One of the many that put their NHL careers on hold during World War II to serve for Canada. Harry Watson didn’t miss a beat when he returned to the league, carrying on with his Hockey Hall of Fame worthy career.
Watson was a member of five Stanley Cup championship teams, one with the Detroit Red Wings and four with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Harry missed a goal scoring title by two goals at the height of his career. The HHOF took nearly 40 years to finally recognize Watson’s achievements and induct him into the Hall.
Junior and Minor Pro
NHL Career
Hockey Card Collection
Coaching
Rookie Card
Career Stats
Harry Watson – Junior and Minor Pro
Harry Watson played his junior hockey in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for three years from 1938-39 to 1940-41. The SJHL team was known as the Junior Chiefs the first year, the Dodgers the second and the Quakers in the third.
With the 1939-40 Dodgers, Watson helped his team to the provincial finals before losing to the Regina Abbott-Generals. In 1940-41, the Quakers were SJHL champs, beating the Regina Ware’s Generals in the finals.
They then took the provincial championship with a win over the Prince Albert Blackhawks. In the Abbott Cup finals, to determine who would represent Western Canada in the Memorial Cup finals, Saskatoon lost to the Winnipeg Rangers in seven games.
In 1943-44 and 1944-45, Watson entered the military but continued to play hockey in Canada. Over the two years, he appeared with Montreal RCAF, Saskatoon Navy and Winnipeg RCAF.
His only other time outside the National Hockey League came at the end of his career when Harry took on the dual role of player / head coach with the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL. He appeared in 52 regular season games with the club.
The Bisons had a lineup that included Larry Wilson, Ken Wharram and Wally Hergesheimer. In net, nine different goaltenders saw action over the season. Among the nine were Harry Lumley, Denis DeJordy and Marv Edwards. Buffalo finished sixth in the six team American Hockey League and did not qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs.
Harry Watson – NHL
Between 1941-42 and 1956-57, Harry Watson played 809 regular season National Hockey League games. Over that time, he scored 236 and assisted on 207 for 443 points. His career started with the Brooklyn Americans, playing for the franchise in 1941-42, their last season of existence.
Harry Watson Collection
For 1942-43, Harry ended up with the Detroit Red Wings. He helped the team to a Stanley Cup championship before taking time out for the war. Detroit swept the Boston Bruins in the finals. Out of the five championships Watson participated in, his team won in a four game sweep three times.
After returning to the NHL for the start of the 1946-47 season, Watson was soon after traded from Detroit to the Toronto Maple Leafs on September 21, 1946, in exchange for Billy Taylor.
With Toronto, Harry was part of four championship teams, including three straight from his first season 1946-47 to 1948-49. It was sweet justice for Watson with Toronto sweeping the Red Wings in both the 1947-48 and 1948-49 finals. In 1947-48, Harry scoring the Stanley Cup clinching goal in game four.
His final championship came in 1950-51. The Maple Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens in the finals in five games. That series goes down in hockey history as the one decided in overtime by a Bill Barilko goal, his last before dying in a plane crash just months later.
Four times, Harry Watson was a 20+ goal scorer. In 1948-49, he led the Maple Leafs with 26 goals and 45 points. His goal total placed him in a four way tie for second in the NHL. The 26 goals were equaled by Jim Conacher, Roy Conacher and Ted Lindsay, all two behind leader Sid Abel of the Detroit Red Wings. He tied for seventh in points with Gus Bodnar of the Blackhawks and Billy Reay of the Canadiens.
In 1994, Watson was finally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Entering with him was Lionel Conacher, another player that waited a long time to be enshrined, in fact 40 years after his death.
Harry Watson passed away in 2002 at the age of 79.
Harry Watson – Coaching
As mentioned, Harry Watson took over the role of player/head coach with the Buffalo Bisons in 1957-58. The team finished last in the American Hockey League and did not qualify for the playoffs. It would be his only year coaching at the AHL level.
He remained with the Chicago Blackhawks organization for 1958-59, coaching their sponsored junior club, the St. Catherines Teepees. This team included Stan Mikita, Chico Maki, Pat Stapleton and Denis DeJordy.
The Teepees finished first in the seven team league under Watson’s guidance, with a 20 point cushion over the second place Peterborough TPT’s. St. Catherines was upset in the semi-finals by the St. Michael’s Majors. The Majors finished fourth in the regular season, 32 points behind the Teepees.
1962-63 was Watson’s last hurrah. He was the head coach of the Windsor Bulldogs in the OHA Senior A. The team, which starred Real Chevrefils, finished first overall in the six team league during the regular season.
In the playoffs, the Bulldogs were crowned champions, beating the Chatham Maroons in the finals. Windsor then won the Bolton Cup as Eastern Canada Allan Cup champs, beating out the Moncton Hawks. In the Allan Cup finals, Watson’s Bulldogs came out victorious against the Winnipeg Maroons.
Harry Watson – Rookie Card
The Harry Watson rookie card appears as number 70 in the 1951-52 Parkhurst NHL hockey card set. He is shown with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In fact, all his hockey cards are with the Maple Leafs, never shown with the Brooklyn Americans, Detroit Red Wings or Chicago Blackhawks.
Watson’s final card is included in the 1954-55 Parkhurst set. He started that season with eight games for the Maple Leafs before finishing up playing 43 games with the Blackhawks. Topps did not him include him in their inaugural NHL set that year.
Harry Watson Career Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1941-42 | Brooklyn Americans | NHL | 47 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 6 |
| 1942-43 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 50 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 10 |
| 1945-46 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 44 | 14 | 10 | 24 | 4 |
| 1946-47 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 44 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 10 |
| 1947-48 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 57 | 21 | 20 | 41 | 16 |
| 1948-49 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 60 | 26 | 19 | 45 | 0 |
| 1949-50 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 60 | 19 | 16 | 35 | 11 |
| 1950-51 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 68 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 18 |
| 1951-52 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 70 | 22 | 17 | 39 | 18 |
| 1952-53 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 63 | 16 | 8 | 24 | 8 |
| 1953-54 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 70 | 21 | 7 | 28 | 30 |
| 1954-55 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1954-55 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 43 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 4 |
| 1955-56 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 55 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 6 |
| 1956-57 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 70 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 9 |
| 1957-58 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 52 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 10 |
| NHL Totals | 809 | 236 | 207 | 443 | 150 |