Maurice Roberts (ice hockey)

Morris "Maurice, Moe" Roberts (December 13, 1905 – February 7, 1975) was an American ice hockey goaltender with the Boston Bruins, New York Americans, and Chicago Black Hawks for periods between 1925 and 1951, spending the rest of his career in different minor leagues. Roberts was the oldest man to play the position of goaltender in National Hockey League history, and in two different stretches of several decades was both the oldest player to play an NHL game and the youngest to play goal in the NHL. Roberts was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, but grew up in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Maurice Roberts
Born (1905-12-13)December 13, 1905
Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Died February 7, 1975(1975-02-07) (aged 69)
Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Right
Played for Boston Bruins
New York Americans
Chicago Black Hawks
Playing career 1925–1946
1951

History

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Roberts played a total of ten games in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, New York Americans, and Chicago Black Hawks, as well as playing sixteen seasons in the minor leagues, most notably for the Cleveland Barons and the New Haven Eagles. His career was interrupted for four seasons after he enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II.[1] After the war, he played only one more regular season of professional hockey.

Roberts made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins on December 8, 1925, substituting for injured regular Doc Stewart in a 3-2 win against the Montreal Maroons. At age 19, he was the youngest goaltender in NHL history, until surpassed by Harry Lumley nearly twenty years later.

On November 25, 1951, Roberts, then an assistant trainer with the Black Hawks, had to finish the third period for the injured Lumley, at that point the Black Hawks' starter. Although Roberts didn't yield a goal, his Hawks still fell to the Detroit Red Wings, 5-2. The then 45-year-old Roberts, in his last NHL game, became the oldest player to play in an NHL game; a record he held until broken by Gordie Howe in 1979, and also passed by Chris Chelios. He remains the oldest goaltender to play in an NHL game.[2] He also was the final NHL player who was active in the 1920s.[3]

Roberts was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005.[4]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T Min GA SO GAA GP W L T Min GA SO GAA
1923–24 Somerville High School HS-MA
1924–25 Boston Athletic Association USAHA 1 0 0 0 30 1 0 1.50
1925–26 Boston Bruins NHL 2 1 1 0 85 5 0 3.53
1926–27 New Haven Eagles Can-Am 32 18 14 0 1980 66 1 2.00 4 1 2 1 240 9 0 2.25
1927–28 New Haven Eagles Can-Am 40 16 20 4 2450 90 4 2.20
1928–29 Philadelphia Arrows Can-Am 40 12 21 7 2490 73 5 1.76
1929–30 Philadelphia Arrows Can-Am 40 20 18 2 2470 121 3 2.94 1 120 5 0 2.50
1930–31 Philadelphia Arrows Can-Am 40 12 22 6 2460 108 3 2.63
1931–32 New York Americans NHL 1 1 0 0 60 1 0 1.00
1931–32 New Haven Eagles Can-Am 22 12 10 0 1370 48 2 2.10 2 0 2 0 120 8 0 4.00
1932–33 New Haven Eagles Can-Am 44 16 23 5 2680 123 4 2.75
1933–34 New York Americans NHL 6 1 4 0 336 25 0 4.46
1933–34 Cleveland Indians IHL 35 2100 98 3 2.80
1934–35 Cleveland Falcons IHL 44 20 23 1 2670 132 4 2.97 2 0 2 0 140 6 0 2.57
1935–36 Cleveland Falcons IHL 13 8 3 2 810 28 2 2.07 2 1 1 0 120 3 1 1.50
1935–36 Syracuse Stars IHL 1 1 0 0 60 0 1 0.00
1935–36 Rochester Cardinals IHL 15 8 5 2 930 31 2 2.00
1936–37 Cleveland Falcons IAHL 45 13 24 8 2840 134 3 2.83
1937–38 Cleveland Barons IAHL 45 24 11 9 2810 103 5 2.20 2 0 2 0 183 9 0 2.95
1938–39 Cleveland Barons IAHL 54 23 22 9 3410 138 4 2.43 9 7 2 0 635 12 4 1.13
1939–40 Cleveland Barons IAHL 56 24 24 8 3482 130 5 2.24
1940–41 Cleveland Barons AHL 43 20 15 7 2640 122 3 2.77 4 2 1 0 239 10 0 2.51
1941–42 Cleveland Barons AHL 27 17 7 2 1560 79 2 3.04
1941–42 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 3 1 2 0 180 14 0 4.67
1945–46 Washington Lions EAHL 24 1440 97 2 4.04 6 360 22 1 3.67
1951–52 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 1 0 0 0 20 0 0 0.00
NHL totals 10 3 5 0 501 31 0 3.71

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Moe Roberts Joins U.S. Navy". Montreal Gazette. Montreal, PQ. October 24, 1942. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  2. ^ Proteau, Adam (November 2, 2014). "Dwayne Roloson – at 45 years of age – makes a surprise return to an NHL team". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  3. ^ Goaltending Legends: Maurice "Moe" Roberts
  4. ^ "'HUFFER' JOINS THE HALL OF FAME". Duluth News-Tribune. November 6, 2005.
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