Milt Schmidt (Boston Bruins) National Hockey League

Milt Schmidt (March 5, 1918-January 4, 2017) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager in the NHL for the Boston Bruins. Milt Conrad Schmidt played Centre on the famous “Kraut Line.” He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961 and was named one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in history.

Early Life

Schmidt’s younger years were spent growing up in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, where he attended King Edward Public School. For a brief period, he was enrolled at Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School. Still, like many other children of his day, he was forced to drop out of school to support his family after his father became ill. While living in Kitchener, Schmidt began his junior hockey career with the Kitchener Empires and Kitchener Geenshirts. At the age of 20, while playing for the Boston Bruins‘ AHL minor league affiliate, the Providence Reds, Schmidt attracted the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Milt was offered a tryout with the big club, but he didn’t feel that he was well rounded enough to have a successful career, so he opted for hockey instead.

NHL Career

Schmidt was brought up to join the Bruins during the 1937 season. Upon joining the Bruins, he was reunited with his childhood friends from Kitchener, Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer.

With Milt Schmidt now joining his friends on the Bruins roster, they would go on to become known as the famous “Kraut Line.” they would endear themselves to the Boston faithful with their hard-nosed style of play. Boston now had lightning in a bottle with three dynamic players. On left-wing Woody Dumart, center Milt Schmidt and Bobby Bauer patrolling the right-wing. Ironically, Albert “Battleship” Leduc of the hated Montreal Canadians gave the Boston Bruins trio their original moniker “The Sauerkraut Line.” The threesome was branded the name “Sauerkraut Line” while playing for Boston’s farm team in 1936. With World War two on the horizon, sentiments about Germany were at a global low, and with three elite players of German heritage, the name Kraut was affixed to these great players. More than being German, these men were Canadian patriots. After playing nearly 1900 games together and winning two Stanley Cups 1938-1939 and 1940-1941, all three of them put their NHL careers on hold, joining the Royal Canadian Air Force as they went off to fight the Nazis and defend our freedom. At that time in history, the three men were one of pro hockey’s most dynamic lines of any in the modern era. They were the first line ever to finish one, two, and three in scoring in the 1939-1940 season, the only other teammates to do so were the Montreal Canadians “Punch Line” of 1944-1945 Maurice Richard, Elmer Lach, and Toe Blake.

Royal Canadian Air Force

With the outbreak of war in Europe, the three men enlisted in the Canadian Air Force on February 10, 1942, and served until 1946. Although the trio was in the military, hockey remained in their blood; the three joined the Ottawa Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) hockey team, “The Kitchener Kids,” which helped guide the Allen Cup team.

Coaching

Schmidt proved to be instrumental in building the Bruins into a champion when he was able to draft and trade for key Bruins to lead the team largely to two Stanley Cups in 1970 and 1972. The biggest acquisition was when he pulled off a blockbuster that netted Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, and Fred Stanfield from the Chicago Black Hawks for Pit Martin, Gilles Marotte, and Jack Norris. After 11 years at the coaching helm, Schmidt was promoted to assistant general manager.

After a highly successful career with the Bruins organization, Schmidt became the first General Manager for the fledgling Washington Capitals organization. Regrettably, Schmidt was there to see the franchise to an NHL futility record, which stands today; the team went (8-67-5).

Post Playing Career

The legendary “Kraut Line” ended when Bobby Bauer retired in 1947. On March 18, 1952, the line reunited for one last time when they took on the Chicago Blackhawks. The Bruins won that game, with Milt Schmidt scoring his 200th goal and Bauer with a goal and an assist.

After their playing days, Schmidt would coach the Boston Bruins for 726 games, Bauer returned home to Kitchener, where he coached several teams, and Woody Dumart worked as the Boston Gardens official goal scorer. All three were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Schmidt in 1961, Dumart in 1992, and Bauer in 1996.

All three members of Boston’s famed “Kraut Line” are now deceased. Bauer passed away on September 16, 1964, at age 49, Dumart passed away on October 19, 2001, at age 84. Schmidt died on January 4, 2017, of a stroke at Westwood Massachusettes. He was 98.

• Regular Season

Special Thanks to top fan Richard Lavoie for inspiring me to write about one of hockey’s most memorable lines, “The Kraut Line.”

Season	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	PPP	SHG	SHP	GWG	OTG	S	S%	FO%
1936-1937	BOS	26	2	8	10	—	15	0	0	0	0	1	0	—	—	—
1937-1938	BOS	44	13	14	27	—	15	0	0	1	1	1	0	—	—	—
1938-1939	BOS	41	15	17	32	—	13	2	4	0	0	6	2	—	—	—
1939-1940	BOS	48	22	30	52	—	37	1	2	0	1	3	1	—	—	—
1940-1941	BOS	45	13	25	38	—	23	0	2	0	0	0	0	—	—	—
1941-1942	BOS	36	14	21	35	—	34	0	2	1	1	2	1	—	—	—
1945-1946	BOS	48	13	18	31	—	21	2	4	0	0	1	0	—	—	—
1946-1947	BOS	59	27	35	62	—	40	4	13	0	0	3	0	—	—	—
1947-1948	BOS	33	9	17	26	—	28	2	5	0	0	4	0	—	—	—
1948-1949	BOS	44	10	22	32	—	25	2	9	0	0	1	0	—	—	—
1949-1950	BOS	68	19	22	41	—	41	2	9	0	0	4	0	—	—	—
1950-1951	BOS	62	22	39	61	—	33	3	13	0	0	5	0	—	—	—
1951-1952	BOS	69	21	29	50	—	57	2	11	1	1	3	0	—	—	—
1952-1953	BOS	68	11	23	34	—	30	3	9	1	1	1	0	—	—	—
1953-1954	BOS	62	14	18	32	—	28	7	11	0	2	0	0	—	—	—
1954-1955	BOS	23	4	8	12	—	26	1	4	0	0	0	0	—	—	—
Career	–	776	229	346	575	—	466	31	98	4	7	35	4	—	—	—

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Player Profile Keith Aulie (tedtalkshockey.com)

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