Harry Oliver (ice hockey) explained

Played For:Calgary Tigers
Boston Bruins
New York Americans
Position:Right Wing
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:5
Height In:8
Weight Lb:155
Birth Date:October 26, 1898
Birth Place:Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada
Death Place:Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada
Career Start:1918
Career End:1937
Halloffame:1967
Harry Oliver

Harold "Pee-Wee" Oliver (October 26, 1898 – June 16, 1985) was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played for the Calgary Tigers of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) and the Boston Bruins and New York Americans of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1921 and 1937. He was a member of the Tigers' 1924 WCHL championship and won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 1929. Oliver played nearly 600 games in a professional career that spanned 16 seasons and scored 217 goals. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967.

Playing career

Oliver grew up in Selkirk, Manitoba and played both junior and senior hockey with the Selkirk Fishermen.[1] Oliver and the Fishermen won the Manitoba Senior Hockey League in 1919 and challenged the Hamilton Tigers for the Allan Cup. Oliver scored a goal in the second game, but the Fishermen lost the two-game series on total goals, 7–6.[2] He left Selkirk for a professional career in Calgary in 1920. He played one season with the Calgary Canadians of the independent Big-4 League in 1919–20 then moved to the Calgary Tigers and the new Western Canada Hockey League. Oliver quickly established himself as a star player in the WCHL,[3] using his speed and shot to earn positions as a First-Team All-Star in both 1924 and 1925.[4] He was a key member of the Tigers' team that won the 1923–24 WCHL championship,[5] and lost to the Montreal Canadiens for the Stanley Cup.[6]

When the WCHL collapsed in 1926, Oliver's rights were bought by the Boston Bruins. His NHL career began on a line with Bill Carson and Percy Galbraith, and he led the Bruins in scoring each of his first three seasons with the team. Oliver scored four goals in a game versus Chicago on January 11, 1927, becoming the first Boston Bruin to attain that feat. He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 1929 and remained with the organization for eight years. Oliver became the first Boston Bruin to score a playoff overtime goal when he notched the winner on March 20, 1930 versus the Montreal Maroons. The Bruins sold his rights to the New York Americans in 1934, and Oliver completed his career with three seasons in New York.[7] Well regarded for his gentlemanly nature on the ice, Oliver was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967, and is an honoured member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.[8]

Following his career, Oliver returned to Selkirk, working first as an electrician, then moved to Winnipeg where he worked for the Weights and Measures Department of the Canadian Government. He died in 1985.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
1917–18Selkirk FishermenWJrHL2 7 4 11 0
1918–19Selkirk FishermenMSHL9 15 9 24 64 5 1 6 0
1918–19Selkirk FishermenAl-Cup2 7 4 11 0
1919–20Selkirk FishermenMSHL10 7 7 14 4
1920–21Calgary CanadiansBig-416 14 6 20 11
1921–22Calgary TigersWCHL20 10 4 14 72 1 0 1 0
1922–23Calgary TigersWCHL29 25 7 32 10
1923–24Calgary TigersWCHL27 22 12 34 142 0 1 1 2
1923–24Calgary TigersW-PO3 2 1 3 2
1923–24Calgary TigersSt-Cup2 0 0 0 0
1924–25Calgary TigersWCHL24 20 13 33 232 0 0 0 2
1925–26Calgary TigersWHL30 13 12 25 14
1926–27Boston BruinsNHL42 18 6 24 178 4 2 6 4
1927–28Boston BruinsNHL43 13 5 18 202 2 0 2 4
1928–29Boston BruinsNHL43 17 6 23 245 1 1 2 8
1929–30Boston BruinsNHL40 16 5 21 126 2 1 3 6
1930–31Boston BruinsNHL44 16 14 30 184 0 0 0 2
1931–32Boston BruinsNHL44 13 7 20 22
1932–33Boston BruinsNHL47 11 7 18 105 0 0 0 0
1933–34Boston BruinsNHL48 5 9 14 6
1934–35New York AmericansNHL47 7 9 16 4
1935–36New York AmericansNHL45 9 16 25 125 1 2 3 0
1936–37New York AmericansNHL20 2 1 3 2
WCHL totals130 90 48 138 6811 3 2 5 6
NHL totals463 127 85 212 14735 10 6 16 24

Notes and References

  1. Book: Podnieks, Andrew . Players: The ultimate A–Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL . Doubleday Canada . 2003 . Toronto . 0-385-25999-9 . 640.
  2. News: Tigers hold Allan Cup by margin of one goal . Toronto World . 1919-03-21 . 2010-07-03 . 8.
  3. Web site: Calgary Tigers – a team of legends . Edmonton Oilers Heritage Foundation . 2010-07-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090627061029/http://www.oilersheritage.com/history/early_teams_calgary_tigers.html . 2009-06-27 . dead .
  4. Web site: Harry Oliver biography . Hockey Hall of Fame . 2010-07-03.
  5. News: Tigers are Western Canada Hockey League champions . Calgary Herald . 1924-03-08 . 20.
  6. News: Tigers returning, minus Cup . Calgary Herald . 1924-03-26 . 16.
  7. Web site: Harry Oliver statistics . Hockey Hall of Fame . 2010-07-03.
  8. Web site: Harry Oliver profile . Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame . 2010-07-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120215143050/http://www.mbhockeyhalloffame.ca/honoured/players.html?category=7&id=20 . 2012-02-15 .