Harvey, Douglas N.
Hockey
b. Dec. 19, 1924, Montreal, Quebec
The only criticism anyone could make of Doug Harvey was that he didn't shoot enough. He had a simple explanation: "I didn't have a bonus for goals, so why not set up the guys who needed them?"
A master at establishing the pace of a game, Harvey could lead a rush when his team needed to score or protect a lead by bringing the puck slowly up the ice and killing time by moving back and forth at the opposition's blue line.
In fourteen seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, he played for six Stanley Cup champions, won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's outstanding defenseman six times and was a ten-time all-star. And that wasn't his entire career: He played five more seasons with the New York Rangers, the Detroit Red Wings, and the St. Louis Blues, winning another Norris Trophy while with the Rangers.
Harvey joined the Canadiens in 1947. Because of his casual, phlegmatic style, he was never very popular with the Montreal fans, yet hockey experts recognize his value as a team player on a squad of individualistic stars such as Rocket Richard and Bernie Geoffrion.
When he became active in the new NHL Players Association in 1961, Harvey was sent to the Rangers as player-coach, but he quit coaching after one season to concentrate on playing. "When I was a coach," he explained, "I couldn't be one of the boys. This way, if I want a beer with them, I get a beer."
He left the Rangers in 1964 to play with the minor-league Quebec Aces, then went to the Detroit Red Wings in the 1966-67 season. After joining the St. Louis Blues for the 1968 playoffs, he spent one full season as a player and assistant coach with the Blues before retiring for good in 1969.
Harvey played in 1,113 regular season games, scoring 88 goals and 452 assists. He had 8 goals and 64 assists in 137 playoff games.