| King Clancy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1958 | |||
 Clancy with theToronto Maple Leafs in the 1930s | |||
| Born | (1902-02-25)February 25, 1902 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Died | November 8, 1986(1986-11-08) (aged 84) Toronto, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | ||
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Ottawa Senators Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| Playing career | 1921–1937 | ||
Francis Michael "King"Clancy (February 25, 1902 – November 8, 1986) was aCanadian professionalice hockey player, referee, coach and executive. Clancy played 16 seasons in theNational Hockey League (NHL) for theOttawa Senators andToronto Maple Leafs. He was a member of threeStanley Cup championship teams and won All-Star honours. After he retired in 1937, he remained in hockey, becoming a coach for theMontreal Maroons. Clancy next worked for 11 seasons as a referee in the NHL.
He joined the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and worked as a coach and team executive from that point until his death in 1986.
In 2017 Clancy was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.[1]
Clancy's nickname "King" originates from his fatherTom, who was the first 'King Clancy' and played football with theOttawa Rough Riders. At the time the football was notsnapped as is done today, but was 'heeled' back from the line. Frank's father was very good at this and was named 'King of the Heelers' or 'King' for short.[2] This nickname was eventually transferred to Frank.
Clancy played for junior teams in the Ottawa area and began his NHL career in his hometown playing for the Senators, where he would establish himself among the league's top players helping the Senators toStanley Cup wins in 1923 and 1927. Although he was one of the smallest defensemen of his era, he was tough and fast and would not back down. According to hockey broadcaster and historianBrian McFarlane, it was said that King Clancy started a thousand fights and never won one.[3]
During a March 31, 1923, Stanley Cup game against theEdmonton Eskimos, Clancy became the first and only hockey player to play all six positions during one game in the NHL. In the third period, goaltenderClint Benedict was given a two-minute penalty. At the time, goalies served their own penalties. Not wanting to leave the net open, Clancy played goal for the two minutes Benedict was gone.[4]
On October 11, 1930, coming off the most productive season of his career, with 17 goals and 40 points in 44 games with the Senators, Clancy was traded to the Maple Leafs, with Toronto managerConn Smythe giving up $35,000 and two players in exchange for him. In his second season with the Leafs, Clancy helped his team win the Stanley Cup.
After a slow start to the 1936–37 season, Clancy announced his retirement six games into the season. He retired as the top scoring defenceman in NHL history, with 283 career points.[5] In Clancy's last game, he represented theMontreal Maroons at theHowie Morenz Memorial Game in 1937.
The season after his retirement as a player, Clancy briefly coached theMontreal Maroons before beginning an 11-year stint as an NHLreferee.
In 1949, theMontreal Canadiens hired Clancy to coach theirAmerican Hockey League (AHL) farm team, theCincinnati Mohawks. He was released after two losing seasons, and rejoined the Maple Leafs organization as coach of the Leafs' AHL affiliate, thePittsburgh Hornets. The Hornets had two outstanding seasons under Clancy, winning theCalder Cup as league champions in1951–52, and nearly repeating the following year, before losing the cup final in seven games.
On the strength of that performance, Clancy was made head coach of the Maple Leafs for the 1953–54 season. He held the job for three years, however the team struggled, with each successive season worse than the one before it. He was then appointed assistant general manager by his friend, Conn Smythe, although his responsibilities often involved public relations at least as much as building a hockey team.
Clancy was inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame in 1958.
He remained assistant general manager-coach through the 1960s, working underPunch Imlach. When Imlach was fired in 1969, Clancy initially said he would leave with him, but was persuaded to stay with the Leafs and was made a vice-president, a decision which did not go over well with Imlach, although the two later reconciled.
AfterHarold Ballard took control of the Leafs during the 1971–72 season, Clancy and Ballard became inseparable friends. Former Leafs player, coach, and assistant general manager ClarenceHap Day stated Clancy was paid to do nothing by both Smythe and Ballard.[6] During the 1971–72 season, Clancy stepped behind the Leafs' bench as acting coach for 15 games while head coachJohn McLellan recovered from apeptic ulcer. Clancy remained in the Leafs' front office for the rest of his life.
