Art Coulter

Arthur Edmund Coulter was born in Winnipeg on May 31, 1909.

Art entered the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Blackhawks where he was teamed up with Taffy Abel. Art helped the Blackhawks through the 1933-1934 season ending with the honor of winning the Stanley Cup. In 1935 Art was chosen to be a member of the esteemed Second All Star Team.

Although Art was an obvious asset to Chicago on January 15, 1936 it was decided that he was to be traded to the New York Rangers for Earl Seibert. Skeptical about the trade at first, it became evident that this trade would become beneficial to both teams.

Art succeeded Bill Cook as the Rangers' captain in 1935-1936 season. Art's great defensive play helped to earn him a spot on the Second All Start Team three more years - 1938, 1939 and 1940. He led the New York Rangers to win the Stanley Cup in 1940.

After two more years of play, Art traded in his hockey skates and stick for the honor of defending his country by enlisting into the Canadian Armed Forces during the second World War. This courageous and honorable act ended his pro hockey career.

Art was recognized in the hockey world as a "team player." He believed in teamwork and knew early on that teamwork was the crucial ingredient to winning games and having fun...and ultimately earning the team the right to hold the Stanley Cup.

Art's physical strength and endurance was the key to his defense. He was a punishing hitter, and was not afraid to drop the gloves.

In the 465 games he played he managed to chalk up 112 points and 543 penalty minutes. Deservedly, Art Coulter was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.

Unfortunately, Coulter soured on the game of hockey in retirement. An outspoken and stubborn type, Coulter vowed never to step into Madison Square Gardens again after he was not invited by the Rangers for a special evening. He lived in Georgia and Alabama, where it was easy to not follow hockey. In fact, when he was contacted by a writer in the 1990s and asked his opinion about Wayne Gretzky, Coulter had never heard of him. He said he did not watch modern hockey because "that's not real hockey. They're not as tough as we were."