Horner, "Red" (George R.)
Hockey
b. May 29, 1909, Lynden, ONT
d. April 27, 2005
The first real bad boy of professional hockey, Horner once spent 17 minutes in the penalty box during the first period of a game. He led the NHL in penalty minutes eight seasons in a row, 1933-1940, and in 1935-36 he set a record with 167 penalty minutes in 43 games. The record was broken in 1956 by Lou Fontinato, who had 202 penalty minutes--but it took him 70 games.
Horner was a defensive mainstay of the Toronto Maple Leafs for twelve seasons, beginning in 1928. For much of that time, he was paired with King Clancy, an attacking defenseman, and Horner had to guard against opposition rushes when Clancy went deep into the offensive zone. He also had to protect the small but feisty Clancy and other Maple Leafs from aggressive opponent.
When Boston's Eddie Shore almost killed Ace Bailey with a vicious body check in 1933, Horner knocked Shore down and out with a single punch that sent him to the ice with his head in a widening pool of blood. While Bailey was rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery, Shore was in the Boston dressing room having eighteen stitches taken in his head.
Horner played with Toronto through the 1939-40 season. He had 42 goals, 110 assists, and 1254 penalty minutes in 490 regular season games, with 7 goals, 10 assists, and 166 penalty minutes in 71 playoff games.