Leaflet describing Cecil Hart's feelings prior to a Stanley Cup game (1920s).
Photo Credit : Classic Auctions, Inc.
Cecil Hart.
Photo Credit : Club de hockey Canadien inc.
The Canadiens, 1937-1938.
Photo Credit : Hockey Hall of Fame
1883 - 1940
Cecil Hart
Cecil Hart, a direct descendant of Canada’s first Jewish settler, Aaron Hart, is best known as the famed head coach of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1920s and 30s, and the namesake of the Hart Memorial Trophy, donated by his father Dr. David Hart.
Hart was born in Bedford, Quebec, in the Montéregie region. He became the coach of the Montreal Canadiens for the first time during the 1926-27 season. The previous season, they had finished in last place. But by the 1929-30 season, Hart had led them to the championship, with back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in both 1929-30 and 1930-31. Hart was fired in 1932, but in 1936, he was brought back by popular demand, to rebuild the team.
Known as one of the NHL’s greatest coaches at the time, Hart’s record was unmatched. Under his direction, the Montreal Canadiens became one of sport’s leading franchises.
The Hart Memorial Trophy, given annually to the Most Valuable Player in the National Hockey League, has been won by sixteen Montreal Canadiens players. In 1992, Hart was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
