Frank Heffernan
Encyclopedia
Frank Heffernan was a Canadian professional
hockey
defenceman
and coach.
From Peterborough, Ontario
, Heffernan played junior hockey in his home town and then played at the senior level in Toronto
with the Toronto Rugby and Athletic Association (TR&AA) club (1912 to 1914) and the Toronto Victorias (1914–15). He played in the United States Amateur Hockey Association from 1915 to 1918 with the New York Crescents and New York Wanderers, before returning to Canada and joining the senior amateur Toronto St. Patricks in the Ontario Hockey Association
.
In December 1919, a group affiliated with the St. Pats took over the Toronto franchise in the National Hockey League
, renaming the team the Toronto St. Patricks
with Heffernan as player-coach and co-owner. The NHL credits Heffernan with coaching 12 games, with five wins and seven losses. He was replaced as coach during the season by Harvey Sproule
, and sold his stake in the team in December 1920. The club would become the Toronto Maple Leafs
in 1927. Heffernan was said to be joining the rival Canadian Hockey League, but it never got off the ground.
Heffernan was also a competitive football player with the TR&AA club, winning the Ontario Rugby Football Union senior championship. He died in 1938 in a New York City hotel room and is buried in St. Pater's Catholic Cemetery in his native Peterborough, Ontario.
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,...
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...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
and coach.
From Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
, Heffernan played junior hockey in his home town and then played at the senior level in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
with the Toronto Rugby and Athletic Association (TR&AA) club (1912 to 1914) and the Toronto Victorias (1914–15). He played in the United States Amateur Hockey Association from 1915 to 1918 with the New York Crescents and New York Wanderers, before returning to Canada and joining the senior amateur Toronto St. Patricks in the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
.
In December 1919, a group affiliated with the St. Pats took over the Toronto franchise 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...
, renaming the team the Toronto St. Patricks
Toronto St. Patricks
The Toronto St. Patricks professional men's ice hockey team started as an amateur ice hockey organization. In 1919, the club purchased the Toronto National Hockey League franchise from the NHL. The club renamed the franchise the Toronto St. Patricks club and operated the franchise until 1927, when...
with Heffernan as player-coach and co-owner. The NHL credits Heffernan with coaching 12 games, with five wins and seven losses. He was replaced as coach during the season by Harvey Sproule
Harvey Sproule
F. Harvey Sproule was a Canadian hockey player, National Hockey League coach, owner, executive, and referee, as well as a curler, journalist, and race horse owner....
, and sold his stake in the team in December 1920. The club would become 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 1927. Heffernan was said to be joining the rival Canadian Hockey League, but it never got off the ground.
Heffernan was also a competitive football player with the TR&AA club, winning the Ontario Rugby Football Union senior championship. He died in 1938 in a New York City hotel room and is buried in St. Pater's Catholic Cemetery in his native Peterborough, Ontario.
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | TOR Toronto St. Patricks The Toronto St. Patricks professional men's ice hockey team started as an amateur ice hockey organization. In 1919, the club purchased the Toronto National Hockey League franchise from the NHL. The club renamed the franchise the Toronto St. Patricks club and operated the franchise until 1927, when... |
1919–20 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (24) | 3rd in NHL | (resigned) |