Bronco Horvath did something not many did in the Original Six era of the National Hockey League. Horvath played for five of the six teams. However, his experience with the Montreal Canadiens lasted just one game and his time in Toronto wasn’t much longer at ten games.
It is shoved under the rug, the fact that Bronco once tied Bobby Hull for the goal scoring lead in the NHL. That same year, he was one point away from sharing the Art Ross Trophy.
NHL Career
Minor Pro Career
Hockey Card Collection
Coaching Career
Rookie Card
Career Stats
Bronco Horvath – NHL Career
Between 1955-56 and 1967-68, Bronco Horvath played an at times sporadic NHL career. Bronco appeared in 431 regular season NHL games, scoring 141 and assisting on 185 for 326 points. He played 36 more in the playoffs, adding 21 points. Horvath played for the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota North Stars. His time with Minnesota was short, as well. Bronco played 14 games for the North Stars in their inaugural 1967-68 season.
In 1957-58, Bronco played his first year with the Boston Bruins and made a great impression. Over 67 regular season games, he scored 30 goals and assisted on 36 for 66 points. He tied for fifth with Andy Bathgate of the Rangers in the goals department. He also placed eighth for assists and fifth in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.
1959-60 was the pinnacle of Horvath’s NHL career. Over 68 games with the Bruins, he scored 39 goals and assisted on 41 for 80 points. He tied Bobby Hull for the goal scoring lead. For assists, Bronco tied for seventh with Bernie Geoffrion of the Canadiens. When it came to the race for the Art Ross Trophy, Horvath was just one point behind leader Bobby Hull. Hull appeared in the full 70 game regular season schedule for Chicago while Bronco missed two games for the Bruins. Oh, what could have been!
Horvath was never a Stanley Cup champion but did play in the finals twice. In 1957-58, Boston came up against the mighty Canadiens dynasty team and fell in six games. In 1961-62, Bronco was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks as the team fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six in their attempt at two consecutive championships.
Bronco Horvath – Minor Pro
Bronco Horvath played two years of junior hockey in the OHA, 1948-49 with the Galt Black Hawks and 1949-50 with the Galt Red Wings. His first minor pro hockey action came at the end of that 1949-50 season when he joined the Grand Rapids Rockets of the EAHL. He played five regular season games with the Rockets, scoring six goals and totalling seven points over five games. He played an additional six games in the playoffs, adding eight points.
Bronco Horvath Collection
Not yet a member of the AHL Hall of Fame, Horvath has what it takes. He played 664 regular season games in the American Hockey League between 1950-51 and 1969-70. Over that time, he scored 263 goals and assisted on 484 for 747 points. He played 62 more games in the Calder Cup playoffs, appearing on three championship teams.
Bronco’s other minor pro hockey was played in the QHL, WHL and CPHL. In 1954-55, he played 67 games for the Edmonton Flyers of the WHL. His 50 goals led the league while his 60 assists placed him second behind Guyle Fielder of the New Westminster Royals. Horvath led the league with 110 points. Edmonton won the championship, sweeping the Calgary Stampeders in the finals. The Flyers roster was stacked with future stars like Johnny Bucyk, Norm Ullman, Al Arbour and Glenn Hall.
His first impact season in the AHL came in 1956-57. With the Rochester Americans, Horvath scored 37 and assisted on 44 for 81 points while playing just 56 of the team’s 64 regular season games. He placed sixth in the AHL for goals and assists and fifth for points. Rochester reached the Calder Cup finals before falling in five games to the Cleveland Barons.
With the bulk of his NHL action in the past, Horvath returned to the Amerks for the 1963-64 season. Over 70 games, he scored 25 and assisted on 59 for 84 points. He placed fourth for assists and was one point behind league leader and teammate Gerry Ehman.
