver's suspension by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey play in Canada from 1914 until 1994 when it merged with the Canadian Hockey Association or Hockey Canada....
(CAHA) as he was still considered a professional player, and thus ineligible to play senior hockey. He appealed the decision, citing his position as a member of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve and rules of the time that automatically restored the amateur status of all active military personnel, and though he was supported by the British Columbia Hockey Association, the CAHA denied his appeal, stating that a reserve officer was not the same as soldier on active duty.
Schriner returned to the NHL and the Maple Leafs in 1944–45, and played two more years in Toronto before announcing his retirement for the third time in 1946. He returned to Alberta to coach the Lethbridge Maple Leafs
Lethbridge Maple Leafs
The Lethbridge Maple Leafs were, at times, a senior, intermediate, and junior ice hockey team that operated out of Lethbridge, Alberta. They are best known for winning the 1951 World Ice Hockey Championships....
of the Western Canada Senior Hockey League
Western Canada Senior Hockey League
The Western Canada Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that played six seasons in Alberta and Saskatchewan, from 1945 to 1951. It was founded as a four team league featuring teams in Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Saskatoon...
for two seasons before once again returning to the ice as a player with the Regina Capitals and finished fourth in WCSHL scoring in 1948–49. Schriner and the Capitals won the WCSHL and Western Canadian championships, but fell to the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (senior hockey)
The Ottawa Senators, also known as the Ottawa Commandos and Senior Senators, was an amateur, later semi-professional, senior-level men's ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada...
in the 1949 Allan Cup
1949 Allan Cup
The 1949 Allan Cup was the Canadian national senior ice hockey championship for the 1948-49 Senior season.-Final:Best of 7*Ottawa 6 Regina 4*Ottawa 3 Regina 1*Ottawa 7 Regina 0*Regina 6 Ottawa 3*Ottawa 5 Regina 3...
final.
Following the season, Schriner ended his playing career for the fourth, and final time. He coached a season of senior hockey in Nova Scotia, before returning to Alberta where he briefly coached a team in the Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1951. 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, and the Canada West Universities Athletic Association
Canada West Universities Athletic Association
The Canada West Universities Athletic Association is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and...
awards its top scorer each season with the David "Sweeney" Schriner Trophy.
Off the ice
Following his retirement, Schriner returned to his Calgary home and worked in the city's oil and gas industry until retiring from that career in 1977. He and his wife Marie had two children, Norman and Joanne, and he had one sister, Mary. Schriner remained active within the sport, working with the Calgary Oldtimers Hockey Association and making frequent visits to the University of CalgaryUniversity of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
to speak with young players who viewed him as a role model.
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 | ||
| 1933–34 | Syracuse Stars Syracuse Stars The Syracuse Stars were a minor professional ice hockey team from Syracuse, New York, existing for 10 season from 1930 to 1940. The Stars name had previously been used by sports teams, including several Syracuse Stars baseball teams from the 19th century.... |
IHL | 44 | 17 | 11 | 28 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 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 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... |
48 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1935–36 | New York Americans | NHL | 48 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1936–37 | New York Americans | NHL | 48 | 21 | 25 | 46 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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... |
New York Americans | NHL | 48 | 21 | 17 | 38 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1938–39 | New York Americans | NHL | 48 | 13 | 31 | 44 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | ||
| 1939–40 | 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 | 39 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1940–41 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 48 | 24 | 14 | 38 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1941–42 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 47 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 21 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 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:... |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 37 | 19 | 17 | 36 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1944–45 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 26 | 22 | 15 | 37 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1945–46 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 47 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1948–49 | Regina Capitals | WCSHL | 36 | 26 | 27 | 53 | 30 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 484 | 201 | 204 | 405 | 148 | 59 | 18 | 11 | 29 | 54 | ||||