Dunc Munro Explained

Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:5
Height In:8
Weight Lb:190
Ntl Team:CAN
Birth Date:January 19, 1901
Birth Place:Moray, Scotland, U.K.
Death Place:Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Career Start:1920
Career End:1932

Duncan Brown Munro (January 19, 1901 – January 3, 1958) was a Canadian Olympic ice hockey player who played with and coached the Montreal Maroons. He was born in Moray, Scotland. When he was still a child his family moved to Toronto, Ontario, where he learned to play hockey. He is the first European born player to win the Stanley Cup. In his youth Munro also excelled in track events as a runner. He attended the University of Toronto Schools, where he played on the hockey team that won the first Memorial Cup.

Playing career

1924 Winter Olympics

Before the NHL, he played for the Toronto Granites, a team that featured future Hockey Hall of Famer Hooley Smith. This team won the gold medal in the 1924 Winter Olympics. Team Captain Munro scored 18 goals in the Olympic tournament, which saw the Canadians outscore their combined opponents by a total of 110 to 3. As a result of the team's winning the gold medal, there was considerable interest to sign players from the team and Munro was quickly signed up by the newly formed Montreal Maroons.

NHL

The Montreal Maroons won the Stanley Cup in their inaugural season. The Maroons had a strong defense, led by the team's captain Munro and featuring Red Dutton and Reg Noble. They gave up few chances to opposing players. The Maroons went on to make the finals in 1928, but lost to the New York Rangers.

The following season Munro suffered a heart attack that hospitalized him, and while in hospital contracted pneumonia. His absence was felt and the Maroons fell to the bottom of the Canadian Division of the NHL. It was said that the Maroons players were as interested in the stock market as they were in hockey and Munro was amongst the most avid of the speculators. He had signed a large contract and was a shrewd investor, but ultimately lost a fortune when the Stock Market crashed.

Munro recovered his health in time for the 1929–30 season and was named player-coach upon his return. He took the Maroons from worst to first in the Canadian Division that year. The following year the Maroons signed nearly the entire Montreal A.A.A. Allan Cup team and the team sagged, and before the season ended, he was fired as coach, replaced by George "Buck" Boucher. He played his last season with the Montreal Canadiens in 1931–32.

Later life

Having suffered several heart attacks over the years, Dunc Munro died in Montreal on January 3, 1958, at age 56.

Career statistics

  Regular season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1918–19U. of Toronto SchoolsOHA-Jr.
1918–19U. of Toronto SchoolsM-Cup
1919–20U. of Toronto SchoolsOHA-Jr.
1920–21Toronto GranitesOHA-Sr.8 4 5 9 2 1 0 1
1921–22Toronto GranitesOHA-Sr.10 4 6 10 2 2 1 3
1921–22Toronto GranitesA-Cup6 3 3 6
1922–23Toronto GranitesOHA-Sr.12 7 7 14 2 2 0 2 4
1923–24Toronto GranitesExhib.15 9 5 14
1924–25Montreal MaroonsNHL27 5 1 6 16
1925–26Montreal MaroonsNHL33 4 6 10 552 0 0 0 0
1925–26Montreal MaroonsSt-Cup4 1 0 1 6
1926–27Montreal MaroonsNHL43 6 5 11 422 0 0 0 4
1927–28Montreal MaroonsNHL43 5 2 7 359 0 2 2 8
1928–29Montreal MaroonsNHL1 0 0 0 0
1929–30Montreal MaroonsNHL40 7 2 9 104 2 0 2 4
1930–31Montreal MaroonsNHL4 0 1 1 0
1931–32Montreal CanadiensNHL48 1 1 2 144 0 0 0 2
OHA-Sr. totals30 15 18 33 6 5 1 6
NHL totals239 28 18 46 17221 2 2 4 18

NHL coaching record

Team Year Post season
G W L T Pts Division rank Result
1929–3044 23 16 5 51 1st in Canadian Lost in semi-finals
Montreal Maroons 1930–3132 14 13 5 33 3rd in Canadian Fired
NHL Total 76 37 29 10

See also

External links