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René Joliat, whose surname speaks volumes in hockey history, was the older brother of Montreal
Canadiens legend Aurel Joliat. René was born on April 25th, 1898 and grew up in Ottawa's small
New Edinburgh neighbourhood, which produced many NHL players and no less than three Hockey Hall of Fame
Inductees.
After The Great War, in which he lost his oldest son Homer, Emile Joliat had high
expectations for his two boys who had not served in the military. Rising to the rank of Ottawa
Police chief, Emile was a strict, no-nonsense man who was well respected in the community.
René and Aurèle however, much to their father's chagrin, had the sporting bug. If not competing
in organized sport, the boys were competing against one another. They allegedly received a good dose of
discipline the day Emile returned home early only to find them pole vaulting over the house. In the summer
months, the boys kept busy playing football, and apparently played professionally with the Ottawa Rough
Riders (Also known as the Senators for two seasons in the 1920s), though I have yet to find statistics
which support this. Rene was said to have been the superior athlete, but lacked the finesse and social
skills of brother Aurèle. He was also was a wrestler and a rower with the New Edinburgh Canoe Club.
René began playing organized hockey with the Ottawa Grand
Trunks of the OCHL in 1916-17. He then went on to play for the
Ottawa New Edinburghs for 5 seasons and also made an appearance
in Iroquois Falls with the P-Makers before playing with the
Hull Volants in 1923-24. Statistically, René was less
than stellar, rarely earning points or penalties. Although stats
are unavailable, he must have done something to impress scouts
while with Hull Volants, as it was following that season that
he became one of the "Ottawa Three" that were signed by the
Montreal
Canadiens in December of 1924. It is unclear
why he, goaltender Gene
Décosse and winger Roland LaFleur were all
tried out at the same time. What is clear however, is that they
were all released following the 1924 season opener against the
Toronto St-Pats. That lone game would be the only one René
would ever play in the NHL. |
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Player Facts
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NHL Games
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1
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Goals
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0
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Assists
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0
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Born
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April 25, 1898
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Died
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August 10, 1953
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Nickname
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None
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Team
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Canadiens
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Stats
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