Jack Stewart was a Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman that was a three time First Team All-Star in the National Hockey League and a veteran of six Stanley Cup finals. Yet, because of timing and the great hockey card famine of the 1940’s, there is but one hockey card of Blackjack Stewart and it came out in his final season in the NHL.
Jack Stewart – Pre-NHL
From Manitoba, Stewart played two years of junior hockey for the Portage Terriers in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, 1935-36 and 1936-37. His time in the minor pros was short-lived for a defenseman, playing for the Pittsburgh Hornets of the AHL for all of 1937-38 and the beginning of 1938-39 before moving up to the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL.
World War II caused a hiccup in Stewart’s NHL career. He did not play in the league for the 1943-44 and 1944-45 seasons, although he did not go overseas. In 1943-44, he played some hockey with the RCAF team in Montreal. The following year, he did the same with the RCAF team in Winnipeg.
Jack Stewart – NHL
Between 1938-39 and 1951-52, Stewart played 565 regular season games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicacgo Blackhawks. Over that time, he scored 31 and assisted on 84 for 115 points. Jack also played an astounding 80 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs, adding 19 points.
He spent his time in the box, as most defensemen do. In 1941-42, Stewart tied for third in the NHL with 93 penalty minutes. In 1945-46, the league was kinder and gentler with Jack leading the NHL with just 73 PIM.
Six times over his career, Jack played in the Stanley Cup finals. If you take away the two years he served in the Air Force, those six finals came over a seven year span.
In 1940-41, the Red Wings were swept in the finals by the Boston Bruins. The follow year, Detroit finished just fifth in the seven team league with only 42 points over 48 games. Yet, the Red Wings reached the finals and lasted the full seven games before losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Stewart got his first of two Stanley Cup rings in 1942-43. It was the first year of the ‘Original 6’ era with the Brooklyn Americans dropping out of the NHL after the 1941-42 season. Detroit finished first overall during the regular season and swept the Boston Bruins in the finals for the championship.
1947-48 brought another run of three consecutive years in the finals. That year, Detroit finished second behind the Toronto Maple Leafs with both teams far ahead of the pack. The teams then met in the finals with Toronto sweeping the series in four games.
The following year, Detroit sat atop the league and Toronto had fallen to fourth place, 18 points behind. Yet, the two teams met again in the Stanley Cup finals and the result was the same. The Maple Leafs again swept the Red Wings in four.
1949-50 brought Jack Stewart his second and last Stanley Cup championship. Detroit finished first overall again, eleven points ahead of second place Montreal. In the finals, the Red Wings met up with the New York Rangers, a team that finished fourth during the regular season, 21 points behind Detroit. It took seven games but the Red Wings came out victorious. That year, Detroit played the maximum 14 games in the playoffs.
In July, 1949, Stewart’s days with Detroit ended when he was part of nine player blockbuster deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Going to Chicago, along with Jack, were Pete Babando, Al Dewsbury, Harry Lumley and Don Morrison. Going to Detroit were Bob Goldham, Jim Henry, Metro Prystai and Gaye Stewart.
Jack served as team captain for the Blackhawks in 1950-51 and 1951-52, his final two years in the National Hockey League. However, Stewart played sparingly, appearing in just 26 games the first year and 37 games in 1951-52.
In 1964, Jack Stewart was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. At his side were Doug Bentley, Bill Durnan and Babe Siebert. Stewart passed away in 1983 at the age of 66.
Jack Stewart – Coaching
After leaving the NHL, Stewart spent the following two years as player/head coach with the Chatham Maroons of the OHA Senior A league. His limited pro coaching career would not come along for nearly a decade.
In 1961-62, Jack was head coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds of the EPHL. The team finished sixth in the six team league and did not reach the post season. However, two Hockey Hall of Famers kicked off their pro career with that team. Phil Esposito played his first six games of pro hockey under Stewart and Gerry Cheevers appeared in 29 games in his first year of pro hockey.
In 1962-63, Stewart took the helm of the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League, where his pro career started over two decades before. However, he was replaced midseason by Baz Bastien. The Hornets finished last in the nine team AHL, 13 points behind the eighth place Rochester Americans.
Jack Stewart – Rookie Card
The Jack Stewart rookie card appears as number 53 in the 1951-52 Parkhurst set. It was his final year in the NHL and the card is rated as a semi-star by Beckett. Stewart is shown as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.
However, Stewart does appear in a multi-sport set in 1951 called Hit Parade of Champions. This is a 72 card set issued by Berk Ross Company and Stewart is one of four hockey players featured. Check out this article from Puck Junk for more info: Hit Parade of Champions.
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1937-38 | Pittsburgh Hornets | IAHL | 48 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| 1938-39 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 32 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 |
| 1938-39 | Pittsburgh Hornets | IAHL | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 1939-40 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 40 |
| 1940-41 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 47 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 56 |
| 1941-42 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 44 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 93 |
| 1942-43 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 44 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 68 |
| 1945-46 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 47 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 73 |
| 1946-47 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 55 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 83 |
| 1947-48 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 60 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 91 |
| 1948-49 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 60 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 96 |
| 1949-50 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 65 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 86 |
| 1950-51 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 26 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 49 |
| 1951-52 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 37 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| NHL Totals | 565 | 31 | 84 | 115 | 765 |