Alex Connell

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Alexander Connell (b. February 8, 1902 in Ottawa, Ontario – May 10, 1958) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Falcons, New York Americans and Montreal Maroons teams in the National Hockey League. His nickname was "The Ottawa Fireman."

Mr. Connell was the star goalie for the Senators team in the late 1920s. He joined the team for the 1924–25 season after the Senators dealt Clint Benedict (Ottawa's former number one goalie) to the Montreal Maroons. In 1927 he was one of the first goalies to record a 30–win season, the year that the original Ottawa Senators franchise won the last of their Stanley Cups. In the 1927–28 season he set the NHL record for the longest shutout streak at 461:29, by recording six consecutive shutouts, from January 31 to February 18, 1928.

The Ottawa team fell into decline after that and, while the Ottawa team was in hiatus for the 1931–32 season, he played for the Detroit Falcons under loan. He returned to the Senators after that until his first retirement after the 1932–33 season.

He played one game for the New York Americans in the 1933–34 season as a substitute. He then returned to the NHL to play for the Montreal Maroons and won a Stanley Cup in 1935. He retired again, but returned for one final season with the Maroons in 1936–37.

His 1.91 career goals against average (GAA) is the all-time record among goaltenders of his era. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.

He lived to see himself elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, but died before his formal induction after a lengthy illness on May 10th, 1958.

[edit] Career Statistics

GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T= Ties, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals Against Average

    Regular Season   PLAYOFFS
Season Club GP W L T SO GAA GP W L T SO GAA
1924–25 Ottawa Senators 30 17 12 1 7 2.14
1925–26 Ottawa Senators 36 24 8 4 15 1.12 2 0 1 1 0 1.00
1926–27 Ottawa Senators 44 30 10 4 13 1.49 6 3 0 3 2 0.60
1927–28 Ottawa Senators 44 20 14 10 15 1.24 2 0 2 0 0 1.50
1928–29 Ottawa Senators 44 14 17 13 7 1.43
1929–30 Ottawa Senators 44 21 15 8 3 2.55 2 0 1 1 0 3.00
1930–31 Ottawa Senators 36 10 22 4 3 3.01
1931–32 Detroit Falcons 48 18 20 10 6 2.12 2 0 1 1 0 1.50
1932–33 Ottawa Senators 15 4 8 2 1 2.56
1933–34 New York Americans 1 1 0 0 0 3.00
1934–35 Montreal Maroons 48 24 19 5 9 1.86 7 5 0 2 2 1.12
1936–37 Montreal Maroons 27 10 11 6 2 2.21
NHL Totals 417 193 156 67 81 1.91 21 8 5 8 4 1.19

[edit] External links