Sprague Cleghorn
| Sprague Cleghorn | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1958 | |||
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| Born |
March 11, 1890 Montreal, QC, CAN |
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| Died | July 12, 1956 (aged 66) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
NHA Renfrew Hockey Club Montreal Wanderers NHL Ottawa Senators Toronto St. Patricks Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins CAHL Newark Bulldogs |
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| Playing career | 1909–1929 | ||
Henry William Sprague "Peg" Cleghorn (March 11, 1890 – July 12, 1956) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player from Westmount, Quebec who played 17 professional seasons between 1911 and 1929 for the Renfrew Creamery Kings and Montreal Wanderers in the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a member of three Stanley Cup championship teams, winning with the Senators in 1920 and 1921 as well as with the Canadiens in 1924. His brother Odie was also a professional player and the two played several seasons together.
A tough and physical defenceman, Cleghorn had a reputation for violent play; he was twice charged with assault following on-ice incidents and was subject to efforts to have him banned from the NHL. His reputation made him an effective defender, and he used his offensive skill to become one of hockey's first offensive defencemen. At the time of his retirement, Cleghorn's 169 career goals were second most in professional hockey history by a defenceman, behind Cyclone Taylor's 181. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.
Cleghorn was born in the Westmount area of Montreal in 1890, a son of William John and Harriet Isabella (née Ogilvie) Cleghorn. Growing up in Montreal, he attended Westmount Academy and would play on junior and amateur teams until 1909. In the 1909–10 season, he played for the New York Wanderers of the United States Amateur Hockey Association and registered seven goals in eight games. Having been scouted by the Renfrew Creamery Kings in the National Hockey Association (NHA), he was signed to a contract, along with his brother Odie, to play with them for the 1910–11 NHA season. Sprague appeared in 12 games, scored five goals and registered 27 penalty minutes. During the season, he also made the conversion from the position of winger to defence, as his coach, Alf Smith, felt his presence was better in that position. Cleghorn still enjoyed rushing the puck forward and developed into an offensive defenceman. The Cleghorn brothers moved to the Montreal Wanderers in 1911–12, where both spent the next six seasons. With the Wanderers he established a reputation that he would later be most remembered for, that of a fierce competitor with an explosive temper. He was also an offensive leader for the Wanderers; Cleghorn frequently carried the puck the length of the ice surface to generate scoring chances: in a 1913 game he had a five goal game against the Toronto Ontarios, and during the 1914–15 season he led the NHA with 12 assists as part of a career year in which he also scored 21 goals. Cleghorn would often violently retaliate to opposing players he felt were taking liberties on his teammates, especially his brother Odie. One particular incident in 1912 saw him strike opposing player Newsy Lalonde in the back of his head after the latter had cross-checked Odie. This resulted in a fine and suspension from the league. He also faced a charge of aggravated assault for which he paid a $50 fine. In a January 1917 game against the Toronto Blueshirts, Cleghorn collided with Ken Randall, which subsequently led to a violent foot-first collision with the boards. He sustained a broken ankle that ended his season. While recovering from his injury later in 1917, Cleghorn suffered another fall while walking an icy street in Montreal and fractured his other ankle. The injuries forced him to miss the entire 1917–18 season, and cast doubts on his future in hockey.
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