Doug Harvey

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Lore & Background

Born and raised in Montreal, Harvey played junior hockey for local teams. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, and while he spent the bulk of his time with the naval hockey team, he did see active service defending merchant shipping. A standout athlete, Harvey also played Canadian football and baseball at this time, though he gave up on both sports to concentrate on hockey. Signed by the Canadiens he made the team in 1947, though initially he was criticized for his style of play. After a few years, Harvey began to demonstrate his abilities and became regarded as one of the top defenders in the NHL. Regarded as a team leader he was voted captain of the team in 1960, though he clashed with Canadiens management due to personal differences, which, combined with his age, led to him being traded to New York in 1961. Harvey spent two years with the Rangers before the team felt he was no longer effective and assigned him to their minor-league affiliate, then released him in 1963. Harvey would spend the next five years in the minor leagues, briefly playing for Detroit, before he joined the Blues during the 1968 playoffs. He spent one final year in the NHL with the Blues before retiring in 1969. Following his playing career, Harvey served in coaching and scouting roles for a few years, but a serious alcohol problem developed during the latter stages of his career kept him from serving in any capacity for long. He reconciled with the Canadiens a few years before his death, having his #2 sweater retired, and served as a part-time scout for the team. With the Canadiens, Harvey won the Stanley Cup six times and played in the Stanley Cup Final five more times.

In Their Own Story

The ice at the Montreal Forum witnessed Harvey intercepting passes and spinning on one skate, weaving through opponents who were caught off guard by his audacity. Instead of dumping the puck into the corner as tradition demanded, he would carry it out of his own zone with speed that left rivals scrambling. This style forced the league to adapt its defensive schemes permanently. A specific moment of heartbreak occurred during the 1954 Finals when Harvey tried to block a shot by Tony Leswick of the Detroit Red Wings with his glove but instead tipped it past goalie Gerry McNeil for an own-goal, resulting in a Cup loss. McNeil struggled with the pressure and quit hockey the following year. Despite this error, Harvey's leadership helped the team win six Stanley Cups. He eventually reconciled with Montreal before his death in 1989, having his #2 sweater retired by the club.

Reader's Guide

Harvey was born in Montreal on December 19, 1924, the second child of Alfred and Martha Harvey. Alfred was born in Hammersmith, United Kingdom in 1896 and had moved to Canada with his parents in 1905, while Martha was born in Pennsylvania to Welsh immigrants. The family lived in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG), an English-speaking working-class neighbourhood of Montreal, where Alfred worked in the warehouse of N.C. Polson. Doug was the second child, following Alfred Jr. (Alf) and preceding Howard and Mary. As a child Harvey was physically active, playing in many sports, and was also known as a troublemaker, often getting into fights with neighbouring children. Outside of sports he delivered newspapers, with one of his customers being future Canadiens' teammate Bill Durnan. He first showed his athletic ability in Canadian football, and when he entered West Hill High School in 1939 he joined the team there, playing both on offence and defence. He also played for the West Hill hockey team, and he first began to demonstrate his skills as a hockey player there. Harvey had played hockey from a young age, but only joined an organised league when he was 13, asked to join a team by his brother Alf. Initially he played goaltender, owing to his small stature, but soon moved to centre. Only later would he switch to defence. The Second World War was ongoing while Harvey was completing high school, and in 1942, one month before his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy, following the advice of Alf, who had already done so. Recognized as a skilled hockey player, Harvey was initially assigned to the Navy's hockey team, which was used to boost public morale. However, Harvey wanted to serve actively in the war, so requested a transfer to active service, though this was not addressed until 1944. In the spring of 1944, Doug Harvey was assigned to a defensively equipped merchant ship; this was again a suggestion of Alf, as it meant a less rigorous lifestyle on board a naval vessel. Harvey would spend the next year regularly crossing the Atlantic while helping protect supplies being shipped to Europe and Africa. Throughout this time Harvey's ships were never fired upon, and he would later look back fondly on his service. It was also during this period that biographer William Brown believes Harvey began to develop an alcohol addiction; neither of his parents drank, which

Did You Know?

• Harvey was voted captain of the Canadiens in 1960, succeeding Maurice Richard.
• He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy seven times, missing only 1959 when it went to teammate Tom Johnson.
• Harvey scored a Cup-losing own-goal in the 1954 Finals when he tipped Tony Leswick's shot past goalie Gerry McNeil.
• He also played Canadian football and baseball at a competitive level, and was offered a contract by MLB's Boston Braves.
• Harvey served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, protecting merchant shipping on Atlantic crossings.