Harvey Pulford
Encyclopedia
Ernest Harvey Pulford was a Canadian
all-around athlete at the turn of the 20th century, winning national championships in ice hockey
, lacrosse
, football
, boxing
, paddling and rowing
. He won four Stanley Cup
s with the Ottawa Hockey Club and championships or tournaments in every sport in which he played. When the Hockey Hall of Fame
was founded in 1945, Pulford was one of the original twelve inductees.
, Harvey Pulford moved to Ottawa
at an early age. Pulford joined the Ottawa Hockey Club
in 1893, playing as a defenceman
. In his first season, Pulford played in the first Stanley Cup playoff games, against the Montreal Hockey Club
. Pulford played for Ottawa until 1908, the year that Ottawa became professional. Pulford was captain of the Ottawa Hockey Club during the "Ottawa Silver Seven" era when the club won the Stanley Cup
in March 1903 and held it until March 1906. After retirement from playing, Pulford continued in the game as a referee. In 1933, Pulford was given an option to buy the Ottawa club, by then known as the Senators, and move it to Baltimore, Maryland, but the purchase did not go through.
Pulford was outstanding in several sports. He was a backfielder for the Ottawa Football Club
football team from 1893 to 1909, winning national championships in 1898, 1899, 1900, and 1902. He also served as captain of the team. He played lacrosse for the Ottawa Lacrosse Club from 1893 to 1900, winning four national titles. As a boxer, he won Eastern Canadian light heavyweight and heavyweight titles between 1896 and 1898.
He was hesitant to start the 1907 season
as he wanted to row the following summer and was concerned about playing professionals on other hockey teams, which would not allow him to compete in other sports as the rules stated. Despite members of his rowing club telling him to stay out of hockey, Pulford wanted to play for the Stanley Cup and rejoined the Senators a few days before the season started.
Pulford was an excellent rower, winning national and U.S. championships and leading his crew
to the semifinals of the 1911 Henley Royal Regatta
. He was a member of the 1910 Ottawa Rowing Club eight that defeated every one of its opponents in 1910, earning the Canadian and North American championships. Pulford later became president of the Ottawa Rowing Club. He served as president of Ottawa Rowing Club until resigning in 1936.
In 1916, Pulford was a candidate to succeed Emmett Quinn
as president of the National Hockey Association
(NHA), though he lost to Frank Robinson
. He was nominated by Eddie Livingstone to replace Frank Calder
as president of the by-then defunct NHA in a league meeting on September 28, 1918, but Calder would retain his position.
Pulford remained active in sports later in life. In his late 40s, he won the Ottawa squash championship and held it from 1922 to 1924.
Pulford was a charter member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
(1945) and the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame (1966). He was, with Russell Bowie
, Harry Westwick and Alf Smith
, one of the final active hockey players who had played in the 19th century.
. Annis Mae died giving birth to son Harvey junior on December 7, 1904. Pulford later married Jennie Davidson. Pulford worked for the Imperial Life Assurance Company of Canada
from 1921 until his death.
Pulford died October 31, 1940 and was buried in Ottawa's Beechwood Cemetery. Jennie, his widow lived until April 29, 1947, and is also buried at Beechwood. Pulford Junior became an employee of the Canadian Pacific Railway
and eventually moved to Chicago
.
*Playing stats from Total Hockey
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...
all-around athlete at the turn of the 20th century, winning national championships in 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...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, paddling and rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
. He won four 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 with the Ottawa Hockey Club and championships or tournaments in every sport in which he played. When 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...
was founded in 1945, Pulford was one of the original twelve inductees.
Sports career
Born in TorontoToronto
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...
, Harvey Pulford moved to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
at an early age. Pulford joined the Ottawa Hockey Club
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...
in 1893, playing as a defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
. In his first season, Pulford played in the first Stanley Cup playoff games, against the Montreal Hockey Club
Montreal Hockey Club
The Montreal Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was a senior-level men's amateur ice hockey club, organized in 1884. They were affiliated with Montreal Amateur Athletic Association and used the MAAA 'winged wheel' logo. The team is notable for winning the first Stanley Cup in 1893, and in a...
. Pulford played for Ottawa until 1908, the year that Ottawa became professional. Pulford was captain of the Ottawa Hockey Club during the "Ottawa Silver Seven" era when the club won the 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 March 1903 and held it until March 1906. After retirement from playing, Pulford continued in the game as a referee. In 1933, Pulford was given an option to buy the Ottawa club, by then known as the Senators, and move it to Baltimore, Maryland, but the purchase did not go through.
Pulford was outstanding in several sports. He was a backfielder for the Ottawa Football Club
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...
football team from 1893 to 1909, winning national championships in 1898, 1899, 1900, and 1902. He also served as captain of the team. He played lacrosse for the Ottawa Lacrosse Club from 1893 to 1900, winning four national titles. As a boxer, he won Eastern Canadian light heavyweight and heavyweight titles between 1896 and 1898.
He was hesitant to start the 1907 season
1907 ECAHA season
The 1907 Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association season lasted from January 3 until March 10. Teams played a ten game schedule. The Montreal Wanderers won the league championship going undefeated, with their only loss of the season coming in a Stanley Cup challenge series with...
as he wanted to row the following summer and was concerned about playing professionals on other hockey teams, which would not allow him to compete in other sports as the rules stated. Despite members of his rowing club telling him to stay out of hockey, Pulford wanted to play for the Stanley Cup and rejoined the Senators a few days before the season started.
Pulford was an excellent rower, winning national and U.S. championships and leading his crew
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
to the semifinals of the 1911 Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
. He was a member of the 1910 Ottawa Rowing Club eight that defeated every one of its opponents in 1910, earning the Canadian and North American championships. Pulford later became president of the Ottawa Rowing Club. He served as president of Ottawa Rowing Club until resigning in 1936.
In 1916, Pulford was a candidate to succeed Emmett Quinn
Emmett Quinn
Thomas Emmett Quinn ) was a Canadian ice hockey executive, coach and referee. Quinn served as president of the National Hockey Association , the predecessor of today's National Hockey League . His brother Percy Quinn was also an ice hockey executive...
as president of the National Hockey Association
National Hockey Association
The National Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor organization to today's National Hockey League...
(NHA), though he lost to Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson (ice hockey)
Major Frank Robinson was an ice hockey executive and soldier. He was an owner of the Toronto Blueshirts ice hockey team and later, president of the National Hockey Association , predecessor organization of the National Hockey League ....
. He was nominated by Eddie Livingstone to replace Frank Calder
Frank Calder
-External links:*...
as president of the by-then defunct NHA in a league meeting on September 28, 1918, but Calder would retain his position.
Pulford remained active in sports later in life. In his late 40s, he won the Ottawa squash championship and held it from 1922 to 1924.
Pulford was 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...
(1945) and the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame (1966). He was, with Russell Bowie
Russell Bowie
Russell G. "Russ, Dubbie" Bowie was a Canadian ice hockey player generally regarded as one of the best players of the pre-NHL era of the sport...
, Harry Westwick and Alf Smith
Alf Smith
Alfred Edward Smith was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators, and Kenora Thistles. He had two brothers who played senior-level hockey Harry Smith and Tommy Smith...
, one of the final active hockey players who had played in the 19th century.
Personal life
Pulford married Annis Mae Field of Brockville, OntarioBrockville, Ontario
Brockville is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the Thousand Islands region. Though it serves as the seat of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Brockville is politically independent and is grouped with Leeds and Grenville for census purposes only.Known as the "City of the 1000...
. Annis Mae died giving birth to son Harvey junior on December 7, 1904. Pulford later married Jennie Davidson. Pulford worked for the Imperial Life Assurance Company of Canada
Canada Life Financial
Canada Life Financial Corporation is a Canadian company that offers life, health, and disability insurance for groups and individuals.Founded in 1847, it was acquired by The Great-West Life Assurance Company in 2003, after rejecting a hostile takeover bid by rival Manulife.Hugh Cossart Baker, Sr...
from 1921 until his death.
