Clancy filled in as goalie to help Senators win Stanley Cup in 1923
Hall of Fame defenseman played every position in clinching game against Edmonton
ByStan Fischler
Special to NHL.com
Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday.
This week Fischler turns back the calendar 100 years to reveal one of the most extraordinary performances in NHL history: a star playing every position, including goalie, in a Stanley Cup Final game!
King Clancy enjoyed one of the most well-rounded careers in NHL history. For starters, he was a Hall of Fame defenseman and later became an NHL referee. He then was coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"King could do everything," said Tommy Gorman, who coached the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup exactly a century ago. "But in our 1923 playoff against Edmonton, Clancy took versatility to a new level. He played everywhere for us."
As it happened the Senators won the Stanley Cup that season when Ottawa's Punch Broadbent scored the only goal in the 1-0 championship clincher in Game 2 of the best-of-3 series. But it was Clancy who made it possible, playing his normal defenseman position as well as every forward position in Game 2. And he even took a turn at playing goalie.
"We had to play shorthanded that big game because of injuries," Clancy remembered. "As a matter of fact, there were only eight of us on the entire roster who could suit up against Edmonton."
Key players Lionel Hitchman, George Boucher, Eddie Gerard and Harry Helman were injured. That meant every Ottawa skater in the game had to work overtime, none more than Clancy.
"Clancy came to my rescue," Gorman told reporter Bill Roche in "The Hockey Book." "He had taken turns on defense, at center, and filled in at both wings. But the topper was in the last 10 minutes of the game."
This was an NHL era when if a goalie was assessed a penalty he had to serve the penalty himself. The substitute had to play goal, not sit in the penalty box.
Such a case occurred when goalie Clint Benedict took a two-minute penalty for slashing Edmonton's Duke Keats late in the third period.
"I told Gorman I'd take a chance at stopping pucks if it meant us winning the game -- and the Cup," Clancy explained. "Tommy gave me the green light and my teammates followed up by checking as hard as they could to protect me."
While doing his stint in the crease, Clancy spotted a loose puck that was reachable. He also knew that Gorman wanted him to remain at his new position. But Clancy, 20-years-old at the time, couldn't resist temptation.
He snared the puck and took off for Edmonton's half of the rink. Meanwhile, Gorman was screaming for Clancy to return to where he belonged -- in the crease.
"Clancy skated right up to an Edmonton defenseman," Gorman told author Bill Roche, "pulled him out of position and then contented himself by firing a long shot. Grinning happily, he then scooted back to his own end of the rink and resigned himself to being a goalie."
Clancy did not allow Edmonton to score and Broadbent's goal stood up as the Cup winner for Ottawa's injury-riddled lineup.
Gorman summed it up.
"Clancy's efforts amounted to one of the most dramatic and unusual that I ever had the pleasure of witnessing in my long hockey career."
