Punch Broadbent

Punch Broadbent
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1962
Man in hockey sweater
Born July 13, 1892
Ottawa, ON, CAN
Died March 5, 1971 (aged 78)
Ottawa, ON, CAN
Height 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight 183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Ottawa Senators
Montreal Maroons
New York Americans
Playing career 19121929

Harold Lawton "Punch, Harry" Broadbent (July 13, 1892 – March 5, 1971) was an ice hockey player for the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Maroons and the New York Americans, and generally regarded as one of the first true power forwards in National Hockey League (NHL) history.

Personal life

Born in Ottawa, Ontario. Broadbent married Leda Fitzimmons and had one daughter, Sally Ann Broadbent. Broadbent was awarded the Military Medal for his service in World War I.[1][2]

Playing career

The right winger started his professional career with the Ottawa Senators, then of the National Hockey Association (NHA) before World War I, being paired on a line with Jack Darragh. He was seventh in the league in scoring his rookie year of 1913, and while hobbled with injuries the next, was fourth in scoring the following year. He scored three goals in the Stanley Cup finals against the Vancouver Millionaires in 1915 before going to the war for three and one-half years.

After resuming his career and teaming with forwards Frank Nighbor and Cy Denneny, he starred for the Senators (which in the interim had joined the NHL) for six more seasons, playing for three Stanley Cup champions. Though he was a holdout for most of the 1921 season, Broadbent came back to win the league scoring title in 1922. He also set a record that season by scoring goals in sixteen consecutive games. The streak began during a 10-0 rout of the Montreal Canadiens on Christmas Eve and lasted through to a 6-6 tie with Canadiens on February 15. As of 2011, it remains the NHL record.

In 1925, along with veteran teammate Clint Benedict, Broadbent was sold by Ottawa to the expansion Montreal Maroons. Broadbent was the Maroons' leading scorer that first season, including a five-goal game against the Hamilton Tigers. In his second season with the Maroons, the team won its first Stanley Cup championship against the Victoria Cougars. He was traded back to the Senators in 1928 with cash for Hooley Smith. He played for the New York Americans in 1929 and retired after that season.

Broadbent finished his career with 172 goals and 58 assists in 360 professional games. After his playing career, he coached for several years in the Ottawa City Hockey League, winning the championship in 1933 with the Ottawa Rideaus. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962.

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1908–09 Ottawa Emmetts OCHL 6 14 0 14 6 2 1 0 1 0
1909–10 Ottawa Seconds OCHL 2 3 0 3 5
1909–10 Hull Volants LOVHL 1 0 0 0 0
1909–10 Ottawa Cliffsides IPAHU 3 1 0 1 6
1910–11 Ottawa Cliffsides OCHL 2 2 0 2 6
1910–11 Ottawa Cliffsides IPAHU 6 14 0 14 18 1 0 0 0 3
1911–12 Ottawa New Edinburghs IPAHU 10 20 0 20 39 4 7 0 7 0
1912–13 Ottawa Senators NHA 20 20 0 20 15
1913–14 Ottawa Senators NHA 17 6 7 13 61
1914–15 Ottawa Senators NHA 20 24 3 27 115 5 3 0 3
1918–19 Ottawa Senators NHL 8 4 3 7 12 5 2 2 4 28
1919–20 Ottawa Senators NHL 21 19 6 25 40
1919–20 Ottawa Senators St-Cup 4 0 0 0 3
1920–21 Ottawa Senators NHL 9 4 1 5 10 2 0 2 2 4
1920–21 Ottawa Senators St-Cup 4 2 0 2 4
1921–22 Ottawa Senators NHL 24 32 14 46 28 2 0 1 1 8
1922–23 Ottawa Senators NHL 24 14 1 15 34 2 0 0 0 2
1922–23 Ottawa Senators St-Cup 6 6 1 7 10
1923–24 Ottawa Senators NHL 22 9 4 13 44 2 0 0 0 2
1924–25 Montreal Maroons NHL 30 14 6 20 75
1925–26 Montreal Maroons NHL 36 12 5 17 112 4 2 1 3 14
1925–26 Montreal Maroons St-Cup 4 1 0 1 22
1926–27 Montreal Maroons NHL 42 9 5 14 88 2 0 0 0 0
1927–28 Ottawa Senators NHL 43 3 2 5 62 2 0 0 0 0
1928–29 New York Americans NHL 44 1 4 5 59 2 0 0 0 2
NHA totals 57 50 10 60 191 5 3 0 3
NHL totals 303 121 51 172 564 23 4 6 10 60
St-Cup totals 18 9 1 10 35

Awards and records

Transactions

See also

References

  1. McFarlane 1973, p. 28.
  2. "Supplement to the London Gazette". London Gazette. April 12, 1918. p. 4528.

External links

Preceded by
Position created
Montreal Maroons captain
1924–25
Succeeded by
Dunc Munro
Preceded by
Newsy Lalonde
NHL Scoring Champion
1922
Succeeded by
Babe Dye