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Charlie Gardiner (ice hockey player)
Encyclopedia
Charles Robert "Chuck" Gardiner (December 31, 1904 – June 13, 1934) was a Canadian
professional
ice hockey
goaltender
who played for the Chicago Black Hawks
in the National Hockey League
. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland
, Gardiner moved with his family to Canada as a child. Playing all of his junior hockey in or around Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Gardiner joined the Chicago Black Hawks
in the 1927–28 season. He played seven seasons with Chicago, winning two Vezina Trophies
, earning three berths to the First All-Star team
, and a berth to the Second All-Star team. In 1934, Gardiner became the only NHL goaltender to captain his team to a Stanley Cup win. A few months after winning the Cup, Gardiner died from a brain hemorrhage brought on by a tonsillar infection, at the age of 29. He became posthumously a charter member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1945.
, Manitoba
at age seven in 1911. The family initially lived in a house on William Avenue before relocating to Alexander Street; both streets were south of the railways, and were full of Scottish-Irish working class families. John took a job as a rail car repairer, and Gardiner took an early interest in the trains, often waiting up late at night to watch them arrive into the city. He was enrolled at the Albert School, and befriended Wilf Cude
, an immigrant child from Wales
who would also go on to be a National Hockey League
(NHL) goaltender.
When the First World War began in 1914, both of Gardiner's brothers enlisted in the military and were sent overseas. Gardiner's father John also enlisted, but he died May 30, 1916 before he was sent overseas. Both his brothers returned home after the war ended; while Alex was unharmed, John had been involved in a poison gas attack
, and was seriously ill. To help provide for the family Gardiner began working for the J.H. Ashdown Hardware Company at the age of twelve. In December 1928 John began to develop an illness as a result of his poison gas attack in the war, and died December 13. Edith had planned to get married on December 31, but wanted to delay the marriage because of John's death, though her family convinced her to continue with the original plan.
Gardiner married Myrtle Brooks August 6, 1927 at Grace United Church in Winnipeg. Their first son, Robert Roy, was born May 20, 1929. They also had a girl on May 7, 1931, but she died the same day.
While working at the hardware store, Gardiner first played organised sports as a member of the store's baseball team. Gardiner quickly started playing ice hockey, with the same passion as the children who were born in Canada. A poor skater, he played goaltender as a child. Playing on Winnipeg's frozen ponds, Gardiner employed an acrobatic style, instead of the nearly-universal stand-up style played in that era, to avoid having his hands and feet frostbitten. By the age of 14, Gardiner made the intermediate team of the Selkirk Fishermen
.
Played in the 13th Grey Cup
with the Winnipeg Tammany Tigers, who lost to the Ottawa Senators
24–1.
Gardiner attended church services at Grace United Church in Winnipeg, the same place where he was married. He was also a Freemason, and joined the St. John's Lodge in Winnipeg on April 21, 1926. During the summer of 1933 he was selected as a Shriner at the Lodge; at the age of 29 he was the youngest Shriner in the city.
Outside of hockey Gardiner enjoyed several different hobbies. During one off-season from the Black Hawks, Gardiner began taking flying lessons from his former teammate Konrad Johannesson
. He quickly learned how to fly solo and would buy shares in the Winnipeg Flying Club, which Johannesson had founded. He also enjoyed shooting rifles
; in the summer of 1931 he would be recognised for this when he was elected Field Secretary of the Winnipeg Gun Club. The following summer Gardiner earned a certificate in business administration and sales from the International Correspondence Schools
. He then became a partner in a sporting goods business and travelled across Western Canada in the summer to sell products to sports teams.
(MJHL) for three seasons, from 1921 to 1924. He joined the Selkirk Fishermen
senior team for the 1924–25 season. The Fishermen played in the highest amateur league in Manitoba and were finalists for the championship the year before. Gardiner appeared in 18 games for Selkirk, posting two shutouts and a 1.83 goals against average. They again reached the finals but lost to the Port Arthur Bearcats
. The loss made Gardiner feel dejected and ashamed, though people assured him he had played well and had several offers for different teams. He decided to join the profesisonal Winnipeg Maroons of the Central Hockey League (CHL). As he would be a professional, Gardiner was forced to give up his baseball career, which he was reluctant to do; he finished with a career batting average of .300. Playing two seasons in Winnipeg, Gardiner appeared in 74 games, posting 12 shutouts, and 2.14 and 2.16 goals-against average in the two seasons, respectively.
