Robert John "Golden Boy" Goldham (May 12, 1922 – September 6, 1991) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman and broadcaster. He played two seasons for the Toronto Marlboros earning the name "Golden Boy". He was later called the "Second Goalie" because his fearless skills blocking the puck.

Bob Goldham
Goldham in the 1950s
Born (1922-05-12)May 12, 1922
Georgetown, Ontario, Canada
Died September 6, 1991(1991-09-06) (aged 69)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for Toronto Maple Leafs
Chicago Blackhawks
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 1941–1956

Playing career edit

Goldham started his National Hockey League career with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1941 after playing for the Hershey Bears in the AHL. He would return to the AHL after the 1942 Stanley Cup win to play on the AHL 2nd All–Star Team.

Goldham served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1942 through 1945. After the Second World War he returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs until 1947 when he was traded with four other Leafs to the Chicago Black Hawks for Max Bentley and Cy Thomas.

In 1950, Goldham was traded to the Detroit Red Wings earning their Assistant Captain position in 1952 and would retire after the 1956 season. In 1955, he was a member of the NHL 2nd All-Star Team and won five Stanley Cups in his career in 1942, and 1947 with Toronto and 1952, 1954, and 1955 with Detroit.

Goldham played in the following NHL All-Star Games: 1942, 2nd All Star Team AHL. NHL 1947, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1954 and 2nd All Star Team 1955.

Goldham coached the Toronto St. Michael's Majors during the 1959–60 season, then resigned and was succeeded by Father David Bauer.[1]

Post-playing Career edit

After retiring, he worked for several years as a TV color commentator/studio analyst on Hockey Night in Canada on CBC and on the local midweek Toronto Maple Leaf broadcasts on Hamilton's CHCH-TV channel 11. Goldham was known as the First Little NHLer founded by Gordon Alcott in 1936, to make the NHL.

He was married to Eleanor, and they had three daughters: Patricia, Susan and Barbara. He died from stroke on September 6, 1991, at 69.[2]

In 2015, he was posthumously inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.[3]

Career statistics edit

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1938–39 Toronto Ostrander Jewels TMHL 1 0 0 0 0
1939–40 Northern Vocationals Big 10 Jr. B 9 8 8 16 12 4 2 2 4 11
1939–40 Toronto Ostrander Jewels TMHL 1 0 0 0 5
1939–40 Toronto Marlboros OHA-Jr. 19 11 11 22 9 8 3 4 7 30
1940–41 Toronto Marlboros OHA-Jr. 14 13 9 22 55 12 11 13 24 22
1941–42 Washington Lions AHL 1 0 0 0 0
1941–42 Hershey Bears AHL 34 7 10 17 44
1941–42 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 19 4 7 11 25 13 2 2 4 31
1942–43 Toronto Navy OHA-Sr. 12 1 6 7 29
1942–43 Victoria Navy BCDHL 3 0 3 3 2
1943–44 Cornwallis Navy NSDHL 8 6 9 15 9
1943–44 Toronto Ostrander Jewels TMHL 1 0 0 0 5
1943–44 Cornwallis Navy AC 11 4 7 11 12
1944–45 Cornwallis Navy NSSHL 12 2 9 11 4 2 0 1 1 4
1945–46 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 49 7 14 21 44
1946–47 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 11 1 1 2 10
1947–48 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 7 0 5 5 16
1947–48 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 38 2 9 11 38
1948–49 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 60 1 10 11 43
1949–50 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 67 2 10 12 57
1950–51 Detroit Red Wings NHL 61 5 18 23 31 6 0 1 1 2
1951–52 Detroit Red Wings NHL 69 0 14 14 24 8 0 1 1 8
1952–53 Detroit Red Wings NHL 70 1 13 14 32 6 1 1 2 2
1953–54 Detroit Red Wings NHL 69 1 15 16 50 12 0 2 2 2
1954–55 Detroit Red Wings NHL 69 1 16 17 14 11 0 4 4 4
1955–56 Detroit Red Wings NHL 68 3 16 19 32 10 0 3 3 4
NHL totals 650 28 143 171 400 66 3 14 17 53

References edit

  1. ^ Shea, Kevin (2009-03-13). "Spotlight - One on One with Father David Bauer". Legends of Hockey. Archived from the original on 2017-11-27. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  2. ^ "Bob Goldham, Hockey Player, 69". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1991-09-08. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  3. ^ "Canada's Sports Hall of Fame". sportshall.ca. Retrieved 23 August 2017.[permanent dead link]

External links edit