Charles Albert "Babe" Siebert (January 14, 1904 – August 25, 1939) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. A left winger and defenceman, he played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Maroons, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. He won the 1926 Stanley Cup championship with the Maroons, and was a member of the famous "S Line", and another with the Rangers in 1933.
A physical forward known for his fighting ability while with the Maroons and Rangers, an apparent decline in his play was reversed when he switched to defence after he was traded to the Bruins. Siebert was named an all-star three times after the switch and won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1937 as a member of the Canadiens.
Siebert was named the head coach of the Canadiens upon his retirement as a player in 1939. He never coached a game as he drowned in Lake Huron prior to the 1939–40 NHL season. The league organized an all-star benefit game that raised $15,000 for Siebert's family. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964.
Early life
Born in Plattsville, Ontario, Siebert grew up in the nearby community of Zurich, located on the eastern shores of Lake Huron. He became obsessed with hockey at an early age, playing the game nearly every day. He played intermediate hockey in Zurich and Exeter before moving to Kitchener to play junior hockey. Though his elder brothers mocked his simple playing style—he used his size and strength to push his way through opponents—Siebert was invited to join the Kitchener Greenshirts in 1922. He won the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and eastern Canadian junior championships with Kitchener in 1922–23, but lost the Memorial Cup final to the University of Manitoba. After a year of senior hockey in Kitchener, he moved on to the Niagara Falls Cataracts, winning the OHA senior championship in 1924–25.
Professional career
thumb|Babe Siebert in 1938–39 Quaker Oats card
Siebert was signed by the Montreal Maroons in 1925 and made his professional debut that same year. He finished second on the team with 16 goals as the Maroons finished second in the NHL standings. Siebert scored three points in the 1926 Stanley Cup Finals as the Maroons defeated the Western Hockey League champion Victoria Cougars to win the Stanley Cup.
Siebert's best offensive season came in 1931–32 when he finished eighth in league scoring with 39 points. It proved to be his last season with the Maroons, as the team was struggling financially and chose to sell him to the New York Rangers for cash. The trade finally happened early in the 1933–34 season as he was sent to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Vic Ripley and Roy Burmeister. The deal reunited Siebert with former S Line member Nels Stewart.
After Eddie Shore was suspended for his assault on Ace Bailey, Bruins coach Art Ross shifted Siebert from left wing to defence. He later scoffed at the legend of his comeback in Boston, stating that he never lost his ability to play at the same level he did with the Maroons, instead blaming Lester Patrick for improperly utilizing him in New York. In his first season with the Canadiens, Siebert earned his second all-star selection and won the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player in the NHL. He earned his third consecutive all-star selection in 1937–38. Siebert announced his retirement in 1939 to become the head coach of the Canadiens.
Death and family
Siebert never had the opportunity to take up his new post. On August 25, 1939, while vacationing with his family and swimming with his daughters at Lake Huron, he drowned attempting to retrieve an inflatable tire they were playing with.
At the time of his death, Siebert was visiting his cottage to celebrate the 80th birthday of his father, William. He cherished the time he had with his two daughters Judy and Joan, who were 11 and 10 years old respectively, when they witnessed his drowning. His loss represented a significant financial burden for his family as he spent nearly all of his income paying for his paraplegic wife's medical costs. It was the third such benefit game in NHL history. The Montreal Canadiens faced an all-star team composed of the best players from the remaining teams. The all-stars defeated the Canadiens 5–2 in the game held on October 29, 1939.
Career statistics
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:50em"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! colspan="5" | Regular season
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! colspan="5" | Playoffs
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season
! Team
! League
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|-
| 1923–24
| Kitchener Twin City
| OHA-Sr
| 10
| 9
| 4
| 13
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1924–25
| Niagara Falls Cataracts
| OHA-Sr
| 20
| 9
| 2
| 11
| 26
| 10
| 7
| 0
| 7
| —
|-
| 1925–26
| Montreal Maroons
| NHL
| 35
| 16
| 8
| 24
| 108
| 8
| 2
| 2
| 4
| 6
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1926–27
| Montreal Maroons
| NHL
| 42
| 5
| 3
| 8
| 116
| 2
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 2
|-
| 1927–28
| Montreal Maroons
| NHL
| 41
| 8
| 9
| 17
| 109
| 9
| 2
| 0
| 2
| 26
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1928–29
| Montreal Maroons
| NHL
| 40
| 3
| 5
| 8
| 52
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| 1929–30
| Montreal Maroons
| NHL
| 39
| 14
| 19
| 33
| 94
| 3
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1930–31
| Montreal Maroons
| NHL
| 43
| 16
| 12
| 28
| 76
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 6
|-
| 1931–32
| Montreal Maroons
| NHL
| 48
| 21
| 18
| 39
| 64
| 4
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 4
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1932–33
| New York Rangers
| NHL
| 43
| 9
| 10
| 19
| 38
| 8
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 12
|-
| 1933–34
| New York Rangers
| NHL
| 13
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 5
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1933–34
| Boston Bruins
| NHL
| 32
| 5
| 6
| 11
| 31
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| 1934–35
| Boston Bruins
| NHL
| 48
| 6
| 18
| 24
| 80
| 4
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1935–36
| Boston Bruins
| NHL
| 45
| 12
| 9
| 21
| 66
| 2
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 0
|-
| 1936–37
| Montreal Canadiens
| NHL
| 44
| 8
| 20
| 28
| 38
| 5
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 2
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1937–38
| Montreal Canadiens
| NHL
| 37
| 8
| 11
| 19
| 56
| 3
| 1
| 1
| 2
| 0
|-
| 1938–39
| Montreal Canadiens
| NHL
| 44
| 9
| 7
| 16
| 36
| 3
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|- bgcolor="#E0E0E0"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals
! 594
! 140
! 156
! 296
! 982
! 49
! 7
! 5
! 12
! 62
|}Statistics sourced from NHL.com.
See also
- Captain (hockey)
- List of members of the Hockey Hall of Fame