Gardiner joined the Chicago Black Hawks
in the 1927–28 season. In his first season with the Black Hawks, Gardiner played in 40 out of 44 of Chicago's games. Posting a 2.83 goals average, Gardiner won or tied only eight games, with three of those games being shutouts. The following season, Gardiner appeared in all of 44 of Chicago's games. Known as the NHL's "goalless wonders", Chicago scored only 33 goals the entire season, finishing with a 7–29–8 record. Gardiner posted five shutouts and a 1.85 goals against average that season. During a game against the New York Rangers
on February 3, 1929 WJ Holmes, manager of the Maroons came to Chicago to watch Gardiner play. The Rangers won the game 3–2 though Gardiner played well. Even so Frederic McLaughlin
, owner of the Hawks, offered to sell him back to Winnipeg for $3500. Only after Barney Stanley
and Hugh Lehman talked to McLaughlin did he back down on the deal. After being booed by the Chicago fans, Gardiner nearly retired, before being talked out of it by Duke Keats
.
After the NHL changed its rules to allow forward passing in the offensive zone in the 1929–30 season, goal scoring increased league-wide. While Chicago increased its goals scored to 117, Gardiner's goals against average rose by only 0.57, to 2.42. Gardiner's total number of shutouts fell by two, from five to three. Chicago improved its regular season record to 21–18–15, placing second in the American Division, and making the playoffs. In the playoffs, the Black Hawks lost to the Montreal Canadiens
3–2 in a two-game, total-goal series, losing and tying one game. In the 1930–31 season, Chicago placed, once more, second in the American Division, with a 24–17–3 record. Gardiner recorded one of his best statistical years, recording 12 shutouts to go with a 1.73 goals against average. Late in December 1930 the New York Americans
offered $10,000 to the Hawks in exchange for Gardiner, double his salary; McLaughlin refused the offer. He was also named, for the first time, to the First All-Star team. In the playoffs, Chicago advanced to the Stanley Cup final, losing once more to the Montreal Canadiens, three games to two. Posting a 5–3–2 record in the playoffs, Gardiner had another two shutouts and a 1.32 goals against average.
In the 1931–32 season, Chicago posted a 18–19–11 regular season record. Gardiner posted four shutouts and a 1.85 goals against average. Gardiner was named to the First All-Star Team, and won the Vezina Trophy
for his first time. Placing second in the American Division for the third season in a row, the Black Hawks lost a two-game, total-goal series 6–2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gardiner posted a 1–1 playoff record, with one shutout and a 3.00 goals against average. In the 1932–33 season, Chicago missed the playoffs, with a 16-20-12 record, placing fourth in the American Division. Gardiner recorded five shutouts, with a 2.01 goals against average. He was named, for his only time, to the Second All-Star team.
Before the beginning of the 1933–34 season, Gardiner's teammates unanimously elected him captain
. During the regular season, Chicago posted a 20–17–11 record. Gardiner had 10 shutouts, and a 1.63 goals against average. He was named for the third time to the First All-Star team, and won the Vezina Trophy for the second time. On February 14, 1934, he was a participant of the Ace Bailey Benefit Game
, playing goaltender for the All-Stars, who played against the Toronto Maple Leafs
. In the playoffs, Gardiner had a 6–1–1 record, with two shutouts and a 1.33 goals against average, as Chicago won its first Stanley Cup
in franchise history. During the Stanley Cup parade, Chicago defenseman Roger Jenkins carted Gardiner in a wheelbarrow around Chicago's business district after a pre-playoff bet.
infection that drained his strength. While he initially kept the infection private, Gardiner made his condition public on December 23, 1932. Even though he was ill, Gardiner played the next night in Toronto. Though his fifty-five saves were the deciding factor in the Black Hawks win and his performance was so good that both league President Frank Calder
and Maple Leafs star forward Charlie Conacher
praised him, he was so sick he would collapse on the dressing room floor in between periods with a fever of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit; after the game Gardiner was rushed to a local hospital. This was the first notable symptom of Gardiner's health issues.
In January 1934 the Black Hawks were on a train back to Chicago when Gardiner felt an intense pain in his throat that spread to the rest of his body, notably his kidneys. When questioned by Tommy Gorman
about his issue, Gardiner lied to Gorman and insisted it was only a minor headache. However when Gardiner woke up on the train in the morning, he had trouble seeing, as black spots obscured his vision. This was Gardiner's first uremic convulsion
.
