|
In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
STEWART, James Gaye - Born in Fort William, Ontario, Stewart was called from the minors in 1942 to play in one game of the Stanley Cup Finals, where he helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup. The next season, Stewart won the 1942–43 Calder Memorial Trophy, beating out Maurice 'The Rocket' Richard of the Montreal Canadiens. He became the first player to win the Stanley Cup before the Calder. Danny Grant, Tony Esposito and Ken Dryden have accomplished the feat since then.
After spending two years in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II, Stewart returned to the NHL in 1945 and had his best season, leading the league with 37 goals - the last time a Leaf led the League in goals before Auston Matthews in 2020–21. Stewart won his second Stanley Cup, again with the Maple Leafs, in 1946–47. Toronto traded Stewart to Chicago early in the 1947–48 season in a deal that brought Max Bentley to the Leafs. Stewart had three 20-goal seasons for the Black Hawks before finishing his career with stints with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens. In all, Gaye Stewart played for five of the NHL's Original Six teams, all except the Boston Bruins. He played 502 career NHL games, scoring 185 goals and 159 assists for 344 points. Stewart died on November 18, 2010, in a hospital in Burlington, Ontario, at the age of 87.
Ships served in: HMCS DONNACONA - Appointed to DONNACONA 13 Jan 1944 as a Prob. SLt, RCNVR (Navy List Feb 1944) HMCS KINGS - Appointed to KINGS for Training or Disposal 21 Apr 1944 as a Prob. SLt, RCNVR (Navy List May 1944) HMCS CORNWALLIS - Appointed to CORNWALLIS 17 Oct 1944 as a SLt, RCNVR (seniority 29 Sep 1944) (Navy List Nov 1944) * no further entries in the Navy List after Mar 1945
|