Then came the four year magical era for the Americans from 1964-65 to 1967-68. The team was crowned Calder Cup champions in 1964-65, 1965-66 and 1967-68. The reached the finals in 1966-67 but fell to the Pittsburgh Hornets in Pittsburgh’s last year in the AHL.
In 1964-65, Bronco had his highest offensive totals in the AHL. He scored 38 and assisted on 68 for 106 points over 72 games. He tied with four others for goals. In the assists department, Horvath placed second with 18 less than Art Stratton of the Buffalo Bisons. For the overall scoring race, Bronco placed second, just three points behind Stratton.
Bronco Horvath ended his pro hockey career in 1969-70, playing just seven games for the Rochester Americans that year.
Bronco Horvath – Coaching Career
In 1971-72, Bronco Horvath took over from Bep Guidolin as head coach of the London Knights of the OHA. The team finished eighth in the ten team league and Bronco moved on at the end of the season. Bill Long took over as head coach of the Knights for the 1972-73 season and remained behind the bench for eight years before moving to the front office.
1972-73 brought bigger and better things in Horvath’s coaching career. He was head coach of the Cape Cod Cubs of the EHL in what would be the league’s final year of existence. The Cubs swept the Long Island Ducks in the first round but were then swept by the extremely powerful Syracuse Blazers in the semi-finals.
Horvath followed the Cubs into the NAHL for the 1973-74 season. The EHL had been replaced by two smaller leagues, the North American Hockey League and the Southern Hockey League. Bronco’s time in the NAHL was short and he was replaced midseason by Nick Polano.
Bronco Horvath – Rookie Card
The Bronco Horvath rookie card appears as number 7 in the 1957-58 Topps set and he is shown as a member of the Boston Bruins, his third NHL team. The 1957-58 hockey card was the first of just six to feature Horvath, all Topps and all between 1957-58 and 1962-63.
The Horvath rookie card is valued at 67% more than a common card. The 66 card 1957-58 Topps set is dominated by Gordie Howe, Glenn Hall, Norm Ullman, John Bucyk and Terry Sawchuk. The Hall, Ullman and Bucyk cards were all rookie cards.
Bronco Horvath Career Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1949-50 | Grand Rapids Rockets | EHL | 5 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 12 |
| 1950-51 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 43 | 12 | 26 | 38 | 37 |
| 1951-52 | Syracuse Warriors | AHL | 50 | 12 | 36 | 48 | 56 |
| 1952-53 | Syracuse Warriors | AHL | 52 | 19 | 40 | 59 | 44 |
| 1953-54 | Syracuse Warriors | AHL | 46 | 21 | 39 | 60 | 54 |
| 1953-54 | Springfield Indians | QHL | 19 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 25 |
| 1954-55 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | 67 | 50 | 60 | 110 | 71 |
| 1955-56 | New York Rangers | NHL | 66 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 40 |
| 1956-57 | New York Rangers | NHL | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1956-57 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1956-57 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 56 | 37 | 44 | 81 | 39 |
| 1957-58 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 67 | 30 | 36 | 66 | 71 |
| 1958-59 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 45 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 58 |
| 1959-60 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 68 | 39 | 41 | 80 | 60 |
| 1960-61 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 47 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 15 |
| 1961-62 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 68 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 21 |
| 1962-63 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 18 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 6 |
| 1962-63 | New York Rangers | NHL | 41 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 34 |
| 1962-63 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 1963-64 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 70 | 25 | 59 | 84 | 28 |
| 1964-65 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 72 | 38 | 68 | 106 | 24 |
| 1965-66 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 70 | 27 | 48 | 75 | 34 |
| 1966-67 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 72 | 29 | 49 | 78 | 54 |
| 1967-68 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 44 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 10 |
| 1967-68 | Tulsa Oilers | CPHL | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1967-68 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 14 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 |
| 1968-69 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 66 | 18 | 30 | 48 | 30 |
| 1969-70 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| NHL Totals | 434 | 141 | 185 | 326 | 319 |