Art Ross
Player, coach, GM, and innovator of the hockey puck.
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Arthur Howey Ross was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive whose career spanned from 1905 to 1954. He is notable as one of the first defenders to skate with the puck up the ice, as a two-time Stanley Cup champion as a player, and as the first coach and general manager of the Boston Bruins, leading them to three Stanley Cup victories.
Background
Ross began his playing career in 1905 with Montreal Westmount of the Canadian Amateur Hockey League. He was regarded by peers as one of the best defenders of his era, pioneering the tactic of skating the puck up the ice rather than passing it to a forward.
He won the Stanley Cup in January 1907 with the Kenora Thistles and in 1908 with the Montreal Wanderers, becoming the second player to win the Cup with different teams in consecutive years. In 1911, he led one of the first organized player strikes over increased pay. After the Wanderers' arena burned down in January 1918, the team ceased operations and Ross retired as a player.
After several years as an on-ice official, Ross became head coach of the Hamilton Tigers for one season. In 1924, he was hired as the first coach and general manager of the Boston Bruins, a role he held until 1954, coaching the team on three occasions until 1945. Under his leadership, the Bruins finished first in the league ten times and won the Stanley Cup three times, with Ross personally coaching two of those victories. He became an American citizen in 1938 and died near Boston in 1964.
Career statistics and honours
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Montreal Westmount | CAHL-I | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Montreal Westmount | CAHL-I | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904–05 | Montreal Westmount | CAHL | 8 | 10 | 0 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1905–06 | Brandon Wheat City | MHL | 7 | 6 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1906–07 | Kenora Thistles | St-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1906–07 | Brandon Wheat City | MPHL | 10 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Montreal Wanderers | ECAHA | 10 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1907–08 | Montreal Wanderers | St-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| 1907–08 | Pembroke Lumber Kings | UOVHL | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Montreal Wanderers | ECAHA | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1908–09 | Montreal Wanderers | St-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 1908–09 | TPHL | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1909–10 | All-Montreal HC | CHA | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1909–10 | Haileybury Comets | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1910–11 | Montreal Wanderers | NHA | 11 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Montreal Wanderers | NHA | 18 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1911–12 | NHA All-Stars | Exhib | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Montreal Wanderers | NHA | 19 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1912–13 | NHA All-Stars | Exhib | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1913–14 | Montreal Wanderers | NHA | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 74 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1914–15 | NHA | 16 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 55 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 25 | |
| 1914–15 | Ottawa Senators | St-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915–16 | Ottawa Senators | NHA | 21 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1916–17 | Montreal Wanderers | NHA | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1917–18 | Montreal Wanderers | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| ECAHA totals | 19 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHA totals | 131 | 56 | 16 | 72 | 406 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 25 | ||
| NHL totals | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Coaching record
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GC | W | L | T | Finish | GC | W | L | T | Result |
| 1917–18 | Montreal Wanderers | NHL | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4th, NHL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1922–23 | Hamilton Tigers | NHL | 24 | 6 | 18 | 0 | 4th, NHL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1924–25 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 30 | 6 | 24 | 0 | 6th, NHL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1925–26 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 36 | 17 | 15 | 4 | 4th, NHL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1926–27 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 44 | 21 | 20 | 3 | 2nd, American | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Lost in finals |
| 1927–28 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 44 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 1st, American | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Lost in semifinals |
| 1928–29 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 44 | 26 | 13 | 5 | 1st, American | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1929–30 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 44 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 1st, American | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Lost in finals |
| 1930–31 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 44 | 28 | 10 | 6 | 1st, American | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | Lost in semifinals |
| 1931–32 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 48 | 15 | 21 | 12 | 4th, American | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1932–33 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 48 | 25 | 15 | 8 | 1st, American | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | Lost in semifinals |
| 1933–34 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 48 | 18 | 25 | 5 | 4th, American | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1936–37 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 48 | 23 | 18 | 7 | 2nd, American | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | Lost in quarterfinals |
| 1937–38 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 48 | 30 | 11 | 7 | 1st, American | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | Lost in semifinals |
| 1938–39 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 48 | 36 | 10 | 2 | 1st, NHL | 12 | 8 | 4 | — | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1941–42 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 48 | 25 | 17 | 6 | 3rd, NHL | 5 | 2 | 3 | — | Lost in semifinals |
| 1942–43 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 50 | 24 | 17 | 9 | 2nd, NHL | 9 | 4 | 5 | — | Lost in finals |
| 1943–44 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 50 | 19 | 26 | 5 | 5th, NHL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1944–45 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 50 | 16 | 30 | 4 | 4th, NHL | 7 | 3 | 4 | — | Lost in semifinals |
| NHL totals | 802 | 394 | 313 | 95 | — | 70 | 32 | 33 | 5 | Two Stanley Cups | ||
Awards and honours
NHL
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| First All-Star team Coach | 1939 |
| Second All-Star team Coach | 1938, 1943 |
| Lester Patrick Trophy | 1984 |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Art Ross (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Art Ross?
Arthur Howey Ross (1885–1964) was a Canadian hockey player and executive whose career stretched from 1905 to 1954. He is best known for serving as the Boston Bruins' first coach and general manager, a role he held from 1924 until 1954.
What was Art Ross's role with the Boston Bruins?
Ross was the inaugural coach and general manager of the Bruins, guiding the franchise through its formative years and leading it to three Stanley Cup championships. He remained with the organization for three full decades, from 1924 to 1954.
How many Stanley Cups did Art Ross win in total?
Ross captured two Stanley Cups during his playing career (1905–1918) and added three more as the Bruins' coach and general manager, for a combined total of five championships.
When and where did Art Ross die?
Arthur Howey Ross passed away on August 5, 1964, in the Boston area, roughly a decade after his long tenure with the Bruins came to an end.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Art Ross (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
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