09/02/2026
Did you know? The Birthplace of Hockey Museum contains a book with the last known autograph of Montreal Canadiens star Howie Morenz. His signature on the inside cover reading “Best of luck to you Bob, sincerely, Howie Morenz,” was penned to local radio broadcaster Bob Huggins the day before Morenz died in March 1937.
Howard ‘Howie’ Morenz was born on September 21st, 1902 in Mitchell. His two older brothers were ice hockey fanatics, but their mother enrolled young Howie in piano lessons instead, preferring him to take up a different kind of hobby. After leaving the house for lessons, however, Morenz would stop at the Thames River to play hockey instead of continuing on to practice. He wore a pair of oversized hand-me-down skates that he kept at a friend’s house, and stuffed with newspaper to fit him better. His mother eventually found out, but did not force the issue.
Morenz had a small, stocky build that his brothers insisted be used for goaltending. In his first organized hockey game for the Mitchell junior team, he conceded 21 goals. By the 1916-17 Junior season he made the much-needed move to a forward position, where he immediately made an impact with his raw speed, helping the team to the Western Ontario Junior Championship. In May of that year, the Morenz family moved to Stratford where Howie went from the ‘Mitchell Meteor’ to the ‘Stratford Streak.’ In 1920-21, Morenz’s team won the Ontario Hockey Association Junior title, with him leading in assists and points in the regular season, and goals, assists, and points during the playoffs. Although they lost in Memorial Cup play, his performance, including a hat trick in game two of the series, led to an invitation to play for a senior Stratford team the following season.
In 1921-22 Morenz was playing for both junior and senior Stratford teams, leading each respective league in goals, assists, and points during the playoffs. The following year, he both narrowed his focus to the senior team, and was noticed by Montreal Canadiens owner Léo Dandurand, who began attempting to sign Morenz in January 1923. Morenz did not jump at the opportunity. For one, he did not believe he was as big, fast, or skilled as the NHL players he had previously seen play. He was seemingly content to remain in Stratford with his family, stay on at his stable job with Canadian National Railways, and keep hockey as his side hustle. Morenz and his father rejected many offers from the Habs, until he was offered $2500 to play for them in the 1923-24 season. His answer was initially the same as it always had been, until a $1000 signing bonus was thrown in. In July 1923, after receiving an offer he couldn’t refuse, Howie Morenz became a Montreal Canadien. He immediately second guessed his decision, however. By August, Morenz had mailed his contract back to Léo Dandurand with an apology and the explanation that he wasn’t ready to leave Stratford. Shocked, Dandurand asked Morenz to come to Montreal and talk in person.
In Montreal, Howie wept as he attempted to explain himself to Dandurand. The general manager was unsympathetic, and told Morenz that if he did not sign to the Canadiens right then, he would never have a career in professional hockey. Sufficiently threatened, Morenz relented, and made his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens on December 26th at the end of that year, during which game he scored his first goal.
In his rookie season, Morenz became the first-line centre of the Habs. He finished 1923-24 with 13 goals and 3 assists in 24 games, while the team finished first in the league for the first time in five years. They became NHL champions that year after beating Ottawa in a two-game total-goals series, with Morenz scoring in both games. In Stanley Cup play, the Montreal Canadiens won their series against the Vancouver Maroons before facing the Calgary Tigers for the final. Morenz scored a hat trick in the first game, and another goal in the second, contributing greatly to his team’s Stanley Cup win in only his rookie season. Check back next week for part two!
