Harry Watson (ice hockey, born 1923)
Five-time Stanley Cup winner and Hall of Fame left wing.
Harold Percival "Whipper" Watson, born May 6, 1923, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, played left wing in the NHL for 14 seasons. His professional career began at age 18 with the Brooklyn Americans in 1941, the team's final year. After Detroit selected him in an intraleague draft, he won his first Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 1943. Watson then served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, playing for military teams in Montreal, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg. Returning to the NHL after the war, he played one more season with Detroit before being traded to Toronto on September 21, 1946, for Billy Taylor. With the Maple Leafs over eight seasons, Watson won four more Cups (1947, 1948, 1949, 1951). In 1948–49, he led Toronto in goals (26) and points (45) while taking no penalties all season. Sold to Chicago early in the 1954–55 season, he played three years there, then spent one final professional season as player-coach of the AHL's Buffalo Bisons before retiring in 1958. He later coached the St. Catharines Teepees (1958–59) and led the senior Windsor Bulldogs to an Allan Cup in 1962–63. Over 809 NHL games, Watson recorded 236 goals and 207 assists for 443 points. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1994, though his induction year is sometimes mistakenly given as 1963 due to a namesake. Watson died on November 19, 2002.
Quick Facts
- Halloffame
- 1994
- Birth Date
- 1923-05-06
- Birth Place
- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Death Date
- 2002-11-19
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 1
- Weight Lb
- 200
- Position
- Left wing
- Shoots
- Left
- Played For
- Brooklyn Americans / Detroit Red Wings / Toronto Maple Leafs / Chicago Black Hawks
- Career Start
- 1941
- Career End
- 1957
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Watson played junior hockey for the Saskatoon Junior Chiefs (1938–39), the Saskatoon Chiefs and Saskatoon Dodgers (1939–40), and the Saskatoon Junior Quakers (1940–41). In 1941, at age 18, he turned professional with the Brooklyn Americans in the NHL in what would be the team's final season. He was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in an intraleague draft and played there in 1942–43, winning his first Stanley Cup. Watson then joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as World War II escalated, playing for the Montreal RCAF team in 1943–44, the Saskatoon RCAF squad, and the Winnipeg RCAF team the following season.
After a two-year break from the NHL, Watson rejoined the Red Wings after the war for one season and was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on September 21, 1946, for Billy Taylor. He played eight seasons for the Leafs, winning four Stanley Cups over that period. In 1948–49, he led the Leafs in points and goals, with 26 goals and 19 assists in 60 games, and did not take a single penalty through the entire regular season. Shortly into the 1954–55 season, the Leafs sold Watson to the Chicago Black Hawks. After three years in Chicago, he played one more year as a professional, as player-coach of the Buffalo Bisons in the American Hockey League, before retiring in 1958. He coached the St. Catharines Teepees of the Ontario Hockey League in 1958–59, and coached the senior Windsor Bulldogs to an Allan Cup championship in 1962–63.
Reader's Guide
Watson's significance lies in his five Stanley Cup victories—one with Detroit in 1943 and four with Toronto in 1947, 1948, 1949, and 1951—over a 14-year NHL career. He played 809 games, scoring 236 goals and 207 assists for 443 points. His 1948–49 season was notable for leading the Leafs in points and goals while taking no penalties. Watson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1994, though his year of induction is sometimes erroneously reported as 1963, the year a player of the same namesake was inducted. His career included service in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, and after retiring as a player he coached in the Ontario Hockey League and led the senior Windsor Bulldogs to an Allan Cup championship.
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