Albert Kerr

Albert Daniel "Dubbie" Kerr (March 8, 1889 – September 17, 1941) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was a member of the 1909 and 1911 Ottawa Senators Stanley Cup-winning teams. Born in Brockville, Ontario, he started out as a professional with the Pittsburgh Lyceum and Pittsburgh Athletic Club in 1907 before returning to Canada with the Toronto Pros in 1908. He played with the Senators from 1909 until 1912. In 1913, he moved out west to play in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association until 1920 for the Victoria Aristocrats.

Albert Kerr
"The Brockville Cannonball"[1]
Albert Kerr in 1911.
Born (1889-03-08)March 8, 1889
Brockville, Ontario
Died September 17, 1941(1941-09-17) (aged 52)
Iroquois Falls, Ontario[2]
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Right
Played for Pittsburgh Lyceum (WPHL)
Pittsburgh Athletic Club (WPHL)
Toronto Pros (OPHL)
Ottawa Senators (ECHA, CHA, NHA)
Victoria Aristocrats (PCHA)
Spokane Canaries (PCHA)
Playing career 19071920

Playing career

Kerr started his career in his hometown of Brockville, Ontario, playing junior and intermediate amateur hockey for Brockville of the Ontario Hockey Association. He turned professional in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1907–08. Kerr started 1908–09 with Pittsburgh, but left after seven games to join the Toronto team of the Ontario Professional Hockey League. After three games in Toronto, Kerr jumped to the Ottawa Senators and became a star.

Kerr with the Victoria Aristocrats.

Ottawa was rebuilding after the "Silver Seven" years and was seeking a player on left wing. Executive Weldy Bate had read that Kerr had scored five goals in a game for Toronto. Bate sent coach Pete Green who confirmed Kerr's ability and an offer was made to Kerr, who then moved to Ottawa.[1] He played with future Hall of Famers Marty Walsh and Billy Gilmour. He also played alongside Bruce Ridpath and scored 20 goals in nine games as Ottawa won the Eastern Canada Hockey Association title and the Stanley Cup.

In 1910, Kerr suffered a serious skate cut to his right eye, at first losing his sight, necessitating an eye operation, limiting his play to five games. He would recover to play in the 1910–11 season. During the 1910–11 season, he along with Walsh and Ridpath, scored in twelve consecutive games, including five in one game and had 32 goals in 16 games to finish behind Walsh in NHA scoring. Kerr, Ridpath and Walsh had one, two and three goals respectively in a 7–4 Stanley Cup challenge win over Galt, Ontario.

Kerr retired after the 1911–12 season but Lester Patrick lured him to Victoria, British Columbia of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in 1913–14. He played three seasons with Victoria Aristocrats and moved with the club to Spokane for the 1916–17 season when the Victoria arena was taken over for wartime activities. Kerr served during World War I from 1917 to 1919, but returned to ice hockey to play another season with Victoria, retiring in 1920.

Personal life

At the time of his death in 1941, Kerr was an employee of the McNamara Construction Company (founded by hockey players George and Howard McNamara) in Iroquois Falls, Ontario.[3] He was laid to rest in Toronto, Ontario.[4]

Statistics

Albert Kerr with the Ottawa Senators on an Imperial Tobacco hockey card.
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1906–07Brockville HCOHA415015
1907–08Pittsburgh LyceumWPHL10000
Pittsburgh Athletic ClubWPHL17150150
1908–09Pittsburgh Athletic ClubWPHL7404
Toronto ProfessionalsOPHL36069
Ottawa SenatorsECHA920020
1909–10Ottawa SenatorsCHA13039
1910Ottawa SenatorsNHA4821031
Stanley Cup1000
1910–11Ottawa SenatorsNHA163303345
Stanley Cup2202
1911–12Ottawa SenatorsNHA182402435
1912–13
1913–14Victoria AristocratsPCHA1620113115
1914Victoria AristocratsStanley Cup31003
1914–15Victoria AristocratsPCHA171441815
1915–16Victoria AristocratsPCHA1816122846
1916–17Spokane CanariesPCHA2320113158
1917–18
1919Victoria AristocratsPCHA10000
1919–20Victoria AristocratsPCHA1681912
NHA totals 38 65 2 67 111
PCHA totals 91 78 39 117 146
Stanley Cup totals 6 3 0 3

Awards

  • 1907–08 WPHL 2nd All-Star team
  • 1908–09 ECHA 1st All-Star team
  • 1913–14 PCHA 1st All-Star team
  • 1916–17 PCHA 2nd All-Star team

References

  • Diamond, Dan; Duplacey, James (1998). Official Encyclopedia of the National Hockey League. Andrews McMeel ; Toronto : Distributed in Canada by Canadian Manda Group. p. 1782. ISBN 978-0-8362-7114-0.
Notes
  1. Koffman, Jack (September 19, 1941). "Along Sports Row". Ottawa Citizen. p. 14.
  2. Albert "Dubby" Kerr, former pro hockey star here, passes Ottawa Citizen, September 17, 1941
  3. Canadian Press (September 18, 1941). "Albert "Dubby" Kerr, Former Pro Hockey Star Here, Passes". Ottawa Citizen. p. 12.
  4. "Dubby Kerr is Buried: Funeral for Former Star of Silver Seven In Toronto". Montreal Gazette. September 20, 1941. p. 19.
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