Gardiner health continued to be an issue throughout the 1934 NHL playoffs. On March 29, 1934 in a playoff game against the Montreal Maroons
Gardiner had a shutout as the Black Hawks won 3–0; though he was named first star
as the best player of the game, Gardiner was in extreme pain during the entire game with a fever of 102 Fahrenheit and was attended to by a doctor in the dressing room during intermissions.
Playing with a tonsillar infection for most of the season, Gardiner was often slumped over his crossbar during breaks in games, nearly blacking out. After leaving for a singing lesson in June 1934, Gardiner, a baritone, collapsed. He went into a coma, from which he never woke. Gardiner died at age 29, on June 13, 1934, from a brain hemorrhage brought on by the infection.
. In 1998, he was ranked number 76 on The Hockey News list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. Gardiner is an Honored Member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
, Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
, and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
. Overall, he played 316 NHL games, winning 122, with a goals against average of 2.02 goals, and 42 shutouts. In the playoffs, Gardiner appeared in 21 games, with a 1.43 goals against average and five shutouts.
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
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
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 Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
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...
. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Gardiner moved with his family to Canada as a child. Playing all of his junior hockey in or around Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Gardiner joined the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
in the 1927–28 season. He played seven seasons with Chicago, winning two Vezina Trophies
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
, earning three berths to the First All-Star team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
, and a berth to the Second All-Star team. In 1934, Gardiner became the only NHL goaltender to captain his team to a Stanley Cup win. A few months after winning the Cup, Gardiner died from a brain hemorrhage brought on by a tonsillar infection, at the age of 29. He became posthumously a charter member of 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 1945.
Personal life
Gardiner was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the third son and fourth child of John and Janet Gardiner. Along with his parents, older brothers John and Alexander, older sister Edith and younger sister Christina, he emigrated to WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
at age seven in 1911. The family initially lived in a house on William Avenue before relocating to Alexander Street; both streets were south of the railways, and were full of Scottish-Irish working class families. John took a job as a rail car repairer, and Gardiner took an early interest in the trains, often waiting up late at night to watch them arrive into the city. He was enrolled at the Albert School, and befriended Wilf Cude
Wilf Cude
Wilfred Reginald Cude was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Quakers, Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Montreal Canadiens.-Playing career:Born in Wales, Cude was raised and learned to...
, an immigrant child from Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
who would also go on to be a 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...
(NHL) goaltender.
When the First World War began in 1914, both of Gardiner's brothers enlisted in the military and were sent overseas. Gardiner's father John also enlisted, but he died May 30, 1916 before he was sent overseas. Both his brothers returned home after the war ended; while Alex was unharmed, John had been involved in a poison gas attack
Poison gas in World War I
The use of chemical weapons in World War I ranged from disabling chemicals, such as tear gas and the severe mustard gas, to lethal agents like phosgene and chlorine. This chemical warfare was a major component of the first global war and first total war of the 20th century. The killing capacity of...
, and was seriously ill. To help provide for the family Gardiner began working for the J.H. Ashdown Hardware Company at the age of twelve. In December 1928 John began to develop an illness as a result of his poison gas attack in the war, and died December 13. Edith had planned to get married on December 31, but wanted to delay the marriage because of John's death, though her family convinced her to continue with the original plan.
Gardiner married Myrtle Brooks August 6, 1927 at Grace United Church in Winnipeg. Their first son, Robert Roy, was born May 20, 1929. They also had a girl on May 7, 1931, but she died the same day.
While working at the hardware store, Gardiner first played organised sports as a member of the store's baseball team. Gardiner quickly started playing ice hockey, with the same passion as the children who were born in Canada. A poor skater, he played goaltender as a child. Playing on Winnipeg's frozen ponds, Gardiner employed an acrobatic style, instead of the nearly-universal stand-up style played in that era, to avoid having his hands and feet frostbitten. By the age of 14, Gardiner made the intermediate team of the Selkirk Fishermen
Selkirk Fishermen
The Selkirk Fishermen are a Junior "B" ice hockey team based in Selkirk, Manitoba. They are members of the Keystone Junior Hockey League...
.
Played in the 13th Grey Cup
13th Grey Cup
The 13th Grey Cup was played on December 5, 1925, before 6,900 fans at the Lansdowne Park at Ottawa.The Ottawa Senators defeated the Winnipeg Tammany Tigers 24 to 1....
with the Winnipeg Tammany Tigers, who lost to the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
24–1.
Gardiner attended church services at Grace United Church in Winnipeg, the same place where he was married. He was also a Freemason, and joined the St. John's Lodge in Winnipeg on April 21, 1926. During the summer of 1933 he was selected as a Shriner at the Lodge; at the age of 29 he was the youngest Shriner in the city.
