The Life Of Andy Blair (Part Four)

Winnipeg's Andy Blair was a star forward with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1920s and 1930s.

This is part of a four-week series that I have written on the great Andy Blair. I hope you enjoy this one as it took months to put together a few years back, and made for one heck of a tale in a previous book I’d written. Enjoy!

In 1935, after seven seasons of pro hockey with the Maple Leafs, a newspaper reported that Blair had accumulated 65 stitches from hockey-related injuries and broke his nose three times. He also had serious cuts on his arms, eye and leg.

Although he never lost any teeth, he did get his nose broken four times and received 77 stitches. A nasty hand gash and back injuries bothered him long after he retired. A telegram he sent to Nancy following a game in Chicago after they were married, and found in of the scrapbooks she put together, provides some insight into his life. It reads: “Received a few stitches tonight. Nothing serious, although I wish I were at home now. Weather doesn’t look so promising for golf tomorrow. Raining. Love, Andy.”

Injuries apparently didn’t alter his looks. An open letter to Smythe from a fan name Adeline which appeared in a newspaper when Blair was rumoured to be traded says, “Don’t let Andy Blair go to Chicago. He’s one of the best playmakers on the club. And, besides, he’s so good-looking.”