Lionel Hitchman
Encyclopedia
Frederick Lionel Hitchman (November 3, 1901 in Toronto
, Ontario
– December 19, 1968 in Glens Falls, New York
) was a Canadian professional
ice hockey
defenceman who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League
for the Ottawa Senators
and Boston Bruins
.
with the Ottawa New Edinburghs while serving in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
, Hitchman was signed by the Senators in 1922. He played three seasons for the Senators, and was on a Stanley Cup
winner when the Senators defeated the Edmonton Eskimos in 1923, becoming notable for his hardrock defence style.
Midseason in 1925, Hitchman's rights were purchased by the first-year Boston Bruins. He was named the team's first captain in 1927, anchoring the team's defence. He played ten years in all with Boston, much of it as Eddie Shore
's defence partner, and was on a second Stanley Cup
winner in 1929 with the Bruins.
Hitchman's player number 3 with the Bruins was retired in 1934; it was the first number retired by that team and just the second ever retired in the NHL.
He died in Glens Falls, New York
on December 19, 1968.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
– December 19, 1968 in Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
) was a Canadian professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenceman who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
for the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
and Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
.
Playing career
After playing two seasons of senior league hockey in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
with the Ottawa New Edinburghs while serving in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, Hitchman was signed by the Senators in 1922. He played three seasons for the Senators, and was on a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
winner when the Senators defeated the Edmonton Eskimos in 1923, becoming notable for his hardrock defence style.
Midseason in 1925, Hitchman's rights were purchased by the first-year Boston Bruins. He was named the team's first captain in 1927, anchoring the team's defence. He played ten years in all with Boston, much of it as Eddie Shore
Eddie Shore
Edward William Shore was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, principally for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, and the longtime owner of the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League, iconic for his toughness and defensive skill.Shore won the Hart Trophy as the...
's defence partner, and was on a second Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
winner in 1929 with the Bruins.
Retirement
Hitchman retired with 27 goals and 33 assists in 414 career NHL games. He also recorded 523 penalty minutes, the NHL career record at the time.Hitchman's player number 3 with the Bruins was retired in 1934; it was the first number retired by that team and just the second ever retired in the NHL.
He died in Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
on December 19, 1968.