This is Selkirk, Manitoba's Harry Oliver. He played 463 NHL games in the 1920s and 1930s, most notably with the Boston Bruins but also with the now defunct New York Americans.The New York Americans were the original NHL team in New York and in the famed Madison Square Gardens, pre-dating the New York Rangers by a season. The Amerks were originally the Hamilton Tigers, relocating after hockey's first labour dispute. Renamed the Brooklyn Americans in 1941, the franchise would fold in 1942 due to dire financial straits during the Great Depression and World War II.
Notable players to wear the Americans' sweaters include Hall of Famers Billy Burch, Red Dutton, Shorty Green, Bullet Joe Simpson, and Shrimp Worters.
And what beautiful sweaters they were. Here's a better look at Oliver's #8 sweater, which happens to be up for auction at Classic Auctions.net.
Oliver is a long forgotten Hockey Hall of Famer.
The Hockey Hall of Fame inclusion is even more remarkable considering he was entirely self taught.
"When I was a kid, there was no organized hockey," he explained. "We just went out and played, sometimes on an outdoor rink, but mostly on the river."
He didn't play organized hockey until his late teens when he was playing junior and senior hockey in Selkirk.
The 5'8" 155lb forward, not surprisingly nicknamed "Pee Wee," had a 16 year pro career in hockey including his WCHL days in Calgary where he was the Tigers' leading scorer.
He moved to Boston in 1927 following the collapse of the western leagues. A nifty stickhandler and remarkable poke checker, he found success in Boston on a line with Percy Galbraith and Marty Barry. In 1929 Oliver played an important role in delivering the Stanley Cup to Boston.
In 1935 Oliver moved to New York where he played well with Art Chapman and Lorne Carr. He played three years with the Americans before retiring in 1937.
