Alf Smith (ice hockey)

Alf Smith
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1962

Alf Smith as a member of the 1905 Ottawa Silver Seven
Born (1873-06-03)June 3, 1873
Ottawa, ON, CAN
Died August 21, 1953(1953-08-21) (aged 80)
Ottawa, ON, CAN
Height 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Ottawa Hockey Club
Playing career 18941909

Alfred Edward Smith (June 3, 1873 in Ottawa, Ontario August 21, 1953 in Ottawa, Ontario) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators, (aka Silver Seven) and Kenora Thistles. He had two brothers who played senior-level hockey Harry Smith and Tommy Smith. He was captain of the team and also coached the team.

Hockey career

Smith began his hockey career playing for the Ottawa Hockey Club (Ottawa HC) of the AHAC in the 1890s. In 1897 he retired from the Ottawa HC. In 1898, he played for the Ottawa Capitals intermediate team, but did not finish the season because he was ruled to be ineligible. In 1896, Smith had accepted a $100 bonus for play with the Capitals lacrosse team. By 1898, the Amateur Athletic Association of Canada ruled that he was ineligible for play in amateur hockey.[1] He would not play for several years, but did coach the Ottawa Hockey Club to the 1901 CAHL title.

In 1901–02, he returned to active play, as a professional, in the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League for Pittsburgh. The following year he returned to Canada to coach the Ottawa HC to their first Stanley Cup championship against the Montreal Victorias in 1903. In 1903–04 he became reinstated as an amateur and he returned to play, playing right wing on a line that featured "One Eyed" Frank McGee. As a player-coach, he would eventually lead the team to consecutive Stanley Cup victories in 1904, 1905, and 1906, the club by then known as the Silver Seven.

In 1907, McGee retired and his place on the top line was taken by Alf's brother Harry. At the conclusion of the 1907 ECAHA season, Smith moved west to play with the Stanley Cup champion Kenora Thistles, playing in the MPHL finals. He was also a player during their unsuccessful Stanley Cup challenge rematch versus the Montreal Wanderers, where his presence along with Harry Westwick caused the series to be played under protest. He played one final season with Ottawa in 1908, scoring 12 goals in 9 games.

In 1908–09, he had an eventful season. Lured back to Pittsburgh for the newly reformed Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, he was suspended from two teams for rough play. He returned to Ottawa and played with several former Silver Seven players on the Senators of the Federal League. He made time that season to coach the Ottawa Cliffsides to the first Allan Cup championship, only to lose it to Queen's University in a challenge. This was his final season of play.

In 1909-10, he resumed his coaching career with Renfrew, the so-called "Millionaires" of the new National Hockey Association (NHA). He returned to coach the Ottawa Hockey Club in 1913 and coached the team until 1917. Smith later coached and managed teams in Moncton, New Brunswick, and North Bay, Ontario.

Along with Harvey Pulford, Harry Westwick and Russell Bowie, Smith was one of the final active players who had played major senior hockey in the 19th century. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962.

Career stats

Season Team League GP G Notes
1893 Ottawa Electrics OCHL Jr.
1894 Ottawa Electrics OCHL Jr.
1895 Ottawa Hockey Club AHAC 8 5
1896 Ottawa HC AHAC 8 7
1897 Ottawa HC AHAC 8 12
1898 Ottawa Capitals AHAC Int.
1899 Barred from play
1900 Barred from play
1901 Ottawa HC CAHL - - Coached Ottawa
1902 Pittsburgh PAC WPHL 14 11
1903& Ottawa HC CAHL - - Coached Ottawa
1904& Ottawa HC CAHL 4 8 Playing Coach
1904& Ottawa HC Stanley Cup 7 13 Playing Coach
1905& Ottawa HC FAHL 8 13 Playing Coach
1905& Ottawa HC Stanley Cup 5 11 Playing Coach
1906& Ottawa HC ECAHA 10 13 Playing Coach
1906& Ottawa HC Stanley Cup 6 8 Playing Coach
1907 Ottawa HC ECAHA 9 17
1907& Kenora Thistles MPHL 2 1
1907& Kenora Thistles Stanley Cup 2 2
1908 Ottawa HC ECAHA 9 12
1909 Pittsburgh Duquesne WPHL 3 3
1909 Pittsburgh Bankers WPHL 2 2
1909 Ottawa Senators FHL 1 1 Playing Coach
1910 Renfrew Rivers UOVHL - -
Totals 107 135

&won the Stanley cup

Source: "Legends of Hockey -- The Legends -- Honoured Player -- Smith, Alf -- Statistics, Awards & Career". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2009-01-08. 

NHL coaching record

Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T Pts Division rank Result
Ottawa Senators1918-19 181260241st in NHLLost in Stanley Cup Finals

Further reading

References

  1. Kitchen(2008), p. 88

External links

Preceded by
first
Head Coach of the Ottawa Senators (Original)
1901
Succeeded by
Pete Green
Preceded by
Pete Green
Head Coach of the Ottawa Senators (Original)
1903–1906
Succeeded by
Pete Green
Preceded by
Pete Green
Head Coach of the Ottawa Senators (Original)
1913–1916
Succeeded by
Eddie Gerard
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