Nelson "Nels" Stewart (b. December 29, 1902 in Montreal, Quebec - August 21, 1957) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Montreal Maroons, New York Americans and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League.

Playing career

Stewart began play as an amateur at age 18 for the Cleveland Indians of the USAHA, leading the league in goals scored in four out of the five seasons he played before he and Babe Siebert were signed by the expansion Montreal Maroons of the NHL in 1925. Nicknamed "Old Poison," and with Siebert and veteran stars Clint Benedict, Punch Broadbent and Reg Noble, he would lead the Maroons to the Stanley Cup championship that season. Stewart himself led the league in goal and point scoring that year, and become one of the only rookies in history to win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player.

Stewart would later center the legendary "S" Line, with Hooley Smith and Siebert, and star for the Maroons for seven seasons in all, winning a second Hart Trophy in 1930, having led the league once more with 39 goals in 44 games. As the Great Depression deepened, though, the Maroons had increasing financial problems -- eventually folding in 1938 -- and sold Stewart to the Boston Bruins for cash. His glittering play continued for the Bruins, finishing second in team scoring each of his three full seasons with the team, despite being moved back to defense a fair bit.

In 1935 he was traded to the New York Americans, for whom he played for most of his final five seasons in the league. Stewart starred through his penultimate season (in which he was fourth on the Amerks in scoring with 35 points in 46 games at age 36. The season following, in 1939-1940, his foot speed (never regarded as fast) deserted him entirely. He retired thereafter as the NHL's career leading goal scorer, a mark he set in the 1937 season and held until Maurice Richard broke it in 1952.

On August 21rst,1957,he was found dead at his summer home near Toronto,apparently of natural causes(heart attack?).

Nels was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962.

Career achievements and facts

• Won the Hart Trophy in 1926 and 1930.
• Played in the first NHL All-Star Game in 1934.
• Led the playoffs in scoring in 1926 with six goals, three assists and nine points in eight games.
• Led the league in penalty minutes in 1927 with 133.
• Holds the NHL record for fastest two goals (in four seconds) set on January 3, 1931, against the Boston Bruins.

External links

• Stewart's career statistics at Hockey DB

1902 births | 1957 deaths | Canadian ice hockey players | Montreal Maroons players | Boston Bruins players | New York Americans players | Hockey Hall of Fame | Stanley Cup champions | Hart Trophy winners | National Hockey League scoring leaders (prior to 1947-48)

Nels Stewart