Doug Harvey

Doug Harvey was born on December 19, 1924 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He played his junior and amateur hockey in his hometown of Montreal. He entered the National Hockey League in the 1947-48 season with the Montreal Canadiens. Doug Harvey played 35 games in his rookie year with the Canadiens, chalking up 8 points along the way. Over the next few seasons his game continued to improve and by the 1950-51 season, Harvey was considered one of the premier NHL defensemen. He earned his first of eleven all-star nominations in the 1951-52 season. In an era when defensemen were not associated with scoring points, Harvey used his grace and skill to transform the rear-guard position to include puck control, passing, and scoring.

As the Montreal Canadiens dynasty ploughed through the 1950s, Doug Harvey added many accolades including seven Norris Trophies as the best NHL defenseman. He also guided the Canadiens to six Stanley Cups in that decade. With the retirement of Maurice Richard, Harvey was named captain of the Montreal Canadiens in 1960-61. But the very next season saw him traded to the New York Rangers. Harvey excelled in his first season at New York, winning his seventh Norris Trophy in a dual player-coach role. His days in New York were done in 1963 when he moved on and played a few seasons in the minor leagues. He popped up with the Detroit Red Wings in 1966-67 and after the NHL expansion signed with the St. Louis Blues before retiring in 1969.

Doug Harvey was probably the best defenseman in his heyday and ranks up there with the all-time greats like Bobby Orr and Eddie Shore. He was the total package who could skate, pass, hit, score, rush the puck, and coach. He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973 and passed away in his hometown of Montreal in 1989 due to cirrhoisis of the liver.

Here is a summary of Doug Harvey's NHL accomplishments;

Year    Team                 GP   G   A   Pts   Pim
1947-48 Montreal Canadiens   35   4   4    8     32  
1948-49 Montreal Canadiens   55   3  13   16     87
1949-50 Montreal Canadiens   70   4  20   24     76
1950-51 Montreal Canadiens   70   5  24   29     93
1951-52 Montreal Canadiens   68   6  23   29     82
1952-53 Montreal Canadiens   69   4  30   34     67
1953-54 Montreal Canadiens   68   8  29   37    110
1954-55 Montreal Canadiens   70   6  43   49     58
1955-56 Montreal Canadiens   62   5  39   44     60
1956-57 Montreal Canadiens   70   6  44   50     92
1957-58 Montreal Canadiens   68   9  32   41    131
1958-59 Montreal Canadiens   61   4  16   20     61
1959-60 Montreal Canadiens   66   6  21   27     45
1960-61 Montreal Canadiens   58   6  33   39     48
1961-62 New York Rangers     69   6  24   30     42
1962-63 New York Rangers     68   4  35   39     92
1963-64 New York Rangers     14   0   2    2     10
1966-67 Detroit Red Wings     2   0   0    0      0
1968-69 St. Louis Blues      70   2  20   22     30
NHL Totals                  1113 88 452  540   1216 



Trophies
James Norris Trophy - 7 (1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962)


Championships
Stanley Cup - 6 (1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)

Team Pages:
Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues