Position Centre Playing career Weight 66 kg Career end 1951 | Shot Left Height 1.7 m Career start 1941 | |
Born June 21, 1916
Montreal, Quebec, Canada ( 1916-06-21 ) Played for Montreal Canadiens
New York Rangers Died 24 August 1977, Québec, Canada Awards Hart Memorial Trophy, Lady Byng Memorial Trophy | ||
Herbert William "Buddy" O'Connor (June 21, 1916 – August 24, 1977) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League.
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Playing career
O'Connor played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1941 to 1947 and won two Stanley Cups during his career in 1944 and 1946 while playing for the Canadiens.
In 1947, O'Connor was traded to the New York Rangers. He had 60 points that season, finishing second to Montreal's Elmer Lach in the scoring race. He was also awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy and was the first player to win both in the same year. These achievements were reflected in his being named Canada's athlete of the year for 1948.
O'Connor played for the Rangers until 1951. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, becoming the first inductee into the now defunct Veteran category.
In 2009, O'Connor was ranked No. 38 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & Sons).
Personal
In the mid-1950s, Danny Gallivan was known to assist with the Department of Education's Physical Fitness Division's annual hockey school in PEI, along with NHL chief referee Roy Storey and NHL star Buddy O'Connor.