Bert Corbeau

Bertram Orion "Pig Iron" Corbeau (February 9, 1894 – September 21, 1942) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Hamilton Tigers, Toronto St. Pats and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was a member of the Canadiens' first Stanley Cup championship team in 1916. His brother Con also played professional ice hockey.

Bert Corbeau
Born (1894-02-09)February 9, 1894
Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada
Died September 21, 1942(1942-09-21) (aged 48)
Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for NHL
Montreal Canadiens
Hamilton Tigers
Toronto St. Pats
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 19141927

Playing career

Corbeau played junior hockey for the Penetang Hockey Club from 1910 until 1912, when he moved up to the Penetang intermediate team. Corbeau signed as a professional with the Halifax Crescents in 1913, playing one season before signing with the Montreal Canadiens in 1914. Corbeau would be a member of the Canadiens until October 1922 when he was traded to the Hamilton Tigers for cash. In December 1923, he became a member of the Toronto St. Pats as part of a trade. He stayed with the Toronto franchise and was one of the original Toronto Maple Leafs before being waived in October 1927. He then played two seasons in the minor Canadian Professional Hockey League with Toronto Ravinia and the London Panthers before retiring as a player. From 1928 to 1929 he coached the Panthers and then for a decade was an NHL referee. Corbeau then returned to coaching with the Atlantic City Sea Gulls of the Eastern Hockey League from 1939 to 1942.

Corbeau finally left hockey and returned to Penetanguishene, where he lived and worked as a plant superintendent at the Midland Foundry and Machine Company (supporting Canada in World War II) until his death from a boating accident.

Corbeau was the first player to play for both the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs. In the 1926–27 season, he became the first player to record 100 minutes in penalties in one season. He was posthumously inducted into the Penetanguishene Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.

Awards and achievements

  • 1916 Stanley Cup Champion (Montreal)
  • 1940–1941 United States National Championships Finals
  • 1987 Inducted into the Penetanguishene Sports Hall of Fame

Death

Corbeau died as the result of a boating accident in Georgian Bay. During a party hosted by Corbeau aboard his boat, the boat struck a sand bar. Portholes on the sides of the boat were open and water entered the boat through them, sinking the boat within a matter of minutes. Of the 42 persons aboard, 25 died, including Corbeau.[1]

Hockey card

A collectible hockey card featuring Corbeau from the 1923–24 season is one of the rarest cards in existence. Only a handful were made by a company that featured them in a contest. Contestants who collected a complete set of 40 cards were awarded a pair of skates. The Corbeau card was "short printed" in order to limit the number of winners.[2]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1913–14 Halifax Crescents MPHL 2250531
1914–15 Montreal Canadiens NHA 1811235
1915–16 Montreal Canadiens NHA 23707134
1916–17 Montreal Canadiens NHA 18751287 22020
1917–18 Montreal Canadiens NHL 21881641 211211
1918–19 Montreal Canadiens NHL 1623551 511217
1919–20 Montreal Canadiens NHL 231161765
1920–21 Montreal Canadiens NHL 241121386
1921–22 Montreal Canadiens NHL 22371026
1922–23 Hamilton Tigers NHL 211041422
1923–24 Toronto St. Pats NHL 24861455
1924–25 Toronto St. Pats NHL 30461074 200010
1925–26 Toronto St. Pats NHL 365510121
1926–27 Toronto St. Pats/Maple Leafs NHL4112388
1927–28 Toronto Ravinas Can-Pro 41527112 200010
1928–29 London Panthers Can-Pro 90006
NHA totals 5915621256 22020
NHL totals 2586349112629 922438

Source: Hockey Hall of Fame[3]

References

  1. "Bert Corbeau was tough, but not for the waters of Georgian Bay". yatheabsrule.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  2. Boswell, Randy (October 7, 2013). "'Holy Grail' of hockey cards among ultra-rare collection up for auction". The Montreal Gazette. Postmedia News. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013.
  3. "Bert Corbeau Page". Hockey Hall of Fame. 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
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