Outside of hockey Gardiner enjoyed several different hobbies. During one off-season from the Black Hawks, Gardiner began taking flying lessons from his former teammate Konrad Johannesson
Konrad Johannesson
Konrad Jonasson "Konnie" Johannesson was a Canadian ice hockey player of icelandic decent, who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics. He was born in Glenboro, Manitoba....
. He quickly learned how to fly solo and would buy shares in the Winnipeg Flying Club, which Johannesson had founded. He also enjoyed shooting rifles
Shooting sports
A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
; in the summer of 1931 he would be recognised for this when he was elected Field Secretary of the Winnipeg Gun Club. The following summer Gardiner earned a certificate in business administration and sales from the International Correspondence Schools
International Correspondence Schools
International Correspondence Schools, also known as ICS Learn and ICS, is an educational institute established in 1890 that provides correspondence and distance learning courses...
. He then became a partner in a sporting goods business and travelled across Western Canada in the summer to sell products to sports teams.
Pre-NHL career
Gardiner played junior ice hockey with the Winnipeg Tigers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey LeagueManitoba Junior Hockey League
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League ....
(MJHL) for three seasons, from 1921 to 1924. He joined the Selkirk Fishermen
Selkirk Fishermen
The Selkirk Fishermen are a Junior "B" ice hockey team based in Selkirk, Manitoba. They are members of the Keystone Junior Hockey League...
senior team for the 1924–25 season. The Fishermen played in the highest amateur league in Manitoba and were finalists for the championship the year before. Gardiner appeared in 18 games for Selkirk, posting two shutouts and a 1.83 goals against average. They again reached the finals but lost to the Port Arthur Bearcats
Port Arthur Bearcats
The Port Arthur Bearcats were an amateur men's senior ice hockey team based in Port Arthur, Ontario . Port Arthur were champions Canadian Amateur Hockey Association four times, and were chosen once to represent Canada as the Canada national men's ice hockey team at international competitions...
. The loss made Gardiner feel dejected and ashamed, though people assured him he had played well and had several offers for different teams. He decided to join the profesisonal Winnipeg Maroons of the Central Hockey League (CHL). As he would be a professional, Gardiner was forced to give up his baseball career, which he was reluctant to do; he finished with a career batting average of .300. Playing two seasons in Winnipeg, Gardiner appeared in 74 games, posting 12 shutouts, and 2.14 and 2.16 goals-against average in the two seasons, respectively.
Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
in the 1927–28 season. In his first season with the Black Hawks, Gardiner played in 40 out of 44 of Chicago's games. Posting a 2.83 goals average, Gardiner won or tied only eight games, with three of those games being shutouts. The following season, Gardiner appeared in all of 44 of Chicago's games. Known as the NHL's "goalless wonders", Chicago scored only 33 goals the entire season, finishing with a 7–29–8 record. Gardiner posted five shutouts and a 1.85 goals against average that season. During a game against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
on February 3, 1929 WJ Holmes, manager of the Maroons came to Chicago to watch Gardiner play. The Rangers won the game 3–2 though Gardiner played well. Even so Frederic McLaughlin
Frederic McLaughlin
Frederic McLaughlin was the first owner of the Chicago Black Hawks.Born in Chicago, Illinois, McLaughlin inherited a successful coffee business from his father, who died in 1905. McLaughlin was a graduate of Harvard University and served in the United States Army during World War I...
, owner of the Hawks, offered to sell him back to Winnipeg for $3500. Only after Barney Stanley
Barney Stanley
Russell "Barney" Stanley was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Calgary Tigers, Regina Capitals and Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Canada Hockey League...
and Hugh Lehman talked to McLaughlin did he back down on the deal. After being booed by the Chicago fans, Gardiner nearly retired, before being talked out of it by Duke Keats
Duke Keats
Gordon Blanchard "Duke, Iron Duke" Keats was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association , Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Canada Hockey League and the Boston Bruins, Detroit Cougars and Chicago Black Hawks of the National...
.
