Joliat, Aurel
Hockey
b. Aug. 29, 1901, Ottawa, ONT
d. June 2, 1986
Although he weighed only 135 pounds, Joliat was a football star with the Ottawa Rough Riders until a broken leg ended his career, and he then went into professional hockey. He played for the Saskatoon Sheiks in the Pacific Hockey League until 1922, when the Montreal Canadiens acquired him in a trade for Newsy Lalonde.
Known as the "Mighty Atom," Joliat was a clever stick-handler and passer who teamed with the speedy Howie Morenz to form a powerful one-two scoring punch. He was among the NHL's top ten scorers eight times and he won the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player in 1934.
Morenz, who was a close friend as well as a linemate, died in 1937 and that loss seemed to take the spark out of Joliat (although age might have a lot to do with it, too). He retired after a below-par performance during the 1937-38 season.