Sam Pollock
Sam Pollock NHL general manager | |
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Awards | Hockey Hall of Fame (1978), Canadian Sports Hall of Fame (1982) |
Samuel Patterson Smyth Pollock, OC, CQ (December 15, 1925 – August 15, 2007) was a Canadian sports executive who was general manager of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens for 14 years during which they won 9 Stanley Cups.[1] Pollock also served as chairman and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club.
Life
Born in
He spent 14 years with the club as general manager before giving up the job in summer of 1978.[2] He spent one last season with Montreal on their board of directors, before retiring in summer of 1979. Pollock's name was included on the Stanley Cup 12 times, including an NHL record nine as a general manager. Pollock and head coach Scotty Bowman together not only presided over a Canadiens dynasty, but also many of their players went on to have successful coaching and managing roles with their own teams.[3]
Pollock died on August 15, 2007, at the age of 81 in
Key trades
Pollock believed drafting good young prospects was the key to long-term success in the NHL. To this end he was always planning, sometimes years in advance, in order to be in position to pick up the "cream of the crop" in any annual entry level draft.[2]
Among his shrewdest moves was a series of trades in which the Canadiens obtained the first overall pick in the
On another occasion he traded two college prospects to Boston for a young goalie named Ken Dryden. He was also instrumental in acquiring Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe, and Yvan Cournoyer, all of whom would become superstars for the Canadiens.
In another deal, one which was never consummated,
Accolades
- In 1976, he was the general manager for Team Canada which won the inaugural Canada Cup.
- Stanley Cup Champion - 1959–60 as personnel director
- Stanley Cup Champion - 1964–65, 65–66, 67–68, 68–69, 70–71, 72–73, 75–76, 76–77, 77–78, as vice president/general manager
- Stanley Cup Champion - 78–79 as a member of board of directors. (all 12 with the Montreal Canadiens)
- In 1978, he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. In the 1990s, when the Hockey Hall of Fame relocated to downtown Toronto, the indoor public square at the end of the Allen Lambert Galleria at Brookfield Placewas named Sam Pollock Square.
- In 1985, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2002.
- He was also chairman and CEO of Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays from 1995 to 2000. The Blue Jays honoured him by wearing a patch bearing his initials on the sleeve of their jerseys.
Baseball
Pollock served as CEO and chair of the Toronto Blue Jays from 1995 to 2000.[14]
References
- ^ "Sam Pollock". Club de hockey Canadien, Inc. 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
- ^ a b Olioff, Paul (2018-06-22). "Sam Pollock's First Great GM Move". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ Shaw, Warren (2018-09-15). "The most successful GM in NHL history has stood the test of time". Medium. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ Naylor, David (2007-08-15). "Sam Pollock passes away". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ^ Naylor, David (2007-08-16). "Pollock built a hockey dynasty". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ Archives, L. A. Times (2007-08-16). "Sam Pollock, 81; hockey executive crafted dynasty". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ Sports, CBC (August 15, 2007). "Canadiens' architect Sam Pollock dies". CBC Sports. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ "Pollock, architect of Habs dynasty, remembered". ESPN.com. 2007-08-21. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ "Hockey greats among mourners at Pollock service". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. August 21, 2007. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ "Ernie Hicke Stats".
- ^ Sports Hall of Fame
- ^ Anderson, Michel (2020-04-22). "Islanders: Denis Potvin the greatest franchise altering trade that never was". Eyes On Isles. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- Canadian Press. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey
- CBC Obituary