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Cecil Hart

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Cecil Hart
Born
Cecil Mordecai Hart

November 28, 1883
DiedJuly 16, 1940(1940-07-16) (aged 56)
NationalityCanadian
Known forIce hockey manager and coach

Cecil Mordecai Hart (November 28, 1883 – July 16, 1940) was a head coach and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League.

Biography

[edit]

Cecil Hart was Jewish, a direct descendant of Aaron Hart who was Canada's first Jewish settler,[1] and was born in Bedford, Quebec.

Montreal Stars in 1912, Hart seated second from the left

During the early 1910s Hart was a player and manager with the Montreal Stars of the Montreal City Hockey League, where he was a teammate of future NHL referee Cooper Smeaton.

Hart helped lead the Montreal Canadiens to two Stanley Cups, in 1930 and 1931. He was fired after a dispute with Canadiens' owner Léo Dandurand after leading the Canadiens to first place in the 1931–32 season, but after Dandurand and Joseph Cattarinich sold the Canadiens to Ernest Savard and Maurice Forget of the Canadian Arena Company, the Canadiens hit bottom in 1935–36.

To rebuild the team, they rehired Hart in 1936–37, but Hart would only come back if Howie Morenz did. A deal was arranged and with Morenz back, and despite the death of Morenz during the season, Hart managed to lead the Canadiens to first place. After that, the team eroded as age caught up with some key players. When the Canadiens were reclining near the cellar in 1938–39, Cecil resigned as coach and manager.[2] Only eighteen other people have won multiple Stanley Cups besides Hart as a head coach, although he is not currently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame despite being eligible. [3]

Hart later became vice president and treasurer of the Quebec, Ontario and Vermont Baseball League also before his untimely death.

Hart died after a lengthy illness in July 1940. Hart's father, David Hart, donated the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1923. Hart was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.

NHL coaching record

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Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T Pts Division rank Result
Montreal Maroons 1924–25 19 8 9 2 18 (Fired)
Montreal Canadiens 1926–27 44 28 14 2 58 2nd in Canadian Lost in semi-finals
Montreal Canadiens 1927–28 44 26 11 7 59 1st in Canadian Lost in semi-finals
Montreal Canadiens 1928–29 44 22 7 15 59 1st in Canadian Lost in semi-finals
Montreal Canadiens 1929–30 44 21 14 9 51 2nd in Canadian Won Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens 1930–31 44 26 10 8 60 1st in Canadian Won Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens 1931–32 48 25 16 7 57 1st in Canadian Lost in semi-finals
Montreal Canadiens 1936–37 48 24 18 6 54 1st in Canadian Lost in semi-finals
Montreal Canadiens 1937–38 48 18 17 13 49 3rd in Canadian Lost in quarter-finals
Montreal Canadiens 1938–39 30 6 18 6 (18) 6th in NHL (Fired)
NHL Total 413 204 134 73

References

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  1. ^ "Jews In Sports". jewsinsports.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  2. ^ "Cecil Hart - Bio, pictures, stats and more - Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens". canadiens.com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-09. Retrieved 2013-02-04.
  3. ^ "NHL Coach Register".
Preceded by
Position created
Head coach of the Montreal Maroons
1924–25
Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens
192632
Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens
193639
Succeeded by
Preceded by General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens
193639
Succeeded by