Phil Watson: A Star During the Dark Ages of Hockey Cards

Phil Watson had a great National Hockey League playing career. Unfortunately, for popularity’s sake, Watson played in a ‘local’ era between 1935-36 and 1947-48 when there was little national media for hockey and an almost complete absense of hockey cards. It didn’t help that he played for the Rangers, a team that played second fiddle to the circus. Watson is perhaps better known as a NHL head coach that never won a playoff series.

Phil Watson – Player

Watson played 590 regular season games between 1935-36 and 1947-48 at a time when the NHL schedule ranged from just 48 to 50 games. Phil scored 144 goals and assisted on 265 for a respectable 409 points. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, he played 54 more games and added 35 points. With exception to the 1943-44 season which Watson spent with the Montreal Canadiens, Phil’s NHL career was in a New York Rangers jersey.

Phil’s playing career can really be highlighted by three seasons, 1939-40, 1941-42 and 1943-44.

1939-40 – New York Rangers

Watson played in all 48 games for the Rangers, scoring seven goals and assisting on 28 for 35 points. His assist total placed him second in the league, two assists behind Milt Schmidt of the Boston Bruins.

The Frank Boucher coached Rangers finished second in the seven team league, just three points behind first place Boston. New York reached the Stanley Cup finals and won the championship with a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Three of the six games were decided in overtime. It was the third of New York’s four Stanley Cup victories to date and the last until 1993-94.

1941-42 – New York Rangers

This was a year of individual achievement for Watson. The Rangers finished first overall in the seven team NHL (the last year of the Brooklyn Americans as the league entered the Original 6 Era the following year), but tanked in the opening round of the playoffs, losing in six to the Maple Leafs.

Phil once again played all 48 games for New York, scoring 15 goals and assisting on 37 for 52 points. He led the league in the assists department. The Art Ross Trophy was still six years from being born but Watson made a run at the scoring title. His 52 points placed him fourth in the NHL behind teammate Bryan Hextall with 56, teammate Lynn Patrick with 54 and Don Grosso of the Detroit Red Wings with 53.

1943-44 – Montreal Canadiens

Watson was picked up by the Canadiens for just the 1943-44 season. It just happened to be one of the greatest teams of all-time. Dick Irvin coached Monteal lost just five of 50 regular season games and easily finished first overall.

With the help of players like Elmer Lach, Toe Blake, Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard and goaltender Bill Durnan, Montreal won eight straight games to capture the Stanley Cup championship. Montreal lost their first game of the opening round to the Toronto Maple Leafs the won the next four, including an 11-0 drubbing in game five, before sweeping the Chicago Black Hawks in the finals.

Phil took on a bit of a different role with the Habs that year. He placed sixth in the NHL with 61 penalty minutes over 44 games. He was the third of four Montreal players in the top ten for PIM.

Phil Watson – Coach

Between 1955-56 and 1972-73, the pro hockey teams that Phil coached in the NHL, AHL, EHL and WHA won just one playoff series. The 1964-65 Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League took out the Pittsburgh Hornets in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs before falling to the Hershey Bears in the second round.

Watson coached the team to the third overall position during the regular season. Art Stratton led the league in assists and points while Len Lunde was the only 50 goal scorer in the AHL that year.

Phil was head coach of the New York Rangers from 1955-56 until being replaced early in the 1959-60 season. He then coached the Boston Bruins for the 1961-62 season and a handful of games in 1962-63 before being replaced. His Rangers teams made the Stanley Cup playoffs in the first three years but did not get past the opening round. As we all know, the Bruins of the early 1960’s were brutal and there was nothing that Watson could do to bring winning ways to Beantown.

Watson coached in the World Hockey Association during the rebel league’s inaugural 1972-73 season. John McKenzie acted as player/head coach of the Philadelphia Blazers for the first 13 games but the job proved too much and the team was 2-11 out of the gate. Watson took over behind the bench so Pie could concentrate on being a player. The team turned around and won 36 while losing 29 with Phil at the reigns. The Blazers reached the WHA post season but were swept in the opening round by the Cleveland Crusaders. The Blazers moved to Vancouver and Watson was done with coaching.

Phil was part of Canadian junior hockey history in 1969-70. He was head coach of the Sorel Eperviers (Black Hawks) in the QMJHL’s inaugural season. The Eperviers won their first round in the playoffs, defeating the Shawinigan Bruins in five games. Sorel then fell to the Quebec Remparts in five in the second round.

Phil Watson – Hockey Cards

The Phil Watson rookie card appears as number 80 in the 1936-37 Worldwide Gum V356 set. He also appears on hockey card number 83 in the 1939-40 O-Pee-Chee set. He then next appears in the 1961-62 Topps set as head coach of the Boston Bruins.

 

 

 

Season	Team	Lge	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1935-36	New York Rangers	NHL	24	0	2	2	24
1936-37	New York Rangers	NHL	48	11	17	28	22
1937-38	New York Rangers	NHL	48	7	25	32	52
1938-39	New York Rangers	NHL	48	15	22	37	42
1939-40	New York Rangers	NHL	48	7	28	35	52
1940-41	New York Rangers	NHL	40	11	25	36	49
1941-42	New York Rangers	NHL	48	15	37	52	58
1942-43	New York Rangers	NHL	46	14	28	42	44
1943-44	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	44	17	32	49	61
1944-45	New York Rangers	NHL	45	11	8	19	24
1945-46	New York Rangers	NHL	49	12	14	26	43
1946-47	New York Rangers	NHL	48	6	12	18	17
1947-48	New York Rangers	NHL	54	18	15	33	54
	NHL Totals		590	144	265	409	542