Bert Olmstead

Murray Albert Olmstead (September 4, 1926 – November 16, 2015) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who was a left winger for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 13 seasons. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. Olmstead began his career with the Black Hawks in 1949. In December 1950, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens via Detroit. Olmstead had his best statistical years playing for Montreal, leading the league in assists in 1954–55 with 48, and setting a league record for assists with 56 the following season. During this time he frequently played on Montreal's top line with Jean Beliveau and Bernie Geoffrion. Olmstead was claimed in the 1958 NHL Intra-League Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and played there until his retirement in 1962.

In the 1967–68 season, Olmstead served as coach of the expansion Oakland Seals. Olmstead played in the Stanley Cup Final in 11 of his 14 seasons in the NHL, winning it five times. He won it four times with Montreal, in 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, and once with Toronto, in 1962, which was his last season.

Early life Olmstead was born on September 4, 1926, in Sceptre, Saskatchewan, a small village with a population of less than 200, in southwestern Saskatchewan. In 1944, at the age of 18, he moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, to play junior hockey. In his first year, Olmstead and the Moose Jaw Canucks challenged for the Memorial Cup, after finishing the playoffs with a 15–1 record. They were unsuccessful in the series against the St. Michael's Majors. Olmstead had 10 goals and eight assists in the 17 playoff games he played. He played another season in Moose Jaw, before being assigned to the Kansas City Pla-Mors of the United States Hockey League (USHL) by the Chicago Black Hawks.

Playing career

Chicago Black Hawks

Olmstead played three full seasons for Kansas City, and part of another, later in 1950, for the Milwaukee Sea Gulls. In the 1946–47 season, Olmstead joined the Pla-Mors, finishing the season with 42 points in 60 games. In 1948–49, the Canadiens, who had originally sponsored him and owned his rights, traded him to the Chicago Black Hawks. The same season, Olmstead made his NHL debut, called up after scoring 33 goals and 44 assists, for 77 points, in 52 games with the Pla-Mors. Debuting on Christmas Day 1948, he played nine games for the Black Hawks and collected two assists. Olmstead played the entire following season for the Black Hawks, appearing in 70 games and scoring 20 goals. On December 19, 1950, 17 days after the trade to Detroit, he was traded again, without ever suiting up for the Red Wings, to Montreal, for Leo Gravelle. Olmstead played all the 70 games in the next two seasons, scoring 52 and 58 points in the 1953–54 and 1954–55 seasons, respectively.

The 1955–56 season saw the start of Montreal's five consecutive Stanley Cup championships. In that season, Olmstead played on a line with Jean Béliveau and Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion. He set a record for assists, with 56,

Legacy Known as "Dirty Bertie" because of his physical playing style, Olmstead was a power forward, making hard hits and winning battles in the corners. He was not a very good skater, and thus he had to compensate by bodychecking. Olmstead was not regularly involved in fights, but in the ones he participated, the majority were started with his hits.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1944–45 Moose Jaw Canucks S-SJHL 16 0 3 3 8 4 2 0 2 8 1944–45 Moose Jaw Canucks M-Cup — — — — — 17 10 8 18 18 1945–46 Moose Jaw Canucks S-SJHL 18 24 19 43 32 4 0 1 1 6 1945–46 Moose Jaw Canucks M-Cup — — — — — 8 2 8 10 6 1946–47 Kansas City Pla-Mors USHL 60 27 15 42 34 12 2 3 5 4 1947–48 Kansas City Pla-Mors USHL 66 26 26 52 42 7 1 4 5 0 1948–49 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 9 0 2 2 4 — — — — — 1948–49 Kansas City Pla-Mors USHL 52 33 44 77 54 2 0 1 1 0 1949–50 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 70 20 29 49 40 — — — — — 1950–51 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 15 2 1 3 0 — — — — — 1950–51 Milwaukee Seagulls USHL 12 8 7 15 11 — — — — — 1950–51 Montreal Canadiens NHL 39 16 22 38 50 11 2 4 6 9 1951–52 Montreal Canadiens NHL 69 7 28 35 49 11 0 1 1 4 1952–53 Montreal Canadiens NHL 69 17 28 45 83 12 2 2 4 4 1953–54 Montreal Canadiens NHL 70 15 37 52 85 11 0 1 1 19 1954–55 Montreal Canadiens NHL 70 10 48 58 103 12 0 4 4 21 1955–56 Montreal Canadiens NHL 70 14 56 70 94 10 4 10 14 8 1956–57 Montreal Canadiens NHL 64 15 33 48 74 10 0 9 9 13 1957–58 Montreal Canadiens NHL 57 9 28 37 71 9 0 3 3 0 1958–59 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 10 31 41 74 12 4 2 6 13 1959–60 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 53 15 21 36 63 10 3 4 7 0 1960–61 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 67 18 34 52 84 3 1 2 3 10 1961–62 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 56 13 23 36 10 4 0 1 1 0 NHL totals 848 181 421 602 884 115 16 43 59 101

Coaching record Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Finish ResultOakland Seals1967–6864113716(47)6th in West(resigned)