John Ross Roach Explained

Position:Goaltender
Played For:Toronto St. Patricks
Toronto Maple Leafs
New York Rangers
Detroit Red Wings
Catches:Left
Height Ft:5
Height In:5
Weight Lb:130
Birth Date:23 June 1900
Birth Place:Port Perry, Ontario, Canada
Death Place:Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Career Start:1921
Career End:1935

John Ross Roach (June 23, 1900 – July 9, 1973) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League between 1921 and 1935. His nicknames were "Little Napoleon", "The Housecleaner", "The Port Perry Cucumber", and the "Port Perry Woodpecker."

Playing career

Roach was born in Port Perry, Ontario. He won a Stanley Cup in 1922. Roach was one of only six goalies in the NHL to captain his team when he was with the Toronto St. Patricks during the 1924–25 season. He was a First Team All-Star during the 1932–33 NHL season. Roach was known for his acrobatic style of goaltending.

In the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, the authors ranked Roach at No. 64 all-time of the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons.[1]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP W L T Min GA GAAGP W L T Min GA SO GAA
1919–20Toronto Aura LeeOHA-Jr.6 4 2 0 360 31 0 5.17
1920–21Toronto GranitesOHA-Sr.10 8 2 0 566 12 3 1.272 1 1 0 120 7 0 3.50
1921–22Toronto St. PatsNHL22 11 10 1 1340 91 0 4.072 1 0 1 120 4 1 2.00
1921–22Toronto St. PatsSt-Cup5 3 2 305 9 1 1.77
1922–23Toronto St. PatsNHL24 13 10 1 1469 88 1 3.59
1923–24Toronto St. Pats NHL23 10 13 0 1380 80 1 3.48
1924–25Toronto St. Pats NHL30 19 11 0 1800 84 1 2.802 0 2 0 120 5 0 2.50
1925–26Toronto St. Pats NHL36 12 21 3 2231 114 2 3.07
1926–27Toronto Maple LeafsNHL44 15 24 5 2764 94 4 2.04
1927–28Toronto Maple LeafsNHL43 18 18 7 2690 88 4 1.96
1928–29New York RangersNHL44 21 13 10 2760 65 13 1.416 3 2 1 392 5 3 0.77
1929–30New York RangersNHL44 17 17 10 2770 143 1 3.104 1 2 1 309 7 0 1.36
1930–31New York RangersNHL44 19 16 9 2760 87 7 1.894 2 2 0 240 4 1 1.00
1931–32New York RangersNHL48 23 17 8 3020 112 9 2.237 3 4 0 480 27 1 3.38
Cleveland IndiansIHL1 1 0 0 60 1 0 1.00
1932–33Detroit Red WingsNHL48 25 15 8 2970 93 10 1.884 2 2 0 240 8 1 2.00
1933–34Detroit Red Wings NHL19 9 8 1 1030 45 1 2.62
1933–34Syracuse StarsIHL13 780 36 2 2.779 4 4 1 560 15 1 1.61
1934–35Detroit Red Wings NHL23 7 11 5 1460 62 4 2.55
1934–35Detroit OlympicsIHL9 4 4 1 560 15 1 1.61
NHL totals492 219 204 68 30,444 1246 58 2.4629 12 14 3 1901 60 7 1.89

Notes and References

  1. Book: 100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters . Russ . Cohen . John . Halligan . Adam . Raider . . 978-0470736197 . 2009 . February 3, 2020. 84.