After the NHL changed its rules to allow forward passing in the offensive zone in the 1929–30 season, goal scoring increased league-wide. While Chicago increased its goals scored to 117, Gardiner's goals against average rose by only 0.57, to 2.42. Gardiner's total number of shutouts fell by two, from five to three. Chicago improved its regular season record to 21–18–15, placing second in the American Division, and making the playoffs. In the playoffs, the Black Hawks lost to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
3–2 in a two-game, total-goal series, losing and tying one game. In the 1930–31 season, Chicago placed, once more, second in the American Division, with a 24–17–3 record. Gardiner recorded one of his best statistical years, recording 12 shutouts to go with a 1.73 goals against average. Late in December 1930 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...
offered $10,000 to the Hawks in exchange for Gardiner, double his salary; McLaughlin refused the offer. He was also named, for the first time, to the First All-Star team. In the playoffs, Chicago advanced to the Stanley Cup final, losing once more to the Montreal Canadiens, three games to two. Posting a 5–3–2 record in the playoffs, Gardiner had another two shutouts and a 1.32 goals against average.
In the 1931–32 season, Chicago posted a 18–19–11 regular season record. Gardiner posted four shutouts and a 1.85 goals against average. Gardiner was named to the First All-Star Team, and won the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
for his first time. Placing second in the American Division for the third season in a row, the Black Hawks lost a two-game, total-goal series 6–2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gardiner posted a 1–1 playoff record, with one shutout and a 3.00 goals against average. In the 1932–33 season, Chicago missed the playoffs, with a 16-20-12 record, placing fourth in the American Division. Gardiner recorded five shutouts, with a 2.01 goals against average. He was named, for his only time, to the Second All-Star team.
Before the beginning of the 1933–34 season, Gardiner's teammates unanimously elected him 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...
. During the regular season, Chicago posted a 20–17–11 record. Gardiner had 10 shutouts, and a 1.63 goals against average. He was named for the third time to the First All-Star team, and won the Vezina Trophy for the second time. On February 14, 1934, he was a participant of the Ace Bailey Benefit Game
Ace Bailey Benefit Game
The Ace Bailey Benefit Game was the first all-star game in National Hockey League history. It was played on February 14, 1934 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto to raise money to support Ace Bailey, whose career was ended by a violent hit by Eddie Shore during a game earlier in the 1933–34 season...
, playing goaltender for the All-Stars, who played against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. In the playoffs, Gardiner had a 6–1–1 record, with two shutouts and a 1.33 goals against average, as Chicago won its first 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...
in franchise history. During the Stanley Cup parade, Chicago defenseman Roger Jenkins carted Gardiner in a wheelbarrow around Chicago's business district after a pre-playoff bet.
Illness and death
During the 1932–33 season Gardiner began to develop a tonsilTonsil
Palatine tonsils, occasionally called the faucial tonsils, are the tonsils that can be seen on the left and right sides at the back of the throat....
infection that drained his strength. While he initially kept the infection private, Gardiner made his condition public on December 23, 1932. Even though he was ill, Gardiner played the next night in Toronto. Though his fifty-five saves were the deciding factor in the Black Hawks win and his performance was so good that both league President Frank Calder
Frank Calder
-External links:*...
and Maple Leafs star forward Charlie Conacher
Charlie Conacher
Charles William "The Big Bomber" Conacher, Sr. was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and New York Americans in the National Hockey League. An early power forward, Conacher was nicknamed "The Big Bomber," for his size, powerful...
praised him, he was so sick he would collapse on the dressing room floor in between periods with a fever of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit; after the game Gardiner was rushed to a local hospital. This was the first notable symptom of Gardiner's health issues.
In January 1934 the Black Hawks were on a train back to Chicago when Gardiner felt an intense pain in his throat that spread to the rest of his body, notably his kidneys. When questioned by Tommy Gorman
Tommy Gorman
Thomas Patrick "T. P." Gorman was a founder of the National Hockey League , a winner of seven Stanley Cups as a general manager with four teams, and an Olympic gold medal-winning lacrosse player for Canada....
about his issue, Gardiner lied to Gorman and insisted it was only a minor headache. However when Gardiner woke up on the train in the morning, he had trouble seeing, as black spots obscured his vision. This was Gardiner's first uremic convulsion
Uremia
Uremia or uraemia is a term used to loosely describe the illness accompanying kidney failure , in particular the nitrogenous waste products associated with the failure of this organ....
.
Gardiner health continued to be an issue throughout the 1934 NHL playoffs. On March 29, 1934 in a playoff game against 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...
Gardiner had a shutout as the Black Hawks won 3–0; though he was named first star
Three stars (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, the three stars of a match are the three best players as chosen by a third party, with the first star considered the best of the three players, akin to the man of the match in other sports. Usually, the top point scorers or outstanding goaltenders are designated the three stars, but...
as the best player of the game, Gardiner was in extreme pain during the entire game with a fever of 102 Fahrenheit and was attended to by a doctor in the dressing room during intermissions.