In 1986, he had an operation to remove hisgallbladder, however infection from the gallbladder seeped into his body during the operation at which he went intoseptic shock.[7][8][9] He died on November 10, 1986, at age 84 and was interred inMount Hope Catholic Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario.
Clancy was associated with professional hockey for 65 years at the time of his death, then the longest-such tenure in NHL history, and a record since surpassed byJohn Bucyk. He was the last surviving member of the 1922–23 Stanley Cup championship-winningOttawa Senators.
TheKing Clancy Memorial Trophy was named in his honour and is awarded annually to the NHL player who demonstrates leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made exceptional humanitarian contributions in the community.
In popular culture he is referred to in the TV seriesHow I Met Your Mother in the episode "Old King Clancy".
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1916–17 | Ottawa Sandy Hill | OCJHL | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1916–17 | St-Joseph's | High-ON | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | ||
| 1917–18 | Ottawa Munitions | OCJHL | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1917–18 | Ottawa Collegiate | High-ON | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | ||
| 1918–19 | Ottawa St. Brigid's | OCHL | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 1919–20 | Ottawa St. Brigid's | OCHL | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1920–21 | Ottawa St. Brigid's | OCHL | 11 | 6 | 0 | 6 | — | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 12 | ||
| 1921–22 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 24 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1922–23 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 24 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1922–23 | Ottawa Senators | St-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1923–24 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 24 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 1924–25 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 29 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1925–26 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 35 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 80 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1926–27 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 43 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 78 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 | ||
| 1927–28 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 39 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 73 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 1928–29 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 44 | 13 | 2 | 15 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1929–30 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 44 | 17 | 23 | 40 | 83 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1930–31 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 44 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 63 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1931–32 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 48 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 61 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 1932–33 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 48 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 79 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 1933–34 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 46 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 62 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 1934–35 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 47 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 53 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1935–36 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 47 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 61 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | ||
| 1936–37 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 592 | 136 | 147 | 283 | 914 | 55 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 88 | ||||
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | Pts | Finish | Result | ||
| MTM | 1937–38 | 18 | 6 | 11 | 1 | (30) | 4th inCanadian | (fired) |
| TOR | 1953–54 | 70 | 32 | 24 | 14 | 78 | 3rd inNHL | Lost in semi-finals (1-4 vs.DET) |
| TOR | 1954–55 | 70 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 70 | 3rd in NHL | Lost in semi-finals (0-4 vs.DET) |
| TOR | 1955–56 | 70 | 24 | 33 | 13 | 61 | 4th in NHL | Lost in semi-finals (1-4 vs.DET) |
| MTM Totals | 18 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 13 | 0-0 (0.00) | ||
| TOR Totals | 210 | 80 | 81 | 49 | 209 | 2-12 (0.143) | ||
| Total | 228 | 86 | 92 | 50 | 222 | 2-12 (0.143) | ||
Clancy was of Irish descent.[12] His son,Terry Clancy, participated in ice hockey at the 1964 Winter Olympics and later played for theToronto Maple Leafs.
His great-granddaughter,Laura Stacey is a Canadianice hockey player forPWHL Montreal, and a member of theCanadian women's national ice hockey team. She won a silver medal with Team Canada at the2018 Winter Olympics and gold at the2022 Winter Olympics. She won gold at the2021 IIHF Women's World Championship,2022 IIHF Women's World Championship and2024 IIHF Women's World Championship. She won silver at theIIHF Women's World Championship in 2017, 2023, and 2025 and bronze in 2019. She is married toMarie-Philip Poulin.[13]
| Preceded by | Head coach of the Montreal Maroons 1937–38 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs 1953–56 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ottawa Senators captain (original era) 1928–30 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
