Old-Timer Hockey Nicknames Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Pembroke Peach

Frank Nighbor became a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947. He was considered one of the original masters of the poke check. He was a sportsman like player for the Ottawa Senators and received the very first Lady Byng trophy after the 1924-25 season for being the most gentlemanly player during that season.

Answer: Busher

Harvey "Busher" Jackson was a member of the infamous "Kid Line" for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1930s. He retired following the 1944 season after his output with the Boston Bruins dwindled. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971, but not without controversy. "Busher" Jackson had a reputation for being a big spender and a heavy alcoholic, and prematurely passed away in 1966 due to the effects of his habits.

Many Hall of Fame committee members such as Clarence Campbell felt that Jackson did not belong in the Hall of Fame.

They felt that better candidates that did not waste their lives away following their hockey careers should have been inducted instead.

Answer: Ace

Ace Bailey is one of hockey's greatest legends. The NHL's first all-star game was played in honour of him in 1934 as the result of one of the most tragic incidences in sports history. On December 12, 1933, Eddie Shore of the Boston Bruins hit Ace Bailey blindly in retaliation to a body check thrown by Red Horner of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ace Bailey was flipped into the air and hit his head on the ice.

The final result was a massive brain hemmorrage. It took several head surgeries in order for Bailey to fully recover. On February 14, 1934, the first official NHL all star game was played to raise money for Ace Bailey and his family.

Answer: Phantom Joe

"Phantom Joe" Malone is seen by many NHL historians as one of the most prolific goalscorers in the history of hockey. In a fascinating display of events during the 1919-20 NHL season, Malone decided to play one last season in his hometown of Quebec City. During the final game of the regular season, Joe Malone achieved an amazing feat that many great players, including Wayne Gretzky, could not break.

In a game against Toronto, Joe Malone scored seven goals.

Answer: Dit

Aubrey Clapper obtained the nickname "Dit" at a young age as the result of mispronouncing his middle name. He would often say "Dit" instead of "Vic", and as a result, this nickname followed him for the remainder of his life. In 833 games played from 1927-1947, all with the Boston Bruins, he scored a total of 474 points.

His #5 jersey was retired on the day of his retirement by the Boston Bruins to honour his services with the team.

Answer: The Chicoutimi Cucumber

Georges Vezina was one of the best goaltenders during his era. He was a dedicated member of the Montreal Canadians organization, playing his entire career with the team. His career was sadly cut short during the season opener of the 1925-26 season as he was diagnosed with Tuburculosis. On March 26, 1926, Vezina succumbed to this horrible disease.

In his honour, the Vezina Trophy was named after him to represent the NHL's top goaltender during the regular season.

Answer: The Shawville Express

Finnigan was born in Shawville, Quebec, and fittingly enough, he was nicknamed the "Shawville Express". He was the final surviving member of the original Ottawa Senators Stanley Cup winning team in 1926-27. When a movement was passed to bring the Senators back to Ottawa in the 1990s, Finnigan was recruited to help this movement succeed. Finnigan passed away in 1991, just prior to the Senators' first game played since the 1930s. During the Senators home opener, his #8 jersey was honoured by fans and lifted to the rafters in tribute to his dedication to the team.

Answer: Punch

"Punch" Broadbent was a talented and tough hockey player for the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Maroons, and New York Americans. He was known for using his elbows to hit people as a means to slow them down. Broadbent was not a player that let the fans down.

In 1925, many fans and sportswriters suggested that he was past his prime. On January 7, 1925, however, he proved the disbelievers wrong. In a game versus the Hamilton Tigers, Broadbent scored an amazing five goals in a 6-2 victory.

Answer: The Embalmer

Alf Pike played out his entire major league career with the New York Rangers organization. He was a tough hockey player that once yelled at his coach Frank Boucher for not being more stern with general manager Lester Patrick. It is said that Alf Pike wanted additional money to his contract before playing for the New York Rangers during the 1939-40 season. Frank Boucher knew that Lester Patrick would not fork out the extra money and then suggested that he himself would help pay for the additional money.

When Alf Pike found out that Boucher was going to pay the money, he yelled at him and called him "soft".

Answer: Baldy

Harold Cotton was one of those rare NHL players that began his career with a team that became defunct within four years. He played four years with the Pittsburgh Pirates before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs and then the New York Americans. After twelve seasons, Cotton called it quits, but continued his career in the hockey profession as a radio hockey expert on the Hot Stove League.

The Hot Stove League was a group of hockey experts (similar to those on Hockey Night in Canada's Satellite Hotstove) that offered their insights on hockey during Foster Hewitt's late night broadcasts.