Tommy Gorman
Canadian professional ice hockey executive, sports entrepreneur, sports writer and athlete
About Tommy Gorman
Lived 1886 – 1961 (aged 74). Tommy Gorman was a Canadian ice hockey coach, lacrosse player and ice hockey player.
Thomas Patrick Gorman (June 9, 1886 – May 15, 1961), known as "T.P." or "Tommy", was a Canadian ice hockey executive, sports entrepreneur and athlete. Gorman was a founder of the National Hockey League (NHL), won the Stanley Cup seven times as a general manager with four teams, and an Olympic gold medal-winning lacrosse player for Canada.
Early years Gorman was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He was one of six children born to Thomas Patrick Gorman and Mary K Gorman (née MacDonald). He was a parliamentary page boy as a youth, but sports were his love. He was the youngest member of the Canadian lacrosse team that won the gold medal (only two teams competed) at the 1908 Summer Olympics. He then played professionally for a number of seasons. Gorman became a sports writer at the Ottawa Citizen, eventually becoming the sports editor. He worked at the newspaper until 1921. He was the last living founder of the NHL. He has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1963), the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame (1966), and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1977).
Coaching record Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Division rank Result New York Americans 1925–26 36 12 20 4 28 4th in NHL Did not qualify New York Americans 1928–29 44 19 13 12 50 2nd in Canadian Lost in quarter-finals Chicago Black Hawks 1932–33 25 8 11 6 22 4th in American Did not qualify Chicago Black Hawks 1933–34 48 20 17 11 51 2nd in American Won Stanley Cup Montreal Maroons 1934–35 48 24 19 5 53 2nd in Canadian Won Stanley Cup Montreal Maroons 1935–36 48 22 16 10 54 1st in Canadian Lost in semi-finals Montreal Maroons 1936–37 48 22 17 9 53 2nd in Canadian Lost in semi-finals Montreal Maroons 1937–38 30 6 19 5 17 4th in Canadian Did not qualify NHL totals 327 133 132 62 328 1 division title 2 Stanley Cup wins
Family Gorman was married in 1910 to Mary Westwick, sister of Rat Westwick, one of the "Silver Seven", and was an uncle to Bill Westwick. They had two daughters and two sons.
After Gorman returned to Ottawa, he and his sons operated the Ottawa Auditorium and Connaught Park. After Gorman's death from cancer in 1961, his sons continued to operate the Auditorium until its demolition in 1967 and Connaught until 1984.
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Important facts
People in Tommy Gorman's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Tommy Gorman's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Tommy Gorman?
Canadian professional ice hockey executive, sports entrepreneur, sports writer and athlete (1886–1961)
When was Tommy Gorman born?
Tommy Gorman was born on 9 June 1886 in Ottawa.
When did Tommy Gorman die?
Tommy Gorman died on 15 May 1961 in Ottawa.
What was Tommy Gorman's occupation?
Tommy Gorman was an ice hockey coach, lacrosse player and ice hockey player.
What nationality was Tommy Gorman?
Tommy Gorman was Canadian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tommy Gorman. https://biography.guide/tommy-gorman/
MLA: "Tommy Gorman." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tommy-gorman/.
Chicago: "Tommy Gorman." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tommy-gorman/.
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