Russell Oatman
Encyclopedia
Warren Russell Oatman - was a Canadian
professional ice hockey
player. Oatman played 121 games in the National Hockey League
with the Detroit Cougars
, Montreal Maroons
and New York Rangers
. His brother Eddie Oatman
also played professional ice hockey.
, Oatman is first recorded playing organized hockey in Victoria, British Columbia
in 1920. He played one season with the Minneapolis Rockets before joining the Victoria Cougars
in 1925. The Cougars, Stanley Cup
champions at the time, advanced to the 1926 Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Canadiens
, but were defeated. The Cougars' player rights were sold to the owners of the new Detroit franchise in the National Hockey League
(NHL) and Oatman joined the new Detroit Cougars. He was traded to the Montreal Maroons in January 1927. He played for the Maroons until December 1928 when he was traded to the New York Rangers
. Oatman's time in the NHL ended when he was traded by the Rangers to the minor-league Hamilton Tigers
in October 1929. He was later traded that season by the Tigers to the Niagara Falls Cataracts in January 1930.
The end of Oatman's hockey career came on the night of March 13, 1930. While travelling with Niagara Falls Cataracts team-mate Steve Yankoski for a game, the car went off the road to avoid a head-on collision, but crashed into a hydro pole. Oatman suffered a broken left leg, which required surgery and a permanent steel plate. He would work in Toronto for a pharmaceutical company, and coach minor league hockey teams.
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...
player. Oatman played 121 games 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...
with the Detroit Cougars
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, 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 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...
. His brother Eddie Oatman
Eddie Oatman
Edward Cole "Eddie" Oatman was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was among the elite goal scorers of his era. Among his 32 years playing professional ice hockey, Eddie was named an all-star for ten consecutive seasons by the Pacific Coast Hockey Association...
also played professional ice hockey.
Playing career
Although Oatman was born in OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Oatman is first recorded playing organized hockey in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
in 1920. He played one season with the Minneapolis Rockets before joining the Victoria Cougars
Victoria Cougars
The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1922 to 1924, and in the Western Hockey League from 1924 to 1926...
in 1925. The Cougars, 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...
champions at the time, advanced to the 1926 Stanley Cup Final against 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 ...
, but were defeated. The Cougars' player rights were sold to the owners of the new Detroit 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...
(NHL) and Oatman joined the new Detroit Cougars. He was traded to the Montreal Maroons in January 1927. He played for the Maroons until December 1928 when he was traded to 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...
. Oatman's time in the NHL ended when he was traded by the Rangers to the minor-league Hamilton Tigers
Hamilton Tigers
The Hamilton Tigers were a professional ice hockey team, and a member of the National Hockey League , based in Hamilton, Ontario, that played from 1920–1925. The Tigers were formed from the sale of the Quebec Bulldogs NHL franchise to Hamilton interests. After years of struggling, the franchise...
in October 1929. He was later traded that season by the Tigers to the Niagara Falls Cataracts in January 1930.
The end of Oatman's hockey career came on the night of March 13, 1930. While travelling with Niagara Falls Cataracts team-mate Steve Yankoski for a game, the car went off the road to avoid a head-on collision, but crashed into a hydro pole. Oatman suffered a broken left leg, which required surgery and a permanent steel plate. He would work in Toronto for a pharmaceutical company, and coach minor league hockey teams.