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Backcheck: a Hockey Retrospective
Early Days of Hockey
Hockey's first superstar, "One-eyed" Frank McGee, got his nickname from the loss of sight in one eye in a hockey injury. Years later he passed the medical examination when enlisting for service in the Great War. It is said that on the eye test, he tricked the physician by first holding one hand over his bad eye to read the chart and then switching hands instead of eyes for the second part of the test. The medical report suggests the doctor was not fooled at all but chose to ignore the disability by leaving the left eye space blank. One more recruit for the war effort!
Frank McGee's medical history form, from his enlistment in the Army. McGee's vision is described as "good" for the right eye, while nothing is written for the left eye
Frank McGee's medical history form, from his enlistment in the Army. McGee's vision is described as "good" for the right eye, while nothing is written for the left eye
Frank McGee was known for his courage on the hockey rink, but the reality of the battle front was another matter entirely. Following the injury described in this medical report, McGee remained unfit for general service for seven months. When he was ready to return, he could have taken a desk job but decided instead to be a motorcycle dispatch rider. McGee was killed in action during the Somme offensive on September 16, 1916.
Proceedings of a medical board about the injury sustained by Frank McGee
Proceedings of a medical board about the injury sustained by Frank McGee
In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans, of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), became the first American-based team to win the Stanley Cup. They did so by defeating the Montreal Canadiens, of the National Hockey Association (NHA), 23 to 11 in a four-game, total-goal series. The games alternated between the seven-player rule of the PCHA and the six-player rule of the NHA.
The Seattle Metropolitans, 1917
The Seattle Metropolitans, 1917
The 1919 Stanley Cup final in Seattle was abandoned in mid-series when an outbreak of Spanish influenza decimated the Montreal Canadians' team. Each team had won two games, with one game tied. The Canadiens' "Bad" Joe Hall, an eleven-year professional hockey veteran, was one of the infected players. He died in a Seattle hospital on April 5th, four days after authorities had called off the series.
Joe Hall, 1917
Joe Hall, 1917
New York Americans manager Tommy Gorman (kneeling, second from left) accompanied his team to Tiajuana, Mexico in April 1926 following their first season in the National Hockey League. Why Tijuana? Gorman had a friend who opened a racetrack there when betting on horses was still illegal in neighbouring California.
The New York Americans hockey team in Tijuana, Mexico, April 12th, 1926. Caption on photograph reads "The first hockey team to invade Mexico"
The New York Americans hockey team in Tijuana, Mexico, April 12th, 1926. Caption on photograph reads "The first hockey team to invade Mexico"
Future Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson (front right) keeps his eye on the puck as his 1922-23 Oxford University hockey team meets a Swiss club.
An outdoor hockey game in Switzerland, 1922-1923
An outdoor hockey game in Switzerland, 1922-1923
Visit the website Backcheck: Hockey for Kids
