Gump Worsley

Gump Worsley
Born May 14, 1929(1929-05-14)
Montreal, QC, CAN
Died January 26, 2007(2007-01-26) (aged 77)
Beloeil, QC, CAN
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight 155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Position Goalie
Shot Left
Played for New York Rangers
Montreal Canadiens
Minnesota North Stars
Playing career 1952–1974
Hall of Fame, 1980

Lorne John "Gump" Worsley (May 14, 1929 – January 26, 2007) was a professional ice hockey goaltender. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, he was given his nickname due to friends deciding he looked like comic-strip character Andy Gump.

Contents

Career

At the beginning of his career, Worsley played four years in the minor leagues, most notably for the New York Rovers of the EHL, the St. Paul Saints of the USHL and the Saskatoon Quakers of the WHL. He achieved success with all three teams, garnering First Team All-Star and leading goaltender recognition for three straight seasons between 1950 and 1952.

In the fall of 1952 he was signed by the New York Rangers of the NHL, and though playing for a last place team, won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year. However, after asking for a $500 a year increase in pay, he was promptly returned to the minor leagues for the following season. Playing for the Vancouver Canucks of the WHL, he won the league most valuable player award in 1954.

He resumed position as starting goaltender for the Rangers in 1954, beating out future NHL star Johnny Bower. Wearing the traditional number 1 for goaltenders, he toiled for the oft-hapless Rangers for the next nine seasons, generally playing well for poor teams.

In the summer of 1963, he became involved in a proposed players' union, and was promptly traded to the Montreal Canadiens. While he was relegated to the minor-league Quebec Aces for parts of two seasons — and characteristically winning First Team All-Star honors in the AHL in 1964 — Worsley played his best years for the Habs as a member of four Stanley Cup-winning teams in 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969. His best season was 1968, where he followed up a Vezina-winning performance and a career-low 1.98 goals against average by going undefeated in the playoffs with eleven straight wins. He quit in the midst of the 1969–70 season in a dispute with Sam Pollock, Montreal general manager, over refusal to be demoted to the minors and coach Claude Ruel's consistent playing of Rogatien Vachon. He was suspended for not reporting to the Canadiens' Montreal Voyageurs farm team. Phil Myre was called up to replace him.

Worsley was lured out of retirement by the Minnesota North Stars, and playing in tandem with Cesare Maniago, starred for parts of five more years, retiring at the age of 44 after the 1973–74 season. His best season with the North Stars was 1972, where he was second in the league in goals against average with 2.12 and was named to play in the National Hockey League All-Star Game. Worsley was the first goaltender to have won 300 games and lost 300 games.[1] This feat was later accomplished by Curtis Joseph.

Worsley was known for his wry sense of humour and various eccentricities. Early in his career with the Rangers, when he was regularly facing 40–50 shots a night, he was asked "Which team gives you the most trouble?" His reply - "The New York Rangers." Accused by Rangers' coach Phil Watson of having a beer belly, he replied, "Just goes to show you what he knows. I only drink Johnnie Walker Red."

Worsley was also an outstanding soccer player, who began his senior career with McMasterville in the Montreal League. In the summer of 1952, while playing hockey for the Saskatoon Quakers, he played for the Saskatoon all-stars against the touring Tottenham Hotspur from England at centre forward. One year later he captained Montreal Hakoah at centre half in the Canadian Challenge Trophy final, and continued his soccer career with Montreal Vickers in 1954.

He was also vehemently opposed to wearing a mask. Worsley was the second-to-last professional hockey goaltender to play without a mask - Andy Brown of the Indianapolis Racers being the final one the following season - wearing one only in the last six games of his career. Asked about why he chose to go without, he told reporters, "My face is my mask."[2]

Worsley was also well known for his fear of flying. He suffered a nervous breakdown in the 1968–69 season after a rough flight from Montreal's Dorval Airport to Chicago on November 25[3] en route to Los Angeles, and received psychiatric treatment and missed action as a result. It is said that when he came out of retirement to play for the North Stars he was assured that, as Minnesota was in the central part of the continent, the team traveled less than any other in the league.

Injuries

He suffered many injuries during his career, including a back injury with Vancouver of the WHL when Gus Kyle hit him from behind which nearly ended his career, a knee problem in the 1956 playoffs that required surgery, a severed tendon in 1960, a shot from Bobby Hull in 1961 that hit him in the forehead, a pulled hamstring the same year, a pulled hamstring in 1963–64, knee surgery in 1966 followed by a sprained knee and then a concussion from a hard-boiled egg thrown by a New York fan, a broken finger in the 1969 playoffs, and a pulled hamstring in 1972–73 that reduced his effectiveness to the point where he temporarily retired from hockey. The blast to the forehead from Bobby Hull landed him, unconscious, in Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital. Upon awakening, he was asked how he was feeling and replied, "Good thing the puck hit me flat!"[4]

Retirement and death

At the time of his retirement, Worsley had played more games than any goalie except for Terry Sawchuk and Glenn Hall. He retired with a record of 335 wins, 352 losses and 150 ties, with 43 shutouts, and a goals against average of 2.91.

Worsley suffered a heart attack on January 22, 2007, and died at his home in Beloeil, Quebec on January 26, 2007.[5]

Legacy

Two Canadian indie rock bands, Huevos Rancheros ("Gump Worsley's Lament") and The Weakerthans ("Elegy for Gump Worsley"), have recorded tribute songs to Worsley. Canadian band Sons of Freedom also named their second album Gump after Worsley.

