Hap Emms

Leighton Alfred Emms (January 12, 1905 – October 23, 1988) was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, team owner, and general manager, during nearly 60 years in hockey. Emms played 17 seasons of professional hockey as a left winger and a defenceman, including 10 seasons and 320 games in the National Hockey League. After playing, Emms had a 33-year presence in the Ontario Hockey Association, as the owner of the Barrie Flyers, Niagara Falls Flyers, and St. Catharines Black Hawks between 1945 and 1978. Teams that Emms coached or owned appeared in eight Memorial Cup tournaments, winning four Memorial Cups. He was nicknamed "Happy Emms" due to the sour look on his face, which was later shortened to "Hap Emms".

Playing career Emms started his career as a left winger playing junior ice hockey from 1921 to 1925. He signed as a free agent with the Montreal Maroons on November 10, 1926. He spent the next two seasons splitting time between the Maroons and the Stratford Nationals of the Canadian Professional Hockey League. Emms then moved to the Windsor Bulldogs in the International Hockey League, for two seasons, and scored 21 goals both seasons.

Emms was traded to New York Americans on May 14, 1930. He started the 1931–32 season with Americans, was traded to the Detroit Falcons on December 29, 1931, Despite the incidents, Emms' Flyers won its fourth J. Ross Robertson Cup in 1953, defeating the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, and then won its third George Richardson Memorial Trophy as Eastern Canada champions versus the Quebec Citadels. Barrie won its second national title, defeating the St. Boniface Canadiens in the 1953 Memorial Cup. Emms next seven seasons were not as successful, but his team did reach the 1956 OHA finals.

Some notable players Emms coached on the Barrie Flyers included brothers Dick Cherry and Don Cherry, Real Chevrefils, Marv Edwards, Ray Gariepy, Howie Glover, Leo Labine, Wayne Maxner, Gilles Mayer, Don McKenney, Paul Meger, Doug Mohns, Jim Morrison, Ron Stewart, Orval Tessier, Jerry Toppazzini, and Ed Westfall.

Niagara Falls Flyers Emms moved the Flyers from Barrie, and operated the franchise from Niagara Falls, Ontario from 1960 to 1972. Emms slowly relinquished coaching duties to others, but continued as team owner, and general manager. The Niagara Falls Flyers were still sponsored by the Bruins until the direct NHL sponsorship of junior clubs halted in 1967. In the Flyers third season, the team finished first place in the OHA, winning the Hamilton Spectator Trophy with 69 points. Niagara Falls defeated the Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons in the OHA finals to win its first J. Ross Robertson Cup in its new city, and the fifth for Emms. The Flyers defeated the Espanola Eagles in the Eastern Canada finals, to advance to the 1963 Memorial Cup played in Edmonton, but lost to the Edmonton Oil Kings in six games. Two seasons later, Emms led the Flyers to another first-place finish with 81 points, and a second Hamilton Spectator Trophy. Niagara Falls defeated the Toronto Marlboros in the OHA finals, and advanced to a rematch with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 1965 Memorial Cup, also played in Edmonton. Emms won his third Memorial Cup as his Flyers prevailed in five games.

Three season later, Emms had another championship team. The Flyers finished fourth place in the OHA, but marched through the playoffs to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup versus the Kitchener Rangers, the seventh for Emms. Niagara won the Eastern Canada final versus the Verdun Maple Leafs. Four of the five games in the 1968 Memorial Cup were played at Emms' home rink, the Niagara Falls Memorial Arena. The Flyers won all four games on home ice for their second Memorial Cup title, and the fourth for Emms. After 1968, many of the players graduated to higher leagues, and the Flyers struggled for the next four seasons, missing the playoffs twice, and winning only one playoff series. In 1972, Emms sold the Flyers, and the team was relocated to become the Sudbury Wolves.

Notable Niagara Falls Flyers players are: Don Awrey, Jim Lorentz, Rick Ley, Don Marcotte, Barry Wilkins, Rosaire Paiement, Steve Atkinson, Bill Goldsworthy, Jean Pronovost, John Arbour, Gilles Marotte, Bernie Parent, Doug Favell, Derek Sanderson, Brad Selwood, Phil Roberto, Tom Webster, and Phil Myre.

Boston Bruins During the 1965–66 and 1966–67 seasons Emms was the general manager of both the NHL Bruins, and the Niagara Falls Flyers. Emms succeeded Lynn Patrick as only the third GM in the Bruins' 41-year history to that point. Emms brought in such players as Bernie Parent, Pit Martin, John "Pie" McKenzie, Gerry Cheevers, Gilles Marotte and Gary Doak to the Bruins. He also promoted Harry Sinden to coach in 1966, and was the general manager during Bobby Orr's first season in the National Hockey League. The Bruins were in the midst of an eight-year slump, and failed to make the playoffs during Emms' two seasons. Emms and the Bruins mutually ended his management, and he returned to the Niagara Fall Flyers.

By the 1973–74 season, Emms had built the Black Hawks into a championship team. They finished second place in the regular season, then went undefeated in all three OHA playoff rounds to capture the J. Ross Robertson Cup versus the Peterborough Petes. It was Emms' eighth and final OHA title as a general manager. In the 1974 Memorial Cup played in Calgary at the Stampede Corral, the Black Hawks faced the Regina Pats, and the Quebec Remparts. Emm's team won its first game 4–1 over Quebec, then lost to Regina 4–0. In the semifinal game, St. Catharines was defeated 11–3 by Quebec. He led the Black Hawks for two more seasons in St. Catharines, missing the playoffs both times. Emms' time in St. Catharines produced several NHL players including, Wilf Paiement, Gary McAdam, Rick Hampton, Ken Breitenbach, Garry Lariviere, Rick Adduono, and Dave Gorman.

Emms relocated the team to Niagara Falls at the end of the 1975–76 season, becoming the second incarnation of the Niagara Falls Flyers. In his last two seasons, his team missed the playoffs twice, but developed future Hall of Famer Mike Gartner. In his final draft as a general manager in 1977, Emms had the opportunity to draft Wayne Gretzky with the second overall pick, but chose Steve Peters instead.

Awards and legacy Emms received the Ontario Hockey Association Gold Stick Award in 1955. The Emms Family Award was donated in 1973 by Emms, as an annual award to recognize the OHL Rookie of the Year. The Hap Emms Memorial Trophy was created in 1975, to recognize the outstanding goaltender at the Memorial Cup tournament. From the 1975–76 OMJHL season until the 1993–94 OHL season, the more westerly of the league's two divisions was named the Emms Division in his memory. Likewise, the Emms Trophy for winning the same division, was created at the same time. Since the 1994–95 OHL season, it is awarded to the team winning the central division.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1921–22 Barrie Colts OHA-Jr. — — — — — — — — — — 1922–23 Barrie Colts OHA-Jr. — — — — — — — — — — 1923–24 Barrie Colts OHA-Jr. — — — — — — — — — — 1924–25 Midland Hockey Club OHA-Jr. — — — — — — — — — — 1925–26 Brantford Seniors OHA-Sr. — — — — — — — — — — 1926–27 Montreal Maroons NHL 8 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1926–27 Stratford Nationals Can-Pro 25 10 5 15 59 2 0 0 0 2 1927–28 Montreal Maroons NHL 10 0 1 1 10 — — — — — 1927–28 Stratford Nationals Can-Pro 29 8 5 13 56 5 1 0 1 20 1928–29 Windsor Bulldogs Can-Pro 42 21 5 26 104 8 6 3 9 30 1929–30 Windsor Bulldogs IHL 38 21 16 37 107 — — — — — 1930–31 New York Americans NHL 44 5 4 9 56 — — — — — 1931–32 New York Americans NHL 13 1 0 1 11 — — — — — 1931–32 New Haven Eagles Can-Am 5 0 0 0 8 — — — — — 1931–32 Detroit Falcons NHL 20 5 9 14 27 2 0 0 0 2 1932–33 Detroit Red Wings NHL 43 9 13 22 63 4 0 0 0 8 1933–34 Detroit Red Wings NHL 45 7 7 14 51 8 0 0 0 2 1934–35 Boston Bruins NHL 11 1 1 2 8 — — — — — 1934–35 New York Americans NHL 28 2 2 4 19 — — — — — 1935–36 New York Americans NHL 32 1 5 6 12 — — — — — 1936–37 New York Americans NHL 46 4 8 12 48 — — — — — 1937–38 New York Americans NHL 20 1 3 4 6 — — — — — 1937–38 Pittsburgh Hornets IAHL 26 5 13 18 39 2 1 1 2 0 1938–39 Pittsburgh Hornets IAHL 55 9 26 35 62 — — — — — 1939–40 Omaha Knights AHA 48 18 15 33 93 9 0 4 4 0 1940–41 Omaha Knights AHA 27 7 11 18 31 — — — — — 1941–42 Omaha Knights AHA 26 2 5 7 40 — — — — — 1944–45 St. Louis Flyers AHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — — NHL totals 320 36 53 89 311 14 0 0 0 12

Coaching statistics