Busher Jackson

Lore & Background

Jackson was discovered at the Ravina Rink by Frank Selke and signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He earned the nickname "Busher" from trainer Tim Daly after refusing to carry sticks. He scored four goals in a period on November 20, 1934, the first NHL player to do so. Off the ice, his high-spending lifestyle and drinking led to his trade from Toronto to New York in 1939. He struggled with alcoholism and financial difficulty after retirement, and was blacklisted from the Hockey Hall of Fame by chairman Conn Smythe until his induction in 1971, five years after his death.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Maple Leaf Gardens hung heavy with steam and anticipation. Busher tightened his leather helmet before stepping onto the ice, the cold biting through his wool jersey. He skated into position, wooden stick tapping rhythmically on the boards as the crowd roared. With a nod to Primeau at center, he waited for the drop. The puck hit the ice, and Jackson surged forward, eyes locked on the net, ready to carve out another moment of glory in the dim arena lights.

Reader's Guide

Busher Jackson was a left winger known for his attacking style and backhand shot. He was the youngest scoring champion in NHL history at age 21 years, 3 months, a record held until Wayne Gretzky broke it in 1980–81. He played in the Ace Bailey Benefit Game (1934), the Howie Morenz Memorial Game (1937), and the Babe Siebert Memorial Game (1939). He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.

Did You Know?

• Jackson scored four goals in a single period on November 20, 1934, a record that as of 2019 has been matched eleven times but never surpassed.
• He was the brother of fellow NHL player Art Jackson, and played alongside him on the Boston Bruins.
• Jackson broke his neck in 1958 after falling down a flight of stairs, costing him mobility in his right hand.
• He was buried at Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto.