Riley Hern
Encyclopedia
William Milton "Riley" Hern (December 5, 1880 – June 24, 1929) was a Canadian
professional
ice hockey
goaltender
. He was the first professional goaltender to play on a Stanley Cup
-winning team.
Hern began playing ice hockey at an early age, playing for school teams in St. Marys and Stratford
, playing both as a goaltender and a forward. Hern played for Stratford Legionnaires from 1898 to 1901.
He began his professional career with the Pittsburgh Keystones
of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League
(WPHL) during the 1901–02 season. In his first season, Hern led the league in victories, with nine in 14 games. Hern, as a result, was named to the WPHL All-Star Team. However, in the next season, Hern led the league in losses, losing 10 out of 11 games.
In the 1903–04 season, Hern played with the Portage Lakes Hockey Club
of the International Professional Hockey League
(IPHL). Hern played, in total, three seasons with Portage Lakes.
In the 1906–07 season, Hern joined the Montreal Wanderers
, of the Eastern Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA). Hern posted a 10–0 regular season record in his first season with the Wanderers. The Wanderers won the Stanley Cup
four times, three straight seasons, from 1906 to 1908, and in 1910. The Wanderers also successfully defended the Cup in six out of seven challenges in that time span. The only challenge they lost was against the Kenora Thistles
in January 1907; the Wanderers reclaimed the Cup in their own successful challenge two months later.
Hern retired from playing professional ice hockey in 1911, at the age of 30. Hern went on to become a successful businessman, owning a haberdasher
y in Montreal
. He was involved in organizing various ice hockey leagues and printing schedules. Hern also served as an NHL referee and a goal judge. Hern was inducted posthumously into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1962.
Hearn's grandson is Allan F. Nicholls, who played the role of Charlestown Chiefs captain Johnny Upton, in the 1977 movie Slap Shot.
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...
. He was the first professional goaltender to play on a 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...
-winning team.
Hern began playing ice hockey at an early age, playing for school teams in St. Marys and Stratford
Stratford, Ontario
Stratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada with a population of 32,000.When the area was first settled by Europeans in 1832, the townsite and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is the seat of Perth County. Stratford was...
, playing both as a goaltender and a forward. Hern played for Stratford Legionnaires from 1898 to 1901.
He began his professional career with the Pittsburgh Keystones
Pittsburgh Keystones (hockey team)
The Pittsburgh Keystones were a Pittsburgh ice hockey club that consisted of a group of local men from Western University and Carnegie Tech during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Keystones began as an amateur hockey team which played on Saturday afternoons at the Schenley Park Casino...
of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League
Western Pennsylvania Hockey League
The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League , was a semi-professional ice hockey league from the early 1900s. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the league was the pre-eminent ice hockey league at the time in the United States...
(WPHL) during the 1901–02 season. In his first season, Hern led the league in victories, with nine in 14 games. Hern, as a result, was named to the WPHL All-Star Team. However, in the next season, Hern led the league in losses, losing 10 out of 11 games.
In the 1903–04 season, Hern played with the Portage Lakes Hockey Club
Portage Lakes Hockey Club
The Portage Lakes Hockey Club was one of the first professional ice hockey clubs. Based in Houghton, Michigan, the club played at the Amphidrome from 1904 until 1906...
of the International Professional Hockey League
International Professional Hockey League
The International Professional Hockey League was the first fully professional ice hockey league, operating from 1904 to 1907. It was formed by Jack 'Doc' Gibson, a dentist who played hockey throughout Ontario before settling in Houghton, Michigan. The IPHL was a five team circuit which included...
(IPHL). Hern played, in total, three seasons with Portage Lakes.
In the 1906–07 season, Hern joined the Montreal Wanderers
Montreal Wanderers
The Montreal Wanderers were a Canadian amateur, and later becoming a professional men's ice hockey team. The team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League , the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association , the National Hockey Association and briefly the National Hockey League . The Wanderers are...
, of the Eastern Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA). Hern posted a 10–0 regular season record in his first season with the Wanderers. The Wanderers 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...
four times, three straight seasons, from 1906 to 1908, and in 1910. The Wanderers also successfully defended the Cup in six out of seven challenges in that time span. The only challenge they lost was against the Kenora Thistles
Kenora Thistles
The Kenora Thistles were an early amateur men's ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1885 as a senior team by a group of Lake of the Woods lumbermen. The club is notable for winning the Stanley Cup as an amateur team in 1907. The town is the smallest in population to have...
in January 1907; the Wanderers reclaimed the Cup in their own successful challenge two months later.
Hern retired from playing professional ice hockey in 1911, at the age of 30. Hern went on to become a successful businessman, owning a haberdasher
Haberdasher
A haberdasher is a person who sells small articles for sewing, such as buttons, ribbons, zips, and other notions. In American English, haberdasher is another term for a men's outfitter. A haberdasher's shop or the items sold therein are called haberdashery.-Origin and use:The word appears in...
y in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. He was involved in organizing various ice hockey leagues and printing schedules. Hern also served as an NHL referee and a goal judge. Hern was inducted posthumously 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 1962.
Hearn's grandson is Allan F. Nicholls, who played the role of Charlestown Chiefs captain Johnny Upton, in the 1977 movie Slap Shot.
External links
- Riley Hern's statistics at Legends of Hockey