Haldor Halderson (Halldór Halldórsson; January 7, 1898 – August 1, 1965)[1][2] was an Icelandic-Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.[3]

Haldor Halderson
Haldor Halderson representing Canada at the 1920 Summer Olympics
Born (1898-01-07)January 7, 1898
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died August 1, 1965(1965-08-01) (aged 67)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Defence/Winger
Shot Right
Played for Victoria Aristocrats (PCHA)
Victoria Cougars (PCHA/WCHL/WHL)
Detroit Cougars (NHL)
Toronto St. Pats/Maple Leafs (NHL)
National team  Canada
Playing career 1917–1937
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp Team
From MTS Centre Hockey Arena display, Winnipeg
From MTS Centre Hockey Arena display, Winnipeg

Halderson was the right wing for the Winnipeg Falcons, the Canadian team which won the Olympic gold medal in 1920. Slim then joined the Victoria Aristocrats/Victoria Cougars and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 1925. On both occasions he was a teammate of fellow Icelandic-Canadian ice hockey star Frank Fredrickson, making them the first players to win an Olympic gold medal and a Stanley Cup.[4]

Playing career

edit

Halderson was born as Halldór Halldórsson in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Icelandic immigrants Halldór Kristinn Halldórsson and Jórunn Kristolína Jónsdóttir.[1][5]

Halderson never played organized junior or intermediate ice hockey in his hometown of Winnipeg, but sprang into fame overnight when he joined the senior ranks of the Winnipeg Ypres team of the Manitoba Hockey Association's military league in 1917–18. Halderson was nicknamed "Slim" due to his lanky frame during his first years in senior amateur and professional hockey. At the start of the 1921–22 season, Halderson's first in the PCHA with the Victoria Aristocrats, he weighed in at only 166 pounds on a 6 feet 2 inches frame.[6] As his playing career went along he put on more weight.

During the 1920–21 season, Canadian Amateur Hockey Association president H. J. Sterling hired a detective who discovered that Halderson and teammate Robert Benson received C$6,500 to play amateur hockey.[7] The Amateur Athletic Union of Canada voided Halderson's registration card and he was suspended from the 1921 Allan Cup playoffs, although the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association allowed him and his Saskatoon team to continue in the league playoffs.[8]

Halderson scored the first goal in the history of the Detroit Cougars (modern day Detroit Red Wings) franchise on November 20, 1926.[9]

Statistics

edit

Regular season and playoffs

edit
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1917–18 Winnipeg Ypres MHL 7 5 6 11 4
1917–18 Winnipeg Ypres Al-Cup 4 4 3 7 4
1918–19 Winnipeg Monarchs MHL 9 3 5 8 4
1919–20 Winnipeg Falcons MHL 9 10 11 21 10
1919–20 Winnipeg Falcons Al-Cup 6 4 6 10 6
1920–21 Saskatoon Crescents SSHL 16 12 3 15 38 4 8 0 8 9
1921–22 Victoria Aristocrats PCHA 23 7 3 10 13
1922–23 Victoria Cougars PCHA 29 10 5 15 26 2 0 0 0 0
1923–24 Victoria Cougars PCHA 30 6 2 8 50
1924–25 Victoria Cougars WCHL 28 3 6 9 71 4 1 0 1 12
1924–25 Victoria Cougars St-Cup 4 2 1 3 8
1925–26 Victoria Cougars WHL 23 3 1 4 51 3 1 0 1 10
1925–26 Victoria Cougars St-Cup 4 1 0 1 8
1926–27 Detroit Cougars NHL 19 2 0 2 29
1926–27 Toronto St. Pats/Maple Leafs NHL 25 1 2 3 36
1927–28 Quebec Castors Can-Am 40 13 5 18 71 6 1 1 2 14
1928–29 Newark Bulldogs Can-Am 40 6 3 9 107
1929–30 Kansas City Pla-Mors AHA 48 8 7 15 76 5 0 0 0 8
1930–31 Kansas City Pla-Mors AHA 47 5 7 12 77 8 1 1 2 10
1931–32 Kansas City Pla-Mors AHA 46 9 3 12 69 4 2 0 2 0
1932–33 Kansas City Pla-Mors AHA 26 1 4 5 30
1932–33 Duluth Hornets / Wichita Blue Jays AHA 24 7 2 9 40
1933–34 Tulsa Oilers AHA 48 9 12 21 66 4 0 2 2 4
1934–35 Tulsa Oilers AHA 48 6 13 19 65 5 1 2 3 2
1935–36 Tulsa Oilers AHA 48 6 14 20 25 3 0 0 0 4
1936–37 Wichita Skyhawks AHA 48 5 4 9 30
AHA totals 383 56 66 122 478 29 4 5 9 28
PCHA/WCHL totals 133 29 17 46 211 9 2 0 2 31
NHL totals 44 3 2 5 65

International

edit
Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1920 Canada OLY 3 9 0 9
Senior totals 3 9 0 9

Awards and achievements

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Íshokkílið Fálkanna og forsvarsmenn". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). February 3, 2002. p. B4. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  2. ^ "Memorable Manitobans: Haldor "Hallie" "Slim" Halderson (1899-1965)". Manitoba Historical Society. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  3. ^ "Haldor Halderson". Olympedia. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  4. ^ "Winnipeg Falcons, who became 1st Olympic hockey champs 100 years ago, to be celebrated at Gimli's Ice Fest". CBC. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  5. ^ "Íslendinbabók". Íslendingabók (in Icelandic). deCODE genetics. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  6. ^ "Halderson Arrives Along With Freddie Both Looking Fine" Victoria Daily Times. Nov. 26, 1921 (pg. 12). Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  7. ^ Ching, Tim (March 19, 1921). "Dominion Association Extends Residence Rule From Three Months To Aug. 1". The Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. p. 25. 
  8. ^ "Saskatchewan Hockey Assn. Will Carry On". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. February 12, 1921. p. 20. 
  9. ^ [1]
edit