Hockey Heroes of the Past: Nels Stewart
- Big Kaluwski
- Dec 28, 2016
- 2 min read
Welcome to another blog article, where I will be featuring Hockey Heroes of the Past. For now, I will be focusing on player who played between 1900-1970. Why that time period? Well, it is important to remember these pioneer's, that paved the way for current NHL superstars. Without these legends, who knows where our game would be. So I find it is essential that these Hockey Heroes get the recognition they deserve. Today we spotlight Nels Stewart
So let's have a quick look at his biography:
Born: December 29th 1902
Birthplace: Montreal, QC
Died: August 21st, 1957
Height: 6ft1
Weight: 195 lbs
Position:Center
Teams: Montreal Maroons, Boston Bruins, New York American's
Nickname: Old Poison
NHL Career Stats
GP = 650
G = 324
A = 191
Pts =515
PIM = 953
***Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962***
Career Highlights
-Won the Hart Trophy in 1926 and 1930
-Played in the first ever NHL All-Star game in 1934
-Holds the NHL record for fastest two goals (four seconds apart) set on January 3, 1931
- Won 3 Stanley Cups
One thing that sticks out about Nels Stewart is his size. 6ft1 in the 1900's was abnormally tall. He didn't have the speed of other players, so he had to adapt a hard-hitting style of play, with emphasis on collecting rebounds and scoring from bad angles around the crease. That would definitely make him one of the first elite power forwards in the NHL.
He also was part of the deadly "S" Line comprised of Hooley Smith and Babe Seibert. During the season of 1929-30 he scored 39 goals in only 44 games. Wow, that is impressive!
After retirement, Stewart spent a period of time coaching the Port Colborne Sailors, where he encountered a young Ted Kennedy in 1942-43. Stewart helped develop Kennedy's game, and was a key part in his success. (As Kennedy went on to be one of the greatest players of his time)
So not only was Stewart a great player, he helped develop future talent, and paved the way for many of today's player. A true legend, that should not be forgotten.
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