Harry Oliver (ice hockey)

Harry Oliver
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1967
Oliver while with the Selkirk Fishermen
Born (1898-10-26)October 26, 1898
Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada
Died June 16, 1985(1985-06-16) (aged 86)
Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Calgary Tigers
Boston Bruins
New York Americans
Playing career 1918–1937

Harold "Pee-Wee" Oliver (October 26, 1898 – June 16, 1985) was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played for the Calgary Tigers of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) and the Boston Bruins and New York Americans of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1921 and 1937. He was a member of the Tigers' 1924 WCHL championship and won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 1929. Oliver played nearly 600 games in a professional career that spanned 16 seasons and scored 217 goals. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967.

Playing career

Oliver grew up in Selkirk, Manitoba. At an early age he taught himself how to skate on ponds near Selkirk. He once stated, “When I was a kid, there was no organized hockey. We just went out and played, sometimes on an outdoor rink, but mostly on the river.”[1]

He then started playing organized hockey for both the junior and senior Selkirk Fishermen.[2] Oliver and the Fishermen won the Manitoba Senior Hockey League in 1919 and challenged the Hamilton Tigers for the Allan Cup. Oliver scored a goal in the second game, but the Fishermen lost the two-game series on total goals, 7–6.[3] He left Selkirk for a professional career in Calgary in 1920. He played one season with the Calgary Canadians of the independent Big-4 League in 1919–20 then moved to the Calgary Tigers and the new Western Canada Hockey League.

Oliver quickly established himself as a star player in the WCHL,[4] using his speed and shot to earn positions as a First-Team All-Star in both 1924 and 1925.[5] He was a key member of the Tigers' team that won the 1923–24 WCHL championship,[6] and lost to the Montreal Canadiens for the Stanley Cup.[7]

Only being 5’8’’, 155 Oliver was known as “pee wee” throughout his career. However he got past his small size by using his speed, stick handling and shooting. During his time in the WHL he was compared to a thoroughbred horse, due to his speed and grace. Oliver never spent more than 24 minutes in the penalty box during a season.[1]

When the WCHL collapsed in 1926, Oliver's rights were bought by the Boston Bruins. His NHL career began on a line with Bill Carson and Percy Galbraith, and he led the Bruins in scoring each of his first three seasons with the team.[2] Oliver scored four goals in a game versus Chicago on January 11, 1927, becoming the first Boston Bruin to attain that feat. He led the Bruins in both goals and points scored for 3 straight years in 1926-27 1927-28 1928-29. He helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1929 and remained with the organization for eight years.[5] Oliver became the first Boston Bruin to score a playoff overtime goal when he notched the winner on March 20, 1930 versus the Montreal Maroons. He was also the first player to score 100 goals as a Bruin.[1] He was remained as one of the Bruins top scorers until his final year with the team in 1933-34. The Bruins then sold his rights to the New York Americans in 1934, and Oliver completed his career with three seasons in New York.[8]

On January 13th, 1937, a newspaper in Montreal, reported that Oliver was resting in a hospital after an operation. Due to influenza, which resulted in him needing a mastoid operation to help him recover. This ultimately resulted in him retiring from hockey in 1937.[1]

Post retirement

Well regarded for his gentlemanly nature on the ice, Oliver was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967,[2] and is an honoured member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.[9]

Following his career, Oliver returned to Selkirk, starting his own business working first as an electrician, then moved to Winnipeg where he worked for the Weights and Measures Department of the Canadian Government. He died in 1985.[2]

He is enshrined in the Selkirk historical museum in the people of Selkirk exhibit.[10]

In 2023 he was named One of the Top 100 Best Bruins Players of all Time.[11]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1917–18 Selkirk Fishermen WJrHL — — — — — 2 7 4 11 0
1918–19 Selkirk Fishermen MSHL 9 15 9 24 6 4 5 1 6 0
1918–19 Selkirk Fishermen Al-Cup — — — — — 2 7 4 11 0
1919–20 Selkirk Fishermen MSHL 10 7 14 4 — — — — —
1920–21 Calgary Canadians Big-4 16 14 6 20 11 — — — — —
1921–22 Calgary Tigers WCHL 20 10 4 14 7 2 1 0 1 0
1922–23 Calgary Tigers WCHL 29 25 7 32 10 — — — — —
1923–24 Calgary Tigers WCHL 27 22 12 34 14 2 0 1 1 2
1923–24 Calgary Tigers W-PO — — — — — 3 2 1 3 2
1923–24 Calgary Tigers St-Cup — — — — — 2 0 0 0 0
1924–25 Calgary Tigers WCHL 24 20 13 33 23 2 0 0 0 2
1925–26 Calgary Tigers WHL 30 13 12 25 14 — — — — —
1926–27 Boston Bruins NHL 42 18 6 24 17 8 4 2 6 4
1927–28 Boston Bruins NHL 43 13 5 18 20 2 2 0 2 4
1928–29 Boston Bruins NHL 43 17 6 23 24 5 1 1 2 8
1929–30 Boston Bruins NHL 40 16 5 21 12 6 2 1 3 6
1930–31 Boston Bruins NHL 44 16 14 30 18 4 0 0 0 2
1931–32 Boston Bruins NHL 44 13 7 20 22 — — — — —
1932–33 Boston Bruins NHL 47 11 7 18 10 5 0 0 0 0
1933–34 Boston Bruins NHL 48 5 9 14 6 — — — — —
1934–35 New York Americans NHL 47 7 9 16 4 — — — — —
1935–36 New York Americans NHL 45 9 16 25 12 5 1 2 3 0
1936–37 New York Americans NHL 20 2 1 3 2 — — — — —
WCHL totals 130 90 48 138 68 11 3 2 5 6
NHL totals 463 127 85 212 147 35 10 6 16 24

Awards and achievements

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Harry Oliver Selkirk museum.com".
  2. ^ a b c d Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players: The ultimate A–Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL. Toronto: Doubleday Canada. p. 640. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
  3. ^ "Tigers hold Allan Cup by margin of one goal". Toronto World. 1919-03-21. p. 8. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  4. ^ "Calgary Tigers – a team of legends". Edmonton Oilers Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  5. ^ a b "Harry Oliver biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  6. ^ "Tigers are Western Canada Hockey League champions". Calgary Herald. 1924-03-08. p. 20.
  7. ^ "Tigers returning, minus Cup". Calgary Herald. 1924-03-26. p. 16.
  8. ^ "Harry Oliver statistics". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  9. ^ "Harry Oliver profile". Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  10. ^ "selkirkmuseum People of Selkirk".
  11. ^ a b "Bruins Announce "Historic 100" Ahead of All-Centennial Team Reveal | Boston Bruins". www.nhl.com. 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
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