Let me Play! The Truth on Hugh McCormick

Hugh Ebsary McCormick (often refered to as McCormack) was a goaltender who probably holds the record for the most failed attempts to play in the NHL.

McCormick, from Montreal, played Junior, Intermediate and Senior hockey in that city through 1925-26. He signed as a free agent with Quebec of the Can-Am League but didn't catch on and was signed by the London Panthers of the Can-Pro League, where he played through 1927-28. The following year he signed with Montreal Canadiens as their spare goalie for the 1928-29 season, but was never needed by the Habs.

On Saturday, April 7, 1928, Lorne Chabot, the Rangers' famous goaltender, was gravely injured in the left eye at the beginning of the second period of a game at the Forum and had to be taken to hospital. He was hurt by a puck shot with terrible force by Montreal's Nelson Stewart. This game is best remembered as Lester Patrick's return to NHL ice as a player when he replaced Chabot, but McCormick was also in attendance that night, and offered his services. The Maroons were inflexible, and refused. Alec Connell was also there as a spectator, but he too was refused.

In April of 1929, Montreal's two NHL teams staged a charity exhibition game to raise funds for the family of one of the club's assistant trainers, who was ill. In that game, Maroons goalie Clint Benedict appeared in a Habs uniform, with McCormick playing goal for the Maroons. So, in a sense, he did play for the Maroons, though it won't appear in any record book.

McCormick would once again get a chance to mind an NHL net in 1931. Well, almost. In the Philadelphia Quakers last ever NHL game on March 22, goaltender Wilf Cude was knocked unconcious by a shot the Habs' Howie Morenz. Hugh, who was now working as a sportswriter in Montreal, was called from the stands to help out. Once he arrived in the locker room, Cude refused to give up the pads. Despite passing out a second time, Cude returned to the ice after a thirty minute delay, and McCormick returned to the stands, again without an NHL game under his belt. This story was embelished in Stan Fischler's book "The Zany World of Hockey", which actually claimed that McCormick did in fact replace Cude for the remainder of the game, but this was confirmed as untrue by articles in La Presse, The Montreal Star and The Montreal Gazette following the game.

Other than a few appearances in 1937-38 with a senior team in Verdun, Quebec, McCormick faded into hockey history. Thanks to this page, Hugh's family contacted me. After hockey he worked in the magazine publishing industry. Believe it or not, I have LOST the entire package the family sent me with clippings and a photo of Hugh in a London uniform.

The page from "The Zany World of Hockey"

Thanks to Peter (flyershistory.com), Bob Duff and Ernie Fitzsimmons