Bob Armstrong

Bob Armstrong was a solid stay-at-home defenseman who graduated to the Bruins after one season in the AHL with the Hershey Bears. Nicknamed "Satch," Armstrong played 542 NHL games, scoring 13 goals and 99 points.

Bill Quackenbush tutored him as a rookie though he partnered with Leo Boivin for most of this career. Both Armstrong and Boivin were noted hard hitters, making for an intimidating Boston back line. But Armstrong was clean, not picking up a lot of unnecessary penalties, unless of course he somehow lost his gloves and stick. Armstrong was not much of an offensive threat. He never rushed the puck and his odd goal would usually come from a blast at the point.

After 9 solid seasons in a Bruin uniform, Bob was released to the Montreal organization to coach one of their minor league teams in Hull-Ottawa of the Eastern Professional Hockey League. It was in Hull-Ottawa that Bob had a run-in with Don Cherry that merits mention in Don's book, Grapes. What Don failed to mention is that Don broke his stick over Bob's head, giving Bob a concussion.

While Bob was playing for the Bruins, he continued his schooling, eventually earning a degree from the University of Western Ontario. After being traded from the Montreal organization to Toronto, a teaching opportunity opened up at Lakefield College in Peterborough, Ontario and Bob began his second career. Along with teaching history and economics, Bob coached the hockey team.

Bob's son, Ian, played at the school, and later with the Peterborough Petes of the OHA, and in 1983 Ian was drafted by the Bruins, 142nd overall.

Bob passed away in the summer of 1995.

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Bert McInenly

This is Bertram Harold McInenly. He played a full season with each of the Detroit Falcons, New York Americans, Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins in the early 1930s. He spent most of the decade playing in what is now known as the AHL.

Born in Quebec he grew up in Ottawa where he became a notable amateur hockey star. He also excelled at baseball, football, basketball, lacrosse and paddling.

McInenly settled on professional hockey and baseball. He was a home run hitter in a pro league in western Canada while wintering in Detroit, starring on the blue line of the Detroit Olympics of the CPHL. He decided to give up baseball around the same time the Detroit Falcons arrived in the NHL. They were quick to sign up the "local" star.

McInenly also proved to be excellent at multiple spots on the ice. He usually played on defense, but was also used at both center and left wing. When he joined the New York Americans he move up front and scored 12 goals and 18 points in his most productive NHL season.

He returned home to Ottawa in 1932, to great fanfare. Returning to the blue line was a big reason for a quiet season. Early the following season he was moved to Boston, though he mostly played with the minor league Cubs rather than the NHL Bruins. McInenly would get into 43 NHL games with the Bruins over the next three seasons.

All told Bert McInenly played in 166 NHL games. He scored 19 goals, 15 assists and 34 points.

Bert McInenly died in 1993. He was 87 years old.

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Jack Portland

This neat cartoon tells us a lot about what we need to know about Jack Portland, NHL defenseman from 1933 through 1943. He was best known for playing with the Boston Bruins, along side defensive linemate Eddie Shore. He also had two stints with the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks. All told he played 381 NHL games (and 33 more in the playoffs), scoring 15 goals and 71 points (1 goal and 4 points in the playoffs).

As the cartoon states, jumping to professional hockey must have been quite the adjustment for Portland. The native of Collingwood, Ontario apparently never played any serious level of organized hockey prior to turning pro! The only statistical reference for Portland playing prior to joining the Montreal Canadiens in 1933 was a season with the Collingwood Combines in an Ontario senior league!

Perhaps Portland was too busy pursuing other athletic pursuits such as track and field. He participated in the high jump and triple jump events at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was the national high jump champion in 1930, 1931 and 1932 and finished in 7th place in the LA Games. Not bad considering he was completely self taught.

From there he went on to the NHL, but only after eschewing opportunities to play pro football both in Canada and the United States. He was also a notable baseball player. The Montreal Canadiens signed Portland at the recommendation of former NHL player turned scout Bert Corbeau.

In the NHL Portland was always overshadowed by flashier stars such as Shore. He was a rugged, capable defender, burly and heavy at well over 200lbs. He was far from the fastest or most agile skater. In fact when he broke into the league he looked so awkward that he heard the cat calls from Montreal fans. That led to his departure from Montreal. He really found his game in Boston where he helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 1939.

World War II ended his career prematurely. He left to serve in the Canadian military in 1943. Unlike a lot NHL players who served in World War II, it appears Portland did not play with military teams during his service time. There is no statistical evidence to suggest he did play.

He attempted to return to the ice in 1946, but was cut by the Montreal Canadiens. Interestingly, though he was not bitter about being cut, he never set foot in the Montreal Forum again until 1990 when he attended a game between Montreal and Boston.

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Red Beattie

This is John "Red" Beattie. He played 335 NHL games in the 1930s, mostly with the Boston Bruins but also with the Detroit Red Wings and New York Americans. He scored 62 goals, 85 assists and 147 points.

Beattie was a notable scorer in his pre-NHL days, including with the Vancouver Lions of the PCHL at the close of the 1920s. He was so well thought of the Bruins and New York Rangers fought over his NHL rights. The Rangers were actually awarded Beattie, but the Bruins boss Art Ross paid the handsome price of $25,000 (remember this was during the Great Depression) for Beattie and Joe Jerwa.

Ross may have been happy to get his man, but he could not have been too happy when Beattie suffered a broken leg in what promised to be his first full NHL season. He only played in one game in 1931-32.

Beattie recovered and became a very serviceable defensive winger, noted for blanketing such stars as Charlie Conacher and Bill Cook. He put up decent numbers himself, but was never nearly as celebrated as many of his teammates like Bill Cowley or Dit Clapper or Eddie Shore.

Beattie is the answer to a pretty unique NHL trivia question. On March 25th, 1937 he was called for the first ever NHL playoff penalty shot when he fell on the puck in front of his own goal. Boston goalie Tiny Thompson stopped Montreal Maroons' Lionel Conacher much to the relief of Beattie, I'm sure.

Born in Ibstock, England in 1907, Beattie passed away in 1990.

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Jim "Peggy" O'Neill

This is James (Jim) Beaton "Peggy" O'Neill. The native of Semans, Saskatchewan played 156 NHL games in the 1930s, mostly with the Boston Bruins but also with the Montreal Canadiens. He later coached the Fenn College Foxes hockey team.

Of course the only question people ever ask about this long forgotten player nowadays is, "How did he get the nickname Peggy?"

I do not know the answer in full certainty, but it appears that "Peggy O'Neill" was a very popular song in the 1920s, especially in New England. Perhaps the name stuck from there.

O'Neill the hockey player (also listed as O'Neil by some sources) did not score very often. In those 156 games he had just 6 goals plus 30 assists. And he was a forward, not a defenseman!

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