Alex Connell
Encyclopedia
Alec Connell was a Canadian
professional ice hockey
goaltender
who played for the Ottawa Senators
, Detroit Falcons, New York Americans
and Montreal Maroons
teams in the National Hockey League
. His nickname
was "The Ottawa Fireman".
Connell joined the Senators for the 1924–25 season after the Senators dealt Clint Benedict
(Ottawa's former number one goalie) to the Montreal Maroons. In 1927 he was one of the first goalies to record a 30–win season, the year that the original Ottawa Senators franchise won the last of their Stanley Cup
s. In the 1927–28 season he set the NHL record for the longest shutout streak at 461:29, by recording six consecutive shutouts, from January 31 to February 18, 1928.
The Ottawa team fell into decline after that and, while the Ottawa team was in hiatus for the 1931–32 season, he played for the Detroit Falcons under loan. He returned to the Senators after that until his first retirement after the 1932–33 season. He was named team captain
for that season.
He played one game for the New York Americans
in the next season as a substitute. He then returned to the NHL to play for the Montreal Maroons
and won a Stanley Cup in 1935. He retired again, but returned two seasons later with the Maroons.
His 1.91 career goals against average
(GAA) is the all-time record among goaltenders of his era. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1958.
He lived to see himself elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, but died before his formal induction after a lengthy illness on May 10, 1958.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
who played for the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
, Detroit Falcons, New York Americans
New York Americans
The New York Americans were a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League and the second to play in the United States. The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals...
and Montreal Maroons
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...
teams in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. His nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
was "The Ottawa Fireman".
Connell joined the Senators for the 1924–25 season after the Senators dealt Clint Benedict
Clint Benedict
Clinton Stevenson "Praying Bennie" Benedict was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Maroons. He played on four Stanley Cup-winning squads. He was the first goaltender in the National Hockey League to wear a face mask...
(Ottawa's former number one goalie) to the Montreal Maroons. In 1927 he was one of the first goalies to record a 30–win season, the year that the original Ottawa Senators franchise won the last of their Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
s. In the 1927–28 season he set the NHL record for the longest shutout streak at 461:29, by recording six consecutive shutouts, from January 31 to February 18, 1928.
The Ottawa team fell into decline after that and, while the Ottawa team was in hiatus for the 1931–32 season, he played for the Detroit Falcons under loan. He returned to the Senators after that until his first retirement after the 1932–33 season. He was named team captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
for that season.
He played one game for the New York Americans
New York Americans
The New York Americans were a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League and the second to play in the United States. The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals...
in the next season as a substitute. He then returned to the NHL to play for the Montreal Maroons
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...
and won a Stanley Cup in 1935. He retired again, but returned two seasons later with the Maroons.
His 1.91 career goals against average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
(GAA) is the all-time record among goaltenders of his era. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1958.
He lived to see himself elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, but died before his formal induction after a lengthy illness on May 10, 1958.
Career statistics
GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
GP | W | L | T | SO | GAA |
| 1924–25 | Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators (original) The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
30 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 2.14 | ||||||
| 1925–26 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 36 | 24 | 8 | 4 | 15 | 1.12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 |
| 1926–27 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 44 | 30 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 1.49 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0.60 |
| 1927–28 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 44 | 20 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 1.24 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.50 |
| 1928–29 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 44 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 1.43 | ||||||
| 1929–30 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 44 | 21 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 2.55 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 |
| 1930–31 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 36 | 10 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 3.01 | ||||||
| 1931–32 | Detroit Falcons | NHL | 48 | 18 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 2.12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.50 |
| 1932–33 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 15 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2.56 | ||||||
| 1933–34 | New York Americans New York Americans The New York Americans were a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League and the second to play in the United States. The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals... |
NHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.00 | ||||||
| 1934–35 | Montreal Maroons Montreal Maroons The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935... |
NHL | 48 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 9 | 1.86 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1.12 |
| 1936–37 | Montreal Maroons | NHL | 27 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 2.21 | ||||||
| NHL totals | 417 | 193 | 156 | 67 | 81 | 1.91 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 1.19 | ||