Career achievements and facts

Career statistics

Regular season

Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA
1946–47 Verdun Cyclones QJHL 25 6 18 1 1500 138 3 5.52
1947–48 Verdun Cyclones QJHL 29 13 11 5 1740 95 1 3.28
1948–49 Montreal St. Francis Xavier MMJHL 47 24 21 2 2840 122 7 2.58
1948–49 New York Rovers QSHL 2 — — — 120 5 0 2.50
1949–50 New York Rovers EAHL 47 25 17 5 2830 133 7 2.86
1949–50 New Haven Ramblers AHL 2 2 0 0 120 4 0 2.00
1950–51 St. Paul Saints USHL 64 33 26 5 3920 184 3 2.82
1951–52 Saskatoon Quakers PCHL 66 33 19 14 3960 206 5 3.07
1952–53 Saskatoon Quakers WHL 13 5 7 1 780 50 0 3.84
1952–53 Edmonton Flyers WHL 1 1 0 0 60 2 0 2.00
1952–53 New York Rangers NHL 50 13 29 8 3000 153 2 3.06
1953–54 Vancouver Canucks WHL 70 39 24 7 4200 168 4 2.40
1954–55 New York Rangers NHL 65 15 33 17 3900 197 4 3.03
1955-56 New York Rangers NHL 70 32 28 10 4200 198 4 2.83
1956–57 New York Rangers NHL 68 26 28 14 4080 216 3 3.18
1957–58 New York Rangers NHL 37 21 10 6 2200 86 4 2.32
1957–58 Providence Reds AHL 25 12 11 2 1528 83 0 3.26
1958–59 New York Rangers NHL 67 26 30 11 4001 198 2 2.97
1959–60 New York Rangers NHL 39 7 23 8 2301 135 0 3.52
1959–60 Springfield Indians AHL 15 11 3 1 900 33 3 2.20
1960–61 New York Rangers NHL 59 20 29 8 3473 190 1 3.28
1961–62 New York Rangers NHL 60 22 27 9 3531 172 2 2.92
1962–63 New York Rangers NHL 67 22 34 10 3980 217 2 3.27
1963–64 Montreal Canadiens NHL 8 3 2 2 444 22 1 2.97
1963–64 Quebec Aces AHL 47 30 16 1 2820 128 5 2.72
1964–65 Quebec Aces AHL 37 24 12 1 2247 101 2 2.70
1964–65 Montreal Canadiens NHL 19 10 7 1 1020 50 1 2.94
1965–66 Montreal Canadiens NHL 51 29 14 6 2899 114 2 2.36
1966–67 Montreal Canadiens NHL 18 9 6 2 888 47 1 3.18
1967–68 Montreal Canadiens NHL 40 19 9 8 2213 73 6 1.98
1968–69 Montreal Canadiens NHL 30 19 5 4 1703 64 5 2.25
1969–70 Montreal Canadiens NHL 5 3 1 2 360 14 0 2.33
1969–70 Minnesota North Stars NHL 8 5 1 1 453 20 1 2.65
1970–71 Minnesota North Stars NHL 24 4 10 8 1369 57 0 2.50
1971–72 Minnesota North Stars NHL 34 16 10 7 1923 68 2 2.12
1972–73 Minnesota North Stars NHL 12 6 2 3 624 30 0 2.88
1973–74 Minnesota North Stars NHL 29 8 14 5 1601 86 0 3.22
NHL totals 861 335 352 150 50,183 2407 43 2.88

Playoffs

Season Team League GP W L MIN GA SO GAA
1947-48 Verdun Cyclones QJHL 5 1 4 317 21 0 3.97
1948-49 Montreal St. Francis Xavier MMJHL 5 2 3 310 16 0 3.10
1949-50 New York Rovers EAHL 12 8 2 720 27 1 2.25
1950-51 St. Paul Saints USHL 4 1 3 257 9 0 2.19
1951-52 Saskatoon Quakers PCHL 13 10 3 818 31 1 2.27
1953-54 Vancouver Canucks WHL 12 7 4 709 29 0 2.45
1955-56 New York Rangers NHL 3 0 3 190 14 0 4.67
1956-57 New York Rangers NHL 5 1 4 316 21 0 3.99
1957-58 New York Rangers NHL 6 2 4 365 28 0 4.60
1961-62 New York Rangers NHL 6 2 4 384 21 0 3.28
1963-64 Quebec Aces AHL 9 4 5 543 29 0 3.20
1964-65 Montreal Canadiens NHL 8 5 3 501 14 2 1.68
1965-66 Montreal Canadiens NHL 10 8 2 602 20 1 1.99
1966-67 Montreal Canadiens NHL 2 0 1 80 2 0 1.50
1967-68 Montreal Canadiens NHL 12 11 0 672 21 1 1.88
1968-69 Montreal Canadiens NHL 7 5 1 370 14 0 2.27
1969-70 Minnesota North Stars NHL 3 1 2 180 14 0 4.67
1970-71 Minnesota North Stars NHL 4 3 1 240 13 0 3.25
1971-72 Minnesota North Stars NHL 4 2 1 194 7 1 2.16
NHL totals 70 40 26 4084 189 5 2.78

References

  1. ^ Hockey’s Book of Firsts, p.18, James Duplacey, JG Press, ISBN 978-1-57215-037-9
  2. ^ Obituary from the New York Times
  3. ^ Toronto Star, Monday 25 November 1968, page 15.
  4. ^ [1] Worsley at Legends of Hockey.
  5. ^ [2]

External links

Preceded by
Bernie Geoffrion		 Winner of the Calder Trophy
1953		 Succeeded by
Camille Henry
Preceded by
Johnny Bower
and Terry Sawchuk		 Winner of the Vezina Trophy
with Charlie Hodge
1966		 Succeeded by
Denis DeJordy
and Glenn Hall
Preceded by
Denis DeJordy
and Glenn Hall		 Winner of the Vezina Trophy
with Rogatien Vachon
1968		 Succeeded by
Glenn Hall
and Jacques Plante