Joe Primeau

Joe Primeau
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1963
three young men stand side by side. Each has short, dark hair parted in the middle and are wearing identical team jackets with a stylized maple leaf logo on the left breast.
The Kid Line of Conacher, Primeau and Jackson
Born (1906-01-29)January 29, 1906
Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
Died May 14, 1989(1989-05-14) (aged 83)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 1927–1936

Alfred Joseph Francis "Gentleman Joe" Primeau (January 29, 1906 – May 14, 1989), was a Canadian professional ice hockey player.

Playing career

Born in Lindsay, Ontario, and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Primeau moved to Toronto at an early age and began his professional career in 1927 with the Toronto Ravinas, an affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He became a full-time member of the Maple Leafs in the 1929–30 season.

Primeau played on the Leafs' Kid Line with Charlie Conacher and Busher Jackson. He won his only Stanley Cup as a player in 1931–32 and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy that same season. He retired in 1936 at age 30. Over his NHL career, Primeau scored 66 goals and 177 assists in 310 games.

Primeau was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963.

He died in Toronto, Ontario at the age of 83.

He was interred in the Assumption Catholic Cemetery, Mississauga, Peel Regional Municipality.

In 1989, Primeau was ranked number 92 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Coaching career

Primeau won the Stanley Cup in his first year as head coach of the Maple Leafs in 1950–51.

He also remains the only coach to ever lead teams to both the Memorial Cup, Allan Cup and Stanley Cup championships.

Miscellany

Following the Canada-Sweden game at the 1976 Canada Cup tournament, Primeau presented the award to the top Canadian player of the game: Bob Gainey.

Awards and achievements

Player

  • 1931–32 – Stanley Cup Champion – Toronto Maple Leafs
  • 1931–32 – Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
  • 1933–34 – Second Team All-Star – Centre
  • 1963 – Honoured member – Hockey Hall of Fame

Coach

  • 1946–47 – Memorial Cup Champion – Toronto St. Michael's Majors
  • 1949–50 – Allan Cup Champion – Toronto Marlboros
  • 1950–51 – Stanley Cup Champion – Toronto Maple Leafs

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1923–24 Toronto St. Michael's Majors OHA-Jr. 6 1 1 2 — — — — —
1924–25 Toronto St. Mary's OHA-Jr. 8 7 3 10 — — — — — —
1925–26 Toronto St. Mary's OHA-Jr. 7 15 2 17 2 2 2 1 3 —
1926–27 Toronto Marlboros OHA-Jr. 10 11 3 14 4 — — — — —
1927–28 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1927–28 Toronto Ravinas Can-Pro 41 26 13 39 36 2 1 0 1 0
1928–29 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 6 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
1928–29 London Panthers Can-Pro 35 12 10 22 16 — — — — —
1929–30 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 43 5 21 26 22 — — — — —
1930–31 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 38 9 32 41 18 2 0 0 0 0
1931–32 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 45 13 37 50 25 7 0 6 6 2
1932–33 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 48 11 21 32 4 8 0 1 1 4
1933–34 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 45 14 32 46 8 5 2 4 6 6
1934–35 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 37 10 20 30 16 7 0 3 3 0
1935–36 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 45 4 13 17 10 9 3 4 7 0
NHL totals 310 66 177 243 105 38 5 18 23 12

Coaching record

Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T Pts Finish Result
TOR 1950–51 70 41 16 13 95 2nd in NHL Won in semi-finals (4-1 vs. BOS)
Won Stanley Cup (4-1 vs. MTL)
TOR 1951–52 70 29 25 16 74 3rd in NHL Lost in semi-finals (0-4 vs. DET)
TOR 1952–53 70 27 30 13 67 5th in NHL Did not qualify
Total 210 97 71 42 236 Won 1 Stanley Cup (8-6, 0.571)
Preceded by Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy
1932 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs
1950–53 		Succeeded by