Russell Bowie

Playing career

Bowie played centre and rover for numerous amateur Montreal teams in the 1890s. His senior debut came in 1899 with the Montreal Victorias, who were playing in the Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL). He would finish with 11 goals in 7 league games, the third best in the league. He also played for the Victorias when they won the Stanley Cup for the final time, in 1898, recording one goal in two challenge games.

On February 20, 1901, Bowie scored seven goals in a game for the Victorias and was well positioned to dominate the CAHL, and two weeks later, he scored 6 goals against the Montreal Shamrocks. He finished the season with 24 goals, 14 more than his nearest rival.

In the 1903 season Bowie led the CAHL in scoring with 22 goals in 7 games. He repeated as CAHL scoring leader in 1904 with 27 goals in 8 games. His 26 goals in 8 games led the CAHL for a third year in a row in 1905. The CAHL was replaced by the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association for 1906, and during the season Bowie missed one game and finished second in scoring with 30 goals in 9 games, one behind leader Harry Smith. He placed second again in 1907 with 38 goals in 10 games.

Over his career, Bowie would average almost three goals per game, a mark only matched by Frank McGee in major senior play. He again led the league in scoring in 1903, with 22 goals in 7 games, 8 ahead of McGee.

He played in ten games for the Victorias in the next two seasons in lower level amateur competition, but his retirement was punctuated by an injury in 1910, when he broke his collarbone. He became a referee in retirement, officiating for the NHA thereafter. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1898–99 Montreal Victorias CAHL 7 11 0 11 — — — — — — 1898–99 Montreal Victorias St-Cup — — — — — 2 1 0 1 — 1899–1900 Montreal Victorias CAHL 7 15 0 15 — — — — — — 1900–01 Montreal Victorias CAHL 7 24 0 24 — — — — — — 1901–02 Montreal Victorias CAHL 7 13 0 13 — — — — — — 1902–03 Montreal Victorias CAHL 7 22 0 22 — 2 0 0 0 3 1903–04 Montreal Victorias CAHL 8 27 0 27 — — — — — — 1904–05 Montreal Victorias CAHL 8 27 0 27 — — — — — — 1905–06 Montreal Victorias ECAHA 9 30 0 30 8 — — — — — 1906–07 Montreal Victorias ECAHA 10 39 0 39 13 — — — — — 1907–08 Montreal Victorias ECAHA 10 31 0 31 19 — — — — — 1908–09 Montreal Victorias IPAHU 5 21 0 21 19 — — — — — 1909–10 Montreal Victorias IPAHU 3 6 0 6 — 2 5 0 5 8 CAHL totals 51 139 0 139 — 4 1 0 1 3 ECAHA totals 29 100 0 100 40 — — — — —