Jim Henry
Henry, circa 1942
Born (1920-10-23)October 23, 1920
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died January 21, 2004(2004-01-21) (aged 83)
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Boston Bruins
Chicago Black Hawks
New York Rangers
Playing career 19411960

Samuel James "Sugar Jim" Henry (October 23, 1920 — January 21, 2004) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. A goaltender, Henry played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers, Chicago Black Hawks and the Boston Bruins between 1941 and 1955.

Early life

Henry was born on October 23, 1920, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada[1] to mother Essie Henry.[2] Growing up, he earned the nickname "Sugar" as the neighbours would dip his pacifier into sugar.[3] During the 1930s, he played for the Brandon Elks in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and led them to the Turnbull Cup.[4] Following this, Henry joined the Regina Rangers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League where he led them to the 1941 Allen Cup. During the tournament, Henry gained the attention of Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers.[5]

Playing career

Upon winning the 1941 Allen Cup, Henry started his NHL career with the New York Rangers. During his first NHL season, he led the New York Rangers to a first-place but they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1942 Stanley Cup Playoffs.[4] Despite this, Henry's 29 wins during the season led all goaltenders around the league and set a new franchise record.[5] Following his rookie season, World War II broke out and he joined the Ottawa Commandos and Red Deer Army.[1] In 1942, while with the Commandos, Henry helped them sweep the competition and win another Allen Cup.[6] He also played with the Red Deer A-16 Army team and was voted the most valuable player in the league. In 1945, Henry was discharged from the army and returned to the National Hockey League.[7]

When the 1945–46 NHL season started, Henry alternated goaltending duties with Chuck Rayner.[8] However, Rayner eventually took over starting duties and Henry was re-assigned to the New Haven Ramblers of the American Hockey League (AHL) in January 1946.[9] Following this, he spent numerous seasons alternating between the NHL and AHL.[1] During the 1947–48 season, Henry returned to his original starting position with the Rangers after Rayner suffered a compound fracture of his right cheekbone. Within his first 25 games as the starting goaltender, Henry earned 12 wins, seven losses, and six ties.[10]

During the 1952 postseason, Henry recorded a playoff shutout in the semifinal round versus Montreal. At the end of Game #7 of that same series, Henry, sporting a black eye, was photographed shaking hands with Maurice Richard who was bandaged and bloodied. It has been considered one of the iconic NHL photographs.[11]

In 2004, Henry was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.

Awards and achievements

  • Turnbull Cup MJHL Championship (1939)
  • Allan Cup Championships (1941 & 1943)
  • USHL First All-Star Team (1950)
  • Charles Gardiner Memorial Trophy Winner (Top Goaltender USHL) (1950)
  • NHL Second All-Star Team (1952)
  • Played in NHL All-Star Game (1952)
  • Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPWLTMinGASOGAA GPWLTMinGASOGAA
1937–38 Winnipeg Lombards WJrHL
1938–39 Brandon Elks MJHL 159004412.96 74203004.29
1938–39 Brandon Elks M-Cup 6333602614.33
1939–40 Winnipeg Lombards MJHL 2313808203.57
1939–40 Brandon Elks MJHL 3300180612.00
1940–41 Regina Rangers SSHL 2917408723.00 84802212.75
1940–41 Regina Rangers Al-Cup 149418403822.71
1941–42 New York Rangers NHL 4829172296014312.90 6243601312.17
1942–43 Ottawa Staff Clerks ONDHL 84805306.63
1942–43 Ottawa Commandos QSHL 2313808413.65
1942–43 Ottawa Commandos Al-Cup 129217403522.84
1943–44 Red Deer Army CNDHL 169605203.25 53001903.80
1943–44 Calgary Navy CNDHL 159009206.13
1945–46 New York Rangers NHL 111726234214.04
1945–46 New Haven Ramblers AHL 25815215009613.84
1946–47 New York Rangers NHL 2020120904.50
1946–47 New Haven Ramblers AHL 58202810348019753.40 3121801103.67
1947–48 New York Rangers NHL 48171813288015323.19
1947–48 New Haven Ramblers AHL 136617804013.08
1948–49 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 6021318360021103.52
1949–50 Kansas City Pla-Mors USHL 68292712408025533.75 3031802006.67
1950–51 Omaha Knights USHL 75204201812.57
1950–51 Indianapolis Capitals AHL 5837192352020203.44 3031901103.47
1951–52 Boston Bruins NHL 70252916420017672.51 7344481812.41
1952–53 Boston Bruins NHL 70282913420017272.46 9545102603.06
1953–54 Boston Bruins NHL 70322810420018182.59 4042401604.00
1954–55 Boston Bruins NHL 27812615727913.02 312183802.62
1955–56 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds NOHA
1956–57 Winnipeg Maroons X-Games
1957–58 Winnipeg Maroons X-Games
1957–58 Winnipeg Maroons Al-Cup 1210207203112.58
1958–59 Warroad Lakers MHL-Sr. 148404102.92
1959–60 St. Paul Saints IHL 95403503.89
1959–60 Winnipeg Maroons Al-Cup 3120179602.01
NHL totals 4061611737024,3551166272.8729 111817418122.79

Transactions

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Jim Henry". Elite Prospects. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  2. "Mother present". The Ottawa Citizen. November 21, 1953. Retrieved November 1, 2021 via newspapers.com.
  3. Kennedy, Ryan (November 9, 2018). "Top 100 Goalies: No. 79 — Jim Henry". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Morris, Fred (September 8, 2020). "The legend of Sugar Jim". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Grimm, George (October 1, 2019). Guardians of the Goal: A Comprehensive Guide to New York Rangers Goaltenders, from Hal Winkler to Ed Giacomin, Henrik Lundqvist, and All Those in Between. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781683583288. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  6. ""Sugar Jim" Henry in Goal". The Edmonton Bulletin. November 24, 1943. Retrieved November 2, 2021 via newspapers.com.
  7. "Sugar Jim Henry To Be Discharged". Calgary Herald. June 8, 1945. Retrieved November 2, 2021 via newspapers.com.
  8. "Sugar Jim Henry To Guard Goal When Rangers Start". The Ottawa Journal. October 31, 1945. Retrieved November 2, 2021 via newspapers.com.
  9. "Sugar Jim Henry Down to New Haven". The Ottawa Citizen. January 14, 1946. Retrieved November 2, 2021 via newspapers.com.
  10. "Rangers Hit .600 Clip With Henry in Nets". The Winnipeg Tribune. January 19, 1948. Retrieved November 2, 2021 via newspapers.com.
  11. Stubbs, Dave (February 2, 2004). "Sugar Jim will always be linked with Rocket". The Leader-Post. Retrieved November 1, 2021 via newspapers.com.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.