Pulford died October 31, 1940 and was buried in Ottawa's Beechwood Cemetery. Jennie, his widow lived until April 29, 1947, and is also buried at Beechwood. Pulford Junior became an employee of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and eventually moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
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 | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... | A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... | Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... | PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1893–94 1894 AHAC season The 1894 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 5 until March 10. Montreal HC would win the league and Canadian championship for the seventh season in a row.-Executive:* President - W. Jack, Victorias... |
Ottawa Hockey Club 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... |
AHAC | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||
| 1894–95 1895 AHAC Season The 1895 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 3 until March 8. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were first with a 6–2–0 record. After a required Stanley Cup challenge played between the 1894 winners, Montreal HC and Queen's, champion of the Ontario Hockey... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | AHAC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1895–96 1896 AHAC season The 1896 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 3 until March 7. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were first with a 7–1 record. During the season, on February 14 the Victorias hosted a Stanley Cup challenge match with the Winnipeg Victorias club. Winnipeg... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | AHAC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1896–97 1897 AHAC season The 1897 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 9 until March 6. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were again first with a 7–1 record, retaining the Stanley Cup. The club won the Stanley Cup back from the Winnipeg Victorias prior to the season. This was their... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | AHAC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1897–98 1898 AHAC season The 1898 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 8 until March 5. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were again first with a 8–0 record, to retain the Stanley Cup. This was their fourth-straight league championship.... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | AHAC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1898–99 1899 CAHL season The inaugural 1899 Canadian Amateur Hockey League season lasted from January 7 until March 4. Teams played an eight game schedule The Montreal Shamrocks were the league champion with a record of seven wins and one loss.-Highlights:... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | CAHL Canadian Amateur Hockey League The Canadian Amateur Hockey League was an early men's amateur hockey league founded in 1898, replacing the organization that was formerly the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada before the 1898–99 season. The league existed for seven seasons, folding in 1905 and was itself replaced by the Eastern... |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1899–00 1900 CAHL season The 1900 Canadian Amateur Hockey League season lasted from January 6 until March 10. Teams played an eight game schedule. Again, the Montreal Shamrocks were the league champion with a record of seven wins and one loss.-Executive:... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | CAHL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1899–00 | Ottawa Aberdeens | CAHL (Intermediate) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1900–01 1901 CAHL season The 1901 Canadian Amateur Hockey League season lasted from January 5 until March 5. Teams played an eight game schedule. The Ottawa Hockey Club was the league champion with a record of seven wins, no losses and a draw. The Montreal Shamrocks lost a Stanley Cup challenge during the season, so... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | CAHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1902–03 1903 CAHL season The 1903 Canadian Amateur Hockey League season lasted from January 3 until February 28. Teams played an eight game schedule. Ottawa and Montreal Victorias tied for the league championship with records of six wins and two losses.-Executive:... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | CAHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||
| 1902–03 | Ottawa Hockey Club | Stanley Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| 1903–04 1904 CAHL season The 1904 Canadian Amateur Hockey League season lasted from January 2 until February 24. Teams played an eight game schedule. This was a tumultuous year as Ottawa resigned in February and defaulted four games.... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | CAHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1903–04 | Ottawa Hockey Club | Stanley Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | ||
| 1904–05 1904–05 FAHL season The 1904–05 Federal Amateur Hockey League season lasted from December 31, 1904 until March 3. Teams played an eight game schedule.-League business:... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | FAHL Federal Amateur Hockey League The Federal Amateur Hockey League was a Canadian men's senior-level ice hockey league that played six seasons from 1904 to 1909. The league was formed initially to provide a league for teams not accepted by the rival Canadian Amateur Hockey League . One team, the Montreal Le National, was the first... |
6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1904–05 | Ottawa Hockey Club | Stanley Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 1905–06 1906 ECAHA season The inaugural 1906 Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association season lasted from January 3 until March 10. Teams played a ten game schedule. Ottawa HC and Montreal Wanderers would tie for the league championship with a record of 9–1, while the Montreal Shamrocks would not win a single game... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | ECAHA Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association The Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association was a men's amateur, later professional ice hockey league in Canada that played four seasons. It was founded on December 11, 1905 with six clubs: four from the Canadian Amateur Hockey League and two from the Federal Amateur Hockey League, to bring... |
10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||
| 1905–06 | Ottawa Hockey Club | Stanley Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 36 | ||
| 1906–07 1907 ECAHA season The 1907 Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association season lasted from January 3 until March 10. Teams played a ten game schedule. The Montreal Wanderers won the league championship going undefeated, with their only loss of the season coming in a Stanley Cup challenge series with... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | ECAHA | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1907–08 1907–08 ECAHA season The 1907–08 Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association season lasted from December 29, 1907 until March 7, 1908. Teams played a ten game schedule. The Montreal Wanderers would win the league championship with a record of eight wins, two losses.... |
Ottawa Hockey Club | ECAHA | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHAC totals | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||||
| CAHL totals | 25 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||||
| FAHL totals | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| ECAHA totals | 29 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 90 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||||
| Stanley Cup totals | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 63 | ||||
*Playing stats from Total Hockey