Woody Dumart
Encyclopedia
Woodrow Wilson Clarence "Porky" Dumart (December 23, 1916 in Kitchener, Ontario
- October 19, 2001 in Boston
, Massachusetts
) was a Canadian
professional
ice hockey
forward
who played for the Boston Bruins
of the National Hockey League
. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
. Dumart went by the nickname of "Porkey".
of the Ontario Hockey Association
on a line with childhood friends Milt Schmidt
and Bobby Bauer
, which was dubbed the "Kraut Line
" by Albert "Battleship" Leduc, a defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens
. After two seasons with the Greenshirts, the entire Kraut Line was signed by the Bruins.
, Dumart made the Bruins for good in early 1937. Reunited with Schmidt and Bauer, the trio was one of the most famous lines in hockey history. Dumart - at 6'1", one of the largest wingers of his day - was the skilled checking and defensive component to the line, while contributing good scoring, and helped lead the Bruins to Stanley Cup
victories in 1939
and 1941
. His contributions were recognized by being named the left wing on the Second All-Star Team
in both 1940 and 1941.
By then, World War II
intervened - leading to the line being renamed, briefly and abortively, the "Kitchener Kids" due to anti-German sentiment - and Dumart enlisted with teammates Schmidt, Bauer and Frank Brimsek
. Joining the Royal Canadian Air Force
halfway through the 1942 season, Dumart joined the Ottawa RCAF Flyers hockey team which challenged for the Allan Cup
, Canada's senior league championship, and scored over a goal a game in leading the team to the title. He played briefly in the fall of 1942 for the Flyers before being shipped overseas, where he served until the end of the war.
The soldiers returned in 1945, but having lost nearly four years to the War, the Bruins would win no more championships during Dumart's career. Nonetheless, he played nine more seasons for Boston, and was named a Second Team All-Star for the third time in 1947.
His scoring skills diminishing in his final years, he ended his NHL career with Boston after the 1954 playoffs. He played one last stint the following season with the Providence Reds
of the American Hockey League
, suiting up for fifteen games before hanging up his skates at last.
He settled in the Boston area, and remained active with charitable affairs, being the longtime coach of the Bruins' Alumni Association team.
He had 3 kids, Jeff, Judy, and Bruce.
On his way to Ray Bourque
Night, with his son Jeff Dumart, at the FleetCenter, Woody suddenly became ill with heart trouble and was taken to hospital, where he died on October 19th, 2001.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1992.
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
- October 19, 2001 in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
) was a Canadian
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...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
who played for the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
of 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...
. He is an Honoured 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...
. Dumart went by the nickname of "Porkey".
Amateur career
Dumart was raised in Kitchener, Ontario, where there was a strong German population. He played his junior hockey with the Kitchener GreenshirtsKitchener Greenshirts
The Kitchener Greenshirts name has been used by five separate ice hockey teams playing in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. These include one 'Senior A' level hockey team, two 'Junior A' level teams, and two 'Junior B' level teams...
of 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...
on a line with childhood friends Milt Schmidt
Milt Schmidt
Milton Conrad Schmidt is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre, coach and general manager, mostly for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
and Bobby Bauer
Bobby Bauer
Robert Theodore Bauer was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
, which was dubbed the "Kraut Line
Kraut line
The Kraut Line was the term used to describe a trio of hockey players who played on the same NHL forward line who were members of the Boston Bruins hockey team: center Milt Schmidt, left wing Woody Dumart, and right winger Bobby Bauer....
" by Albert "Battleship" Leduc, a defenceman for 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 ...
. After two seasons with the Greenshirts, the entire Kraut Line was signed by the Bruins.
Professional career
After spending the bulk of the 1936 and 1937 seasons in the minor leagues with the Boston Cubs of the Can-Am LeagueAmerican Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, Dumart made the Bruins for good in early 1937. Reunited with Schmidt and Bauer, the trio was one of the most famous lines in hockey history. Dumart - at 6'1", one of the largest wingers of his day - was the skilled checking and defensive component to the line, while contributing good scoring, and helped lead the Bruins to 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...
victories in 1939
1939 Stanley Cup Finals
-Boston Bruins 1939 Stanley Cup champions:-References & notes:* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame . Lord Stanley's Cup. Bolton, Ont.: Fenn Pub. pp 12, 50. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7...
and 1941
1941 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1941 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series between the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings. Boston would win the series 4–0 to win their third Stanley Cup.-Paths to the Final:...
. His contributions were recognized by being named the left wing on the Second 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...
in both 1940 and 1941.
By then, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
intervened - leading to the line being renamed, briefly and abortively, the "Kitchener Kids" due to anti-German sentiment - and Dumart enlisted with teammates Schmidt, Bauer and Frank Brimsek
Frank Brimsek
Francis Charles "Mister Zero" Brimsek was an American professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
. Joining the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
halfway through the 1942 season, Dumart joined the Ottawa RCAF Flyers hockey team which challenged for the Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
, Canada's senior league championship, and scored over a goal a game in leading the team to the title. He played briefly in the fall of 1942 for the Flyers before being shipped overseas, where he served until the end of the war.
The soldiers returned in 1945, but having lost nearly four years to the War, the Bruins would win no more championships during Dumart's career. Nonetheless, he played nine more seasons for Boston, and was named a Second Team All-Star for the third time in 1947.
His scoring skills diminishing in his final years, he ended his NHL career with Boston after the 1954 playoffs. He played one last stint the following season with the Providence Reds
Providence Reds
The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League between 1926–1936 and the American Hockey League from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, suiting up for fifteen games before hanging up his skates at last.
Retirement
Dumart retired having played sixteen NHL seasons in all, scoring 211 goals and 218 assists for 429 points in 772 games.He settled in the Boston area, and remained active with charitable affairs, being the longtime coach of the Bruins' Alumni Association team.
He had 3 kids, Jeff, Judy, and Bruce.
On his way to Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League . Bourque has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and...
Night, with his son Jeff Dumart, at the FleetCenter, Woody suddenly became ill with heart trouble and was taken to hospital, where he died on October 19th, 2001.
He was inducted 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 1992.
Facts and achievements
- Retired as the leading scoring left wing in Bruins' history and remains fourth in that category, as well as in games played.
- Played in the first two annual NHL All-Star Games, in 1947 and 1948.