- Sprague Cleghorn
Infobox Ice Hockey Player
image_size =
position = Defence
shot = Left
height_ft = 5
height_in = 10
weight_lb = 190
played_for = Ottawa Senators
Toronto St. Patricks
Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
nationality = CAN
birth_date = birth date|1890|3|11
birth_place = Montreal, QC, CAN
death_date = death date and age|1956|7|12|1890|3|11
death_place =
draft =
draft_year =
draft_team =
wha_draft =
wha_draft_year=
wha_draft_team=
career_start = 1909
career_end = 1929
halloffame = 1958
website =Sprague Horace "Peg" Cleghorn, (
March 11 ,1890 –July 12 , 1956), was aCanadian professional hockey player fromWestmount who played 10 seasons in theNational Hockey League for theMontreal Wanderers ,Toronto St. Pats ,Montreal Canadiens ,Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators.Playing career
Born in
Montreal , Cleghorn had a hall of fame career but was regarded as one of the dirtiest players of his era. He played onStanley Cup -winning teams in 1920, 1921 and 1924.In 1909–10, Cleghorn began his professional career with the
New York Wanderers , moving to Renfrew of theNational Hockey Association the next season. He then played for the Montreal Wanderers for six seasons. He played defence for the Ottawa Senators (1918 to 1920). The league transferred him to theToronto St. Pats in December 1920, but Cleghorn refused to report. The Senators asked that he be allowed to return to their team. George Kennedy, owner of theMontreal Canadiens , threatened to have Ottawa thrown out of the league. Cleghorn did play for Toronto, but was released in March and signed with Ottawa during the playoffs.The league transferred Cleghorn to Hamilton in 1921, and again he refused to go. Just before the start of the
1921–22 NHL season , Sprague was traded to theMontreal Canadiens forHarry Mummery andAmos Arbour . He played four seasons in Montreal and after the1924–25 NHL season , was purchased by theBoston Bruins for $5,000. Sprague played his final three seasons in the NHL with Boston (1925 to 1928). He then moved to the minor-leagueNewark Bulldogs (1928–29) as a player-coach. Later, he coached the CAHLProvidence Reds (1930–31) and NHLMontreal Maroons (1931–32). He later coached thePittsburgh Shamrocks of the International Hockey League (1935–36) and theCornwall Cougars of the Quebec league (1947–48).Even in an era of rough play, Cleghorn was notorious for being among the dirtiest of the lot, and ranked amongst the league leaders in penalty minutes for nine of the first ten seasons of the NHL's history. In 1923, Cleghorn hit Ottawa Senators player
Lionel Hitchman in the head with his stick. Charged with aggravated assault, Cleghorn was found guilty and fined $50.Cleghorn was hit by a car in early June 1956, and died of his injuries at Montreal's St. Luc Hospital on
July 12 , 1956. His funeral wasJuly 14 , 1956 and he was buried atMount Royal Cemetery in Montreal. Cleghorn's brother,Odie Cleghorn , was found dead in his bed just hours before the funeral, as a result of heart failure, perhaps induced by the stress of the loss of his brother.Awards & achievements
* 1924 name was engraved on the Stanley Cup
* 1958 – Inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame
* In 1998, he was ranked number 88 on "The Hockey News"' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.Career NHL statistics
ee also
*
Violence in ice hockey
*List of NHL seasons
*List of members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
*List of NHL players External links
*
*
* [http://www.bruins-legends.com/C/cleghorn.htm Career Statistics]
* [http://www.losthockey.com/obit_main.cfm?letter=c Obituary]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7950757&pt=Sprague%20%27Peg%27%20Cleghorn Sprague Cleghorn at findagrave.com]
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