Toe Blake

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Blake was one of 13 children to Wilmer and Arzélie Blake (11 survived childhood). Wilmer (born 1874) was originally from Massachusetts and had moved to Canada around 1896, and was of English and Irish ancestry. Arzélie was born in Buckingham, Quebec in 1877; her family, the Filions, had arrived in Quebec in the 17th century. Wilmer and Arzélie married in 1898, and shortly after moved to Sudbury, Ontario for work. Soon after Blake's birth the family moved to Coniston, as the mine Wilmer had been working at was slowly closing. Blake played junior and senior hockey in the Sudbury area and was part of the 1932 Memorial Cup champions, the Sudbury Cub Wolves. He played for the Hamilton Tigers of the Ontario Hockey Association during the 1934–35 season before he signed with the Montreal Maroons on February 22, 1935; he made his NHL debut two days later on February 24, against the Chicago Black Hawks. Blake played eight games with the Maroons in the 1934–35 season, but was held scoreless; he did not play in any of the team's playoff games, but when the Maroons won the Stanley Cup, Blake's name was added to the trophy. Blake then played for the Canadiens until his retirement in 1948. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player in 1938–39; that same year he was also the league scoring champion with 47 points. For the last eight seasons, he was team captain, and led the Canadiens to Stanley Cups in 1944 and 1946. In the latter year, in which he incurred only one minor penalty, he became the first Canadien ever to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship. While playing with the Canadiens, he was part of a trio called the "Punch Line," with Elmer Lach at centre and Maurice Richard at right wing. He scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in the 1944 Stanley Cup Final at 9:12 of the first overtime of game four, helping the Canadiens complete a four-game sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks. The following season, the Punch Line became the second set of linemates ever to finish first, second, and third in NHL scoring in one season (Lach had 80 points, Richard 73, and Blake 67). During a loss to the New York Rangers on January 11, 1948, Blake collided with Rangers' skater Bill Juzda, awkwardly hit the boards and suffered a double fracture of his ankle, ending his NHL career. In 1998, he was ranked number 66 on The Hockey News’ list of the NHL's 100

In Their Own Story

The final chapter of Toe Blake's playing career ended in pain on January 11, 1948. During a loss to the New York Rangers, he collided with skater Bill Juzda, hit the boards awkwardly, and suffered a double fracture of his ankle. This injury ended his NHL journey after 13 seasons. Before that moment, however, Blake had etched his name into history. In the 1944 Stanley Cup Final, he scored the clinching goal at 9:12 of the first overtime in game four, completing a four-game sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks. The following season, the 'Punch Line'—Blake, Elmer Lach, and Maurice Richard—became the second set of linemates to finish first, second, and third in NHL scoring (Lach 80 points, Richard 73, Blake 67). In that same 1945-46 season, Blake incurred only one minor penalty all year, becoming the first Canadien to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. His nickname 'Toe' originated from his sister's childhood pronunciation of 'Hector,' while 'The Old Lamplighter' referred to his skill at lighting up the goal. He retired after the 1968 Finals, ending 33 consecutive years with the organization.

Reader's Guide

Toe Blake played in the NHL from 1935 to 1948. He won the Hart Trophy and scoring title in 1939. He was captain of the Canadiens from 1940 to 1948. He won the Stanley Cup as a player in 1935, 1944, and 1946. He won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1946. He was part of the Punch Line with Elmer Lach and Maurice Richard. He retired as a player in 1948 after a double fracture of his ankle. He coached the Canadiens from 1955 to 1968, winning eight Stanley Cups. He was the first coach to win 500 games with one team. He was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in 2017.

Did You Know?

• Blake's nickname 'Toe' came from his younger sister's difficulty pronouncing 'Hector'.
• He scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in overtime in 1944.
• He was the first Canadien to win the Lady Byng Trophy.
• Blake won the Stanley Cup in each of his first five seasons as head coach, an NHL record.
• He was the uncle of Mike Blake.