Playing with a tonsillar infection for most of the season, Gardiner was often slumped over his crossbar during breaks in games, nearly blacking out. After leaving for a singing lesson in June 1934, Gardiner, a baritone, collapsed. He went into a coma, from which he never woke. Gardiner died at age 29, on June 13, 1934, from a brain hemorrhage brought on by the infection.
Legacy
Gardiner was the first goaltender who caught with his right hand to win the Vezina Trophy. He is the only NHL goaltender to captain his team to a Stanley Cup victory. In 1945, Gardiner became a charter member of the Hockey Hall of FameHockey 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 1998, he was ranked number 76 on The Hockey News list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. Gardiner is an Honored Member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
, Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, dedicated to the history of sport in Manitoba and honouring the best in sport. The organization began in 1980 and in 1993, a museum was opened in The Forks...
, and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
. Overall, he played 316 NHL games, winning 122, with a goals against average of 2.02 goals, and 42 shutouts. In the playoffs, Gardiner appeared in 21 games, with a 1.43 goals against average and five shutouts.
Regular season and playoffs
| 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 | Min | GA | SO Shutout In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.... | 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 | Min | GA | SO | GAA | ||
| 1921–22 | Winnipeg Tigers | MJHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 6.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1922–23 | Winnipeg Tigers | MJHL | 6 | — | — | — | 370 | 19 | 0 | 3.08 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1923–24 | Winnipeg Tigers | MJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | ||
| 1924–25 | Selkirk Fishermen Selkirk Fishermen The Selkirk Fishermen are a Junior "B" ice hockey team based in Selkirk, Manitoba. They are members of the Keystone Junior Hockey League... |
MHL Manitoba Hockey League The Manitoba Hockey League was a junior-level men's ice hockey league operating in or around the 1930s in Manitoba, Canada, under the auspices of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association, now known as Hockey Manitoba.... |
18 | — | — | — | 1080 | 33 | 2 | 1,83 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 120 | 6 | 0 | 3.00 | ||
| 1925–26 | Winnipeg Maroons Winnipeg Maroons (ice hockey) The Winnipeg Maroons were an ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The 1964 team beat the Woodstock Athletics to win the Allan Cup, the championship trophy for senior hockey in Canada.... |
CHL | 38 | — | — | — | 2280 | 82 | 6 | 2.16 | 5 | — | — | — | 300 | 10 | 1 | 2.00 | ||
| 1926–27 | Winnipeg Maroons | AHA American Hockey Association (1926–1942) The American Hockey Association was a minor professional hockey league that operated between 1926 and 1942. It had previously operated as the Central Hockey League , and before that as part of the United States Amateur Hockey Association. The founding president was Alvin Warren, who also owned the St... |
36 | 17 | 14 | 5 | 2203 | 77 | 6 | 2.14 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 180 | 8 | 0 | 2.67 | ||
| 1927–28 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 40 | 6 | 32 | 2 | 2420 | 114 | 3 | 2.83 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1928–29 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 44 | 7 | 29 | 8 | 2758 | 85 | 5 | 1.85 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1929–30 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 44 | 21 | 18 | 5 | 2750 | 111 | 3 | 2.42 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 172 | 3 | 0 | 1.05 | ||
| 1930–31 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 44 | 24 | 17 | 3 | 2710 | 78 | 12 | 1.73 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 638 | 14 | 2 | 1.32 | ||
| 1931–32 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 48 | 18 | 19 | 11 | 2989 | 92 | 4 | 1.85 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 120 | 6 | 1 | 3.00 | ||
| 1932–33 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 48 | 16 | 20 | 12 | 3010 | 101 | 5 | 2.01 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1933–34 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 48 | 20 | 17 | 11 | 3050 | 83 | 10 | 1.63 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 542 | 12 | 2 | 1.33 | ||
| NHL totals | 316 | 112 | 152 | 52 | 19687 | 664 | 42 | 2.02 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 1472 | 35 | 5 | 1.43 | ||||
- NHL statistics are from NHL.com.
NHL
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| Vezina Trophy Vezina Trophy The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team... |
1932, 1934 |
| First All-Star Team NHL All-Star Team The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are... Goaltender |
1931, 1932, 1934 |
| Second All-Star Team Goaltender | 1933 |
| 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... |
1934 1934 Stanley Cup Finals The 1934 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Chicago Black Hawks and the Detroit Red Wings. It was the Red Wings' first appearance in the Final, and Chicago's second, after 1931... |