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George "Shorty" Horne, the youngest of seven children, was born on June 27th, 1904 in Sudbury, Ontario.
Standing at just 5 feet 6 inches, there is little question of how he got his nickname.
Shorty learned to play hockey on the frozen surface of Ramsay Lake in Sudbury where he took part in many
amateur sports and attended Central Public School. He also worked in his parent's hardware store while
not in school.
His junior hockey exploits began with the Sudbury Cub Wolves (NOJHA) and later the Wolves where he became
the the protege of future Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Shorty Green. The following year he headed to
North Bay to play with the Trappers where he soon took on the central role. In the 1923-24
finals, he scored a series leading 13 goals in 5 games and led the team to the Northern Ontario junior
championship and a meeting with the Owen Sound Greys for the Ontario title. The Trappers would lose the
title to Owen Sound 4 - 2, but Shorty grabbed the headlines of Toronto sports writers who wrote reams
in his praise and commented that pro scouts were camped on his doorstep. Also with the Trappers were
Leo Bourgeault, Gerry Lowrey and Bud Maracle, who would all eventually leave their mark on NHL hockey.
Despite their efforts, Shorty spurned the advances of scouts
and went on to play for the Grimsby Peach Kings for the 1924-25
season. Generally considered a marginal team, the Peach Kings
created what was dubbed "One of the greatest surprises in the
history of the game" when they defeated the great Sault Greyhounds
machine in the Allan Cup playdowns. As a result of his display
in this series, the scouts knocked even louder at Horne's door,
and he was made a most attractive offer by the Montreal
Maroons.
Horne signed as a free agent on October 8, 1925 where he was
a substitute. Although the Maroons won the Stanley Cup that
year, it was largely without much help from Shorty who was plagued
by illness, appearing in only 13 games. It is unclear what his
illness was, but it did not appear to be related to hockey injuries,
requiring several operations over the years. Regardless, he
always was able to recover and return to the game he loved.
Shorty would start the next season with Montreal, but was placed
on waivers, permitting the Stratford
Nationals of the Can-Pro league to acquire him on
February 1, 1927, after only having played in 2 games that season
for the Maroons. Friend and fellow Maroon Toots
Holway would also join him in Stratford shortly there
after. After a short time in Stratford, he moved on to the London
Panthers where he finished the season with a respectable 6 points
in 9 games. |
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3 NHL Seasons
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Born: Jun 27, 1904
Sudbury, Ontario
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Died: July 31, 1929
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- Nickname: Shorty
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NHL Teams: Maroons, Maple Leafs
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