Red Beattie
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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Jack “Red” Beattie stood 5th in all-time scoring by Bruin forwards when he was dealt away to Detroit in exchange for Gord Pettinger early in the 1937-38 season. He played 288 games as a Bruin and collected 137 points (58-79).
Red was born in England in 1907 but grew up in Edmonton. Beattie was playing great in his first season (1930-31) and collected 21 points in 32 games but he missed the entire 1931-32 season after breaking his leg in a baseball game.
He was known as a scrappy and speedy forward with a bullet shot who was called upon to shadow the opposition’s top lines and was a valuable man on the penalty kill. He led the team in scoring in 1935-36 with 32 points. His red hair made him stand out amongst the players and fans loved him. Red was severely stricken with the flu in the summer of 1937 and was hospitalized. Bruin fans are tough and when he tried to return and was slumping, due to his poor condition, the fans booed him right out of Boston, like Marty Barry, to Detroit. Red would only play 11 games for Detroit before being sent to the NY Americans. He played 36 games for the Amerks.
Injuries plagued his NHL career. In 1941-42 he was playing for the Vancouver Norvans in the Pacific Coast Intermediate Amateur Hockey League. He played for Victoria the following year and sadly nothing else is known of Red Beattie after this.
Red-headed hockey players always seemed to have that extra shot of ambition and eagerness and Beattie was no exception. He was an aggressive shadow to opposing star forwards. He was a great stick handler and playmaker and experts were pegging him to become a star hockey player.
“As the gong started to end the grueling contest Beattie jabbed Lewis in the mouth with the butt-end of his stick and a fight started. Johnny Sorrell went to Herb's rescue and between them were doing their best to punch Beattie clean through the ice.”
"Red" Beattie, said to have started the battle by jabbing Lewis in the face with the butt-end of his stick as the game ended, is another of England's contributions to professional hockey. "Red" was born in Cumberland. He moved to Canada while still a youngster, settling at Edmonton, Alberta.
Boston Pepper-Pot
Red Beattie – as fiery as his hair, the Bruins youthful left wing plays hard, aggressive hockey every minute he is on the ice.
Red-Heads Add Color to Big Time Hockey.
If a shock of red hair really denotes the pugnacity and aggressiveness always associated with this flaming color, the NHL should not lack for these qualities.
Boston Bruins have “Red” Beattie, a scrappy forward, who survived a broken leg sustained in baseball to come back to the major hockey league.
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