Home > Hockey > Hockey Hall of Famers > William H. (Hod) Stuart

William H. (Hod) Stuart

NHL, the National Hockey League is a premier professional North American Sports League played in indoor stadiums. It’s divided into two conferences, each comprising of three divisions of ice hockey teams.

William H. (Hod) Stuart was born in 1879, in Ottawa, Ontario and died on June 23, in 1907. He Played 9 pre-NHL seasons from 1898 to 1907. Hod Stuart was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945. William Stuart learned to play hockey on the fertile sporting grounds that were the Ottawa Valley. He enjoyed playing rugby in the autumn but later rose to prominence as one of the greatest defencemen to play the game in hockey's early day. He was as complete a player as there was back in the days of the onside game. He could skate, shoot, and make the big play from his point position.

Stuart's senior hockey career began far from the Valley, with the Rat Portage Thistles in 1895 to 1996. But by 1898 he was back home in Ottawa as a member of the Silver Seven in the CAHL, Central Alberta Hockey League. He and his brother, Bruce, hooked up with the Quebec Bulldogs in 1900, and while Bruce returned to Ottawa for the following season, Hod stayed in Quebec and registered five goals in eight games with the Ancient City squad.

Stuart was a clean player who played for keeps. His punishing checks and long reach frustrated his opponents as much as his offensive rushes dazzled the fans. He was a crusader for respectable salaries and decent playing conditions, but after a particularly bloody and mean-spirited game between Pittsburgh and the Michigan so in 1906, a disgusted Stuart accepted a standing offer from the Montreal Wanderers of the ECAHA, Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association to finish the season back east. He was one of only four professionals to play for the Wanderers that season.

Stuart was with the Wanderers in March 1907 when they defeated the Kenora Thistles for the Stanley Cup. Tragically, it would be Stuart's only Cup championship. He had the ability of defeating the opponent easily by giving some extra hard work and efforts.

Back to Hockey Hall of Famers