Billy Coutu banned from NHL
On March 13, 1955, Maurice “Rocket” Richard found himself embroiled in a bloody on-ice battle that saw him assault an NHL linesman. His actions resulted in Richard being suspended for the remainder of the 1954-55 season as well as the playoffs. The suspension of Montreal’s beloved hockey hero was seen by the Francophone fan base as being too severe and ethnically motivated by NHL President Clarence Campbell.
Despite receiving death threats Mr. Campbell vowed not to be intimidated and with his wife, they attended the Montreal Canadians next home game on March 17, 1955, against the Detroit Red Wings. The crowd outside the Forum had been gathering before the game and the mood was increasingly hostile.
Halfway through the first period with the Canadians down 2-0, Campbell took his seat. When the fans saw this they immediately began booing him. Things quickly escalated to fans throwing everything from eggs, vegetables, and garbage for more than six minutes. By the end of the first period, Montreal was down 4-1, it was at this point that a fan extended his hand to shake with Campbell when Campbell reached out to shake hands the fan slapped him. Police intervened and subdued the attacker dragging him away as he kicked at Campbell. Shortly after this, a tear gas bomb exploded near Campbell’s seat. The Forum was immediately evacuated for the safety of the fans and the game was suspended with the Red Wings awarded the win.
Outside the Forum bedlam ensued. Angry fans were heard chanting”A bas Campbell” (Down Campbell) and “Vive Richard” while attacking passersby, smashing windows, burning newsstands, and overturning cars. The carnage resulted in Twelve officers and twenty-five civilians being injured. Police estimated that they arrested between 41-100 people. Damage estimates were calculated to be $100,000 ($971,631 in 2020 dollars). Most of the damage was contained to a fifteen-block radius and included 50 stores and the Forum itself.
The next day Richard reluctantly gave a statement in an effort to quell further unrest. “Do no more harm. Get behind the team in the playoffs. I will take my punishment and come back next year and help the club and the younger players to win the Cup”.
April 13, 1927, Billy Coutu banned from NHL
As bad as this was it wasn’t the first time a player assaulted an NHL official. On April 13, 1927, at the end of Game Four of the 1927 Stanley Cup Finals between the Ottawa Senators and the Boston Bruins, Billy Coutu of the Bruins instigated a bench-clearing brawl, at the request of his coach Art Ross. Coutu attacked referee Jerry Laflamme and then tackled referee Billy Bell in the hallway. The ensuing punishment was a lifetime ban from playing in the NHL, the longest suspension up until that time. Two years later the ban was lifted allowing Coutu to play in minor professional leagues where he played with the Minneapolis Millers and the Providence Reds and coached for several years. He never played in another NHL game after the incident in 1927. Later in 1929-30, the ban was lifted, and in 1932-33 Billy Coutu was reinstated at the request of Montreal Canadiens owner Leo Dandurand.
Billy Coutu was a tough customer during his professional hockey playing days. He played in 244 contests racking up 478 penalty minutes along the way. He began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadians and after five seasons with them would be loaned to the Hamilton Tigers in 1920-21. After one season with the Tigers Coutu would be sent back to the Canadians where he played for the next seven seasons until being traded to the Boston Bruins for the 1926-27 season.
Before the bench-clearing brawl of 1927, Coutu had already established himself as a reckless and dangerous player. One notable incident was when he was traded to Boston for the 1926-27 season, during his first practice with the team Coutu body-slammed the equally notorious Eddie Shore. Coutu head-butted Shore on impact and nearly completely severed Shore’s ear. After seeing several doctors Shore was finally able to find a Doctor who would sow the ear back on, all the others recommended amputation. being a tough guy Shore refused anesthetic and watched with a mirror as the Doctor performed the surgery. Coutu was fined $50 for the altercation. Initially, Shore claimed that Coutu had cut his ear with his stick but later on recanted his story and Coutu’s money was reimbursed.
On a side note, Billy Coutu’s wife Gertrude was the sister of Wilhemina Aird Stewart, the mother of Mary Morenz, who was the wife of the Montreal Canadians Hockey Hall of Famer Howie Morenz. The lineage doesn’t stop there as she is also the grandmother to their daughter Marlene Geoffrion, wife of Bernie Geoffrion another Hall of Famer. Billy Coutu and Howie Morenz would play as teammates for the Canadians.
Billy Coutu was also a member of the canceled Stanley Cup Final of 1919 due to Spanish Influenza and was hospitalized. He would win a Stanley Cup in 1924.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs Billy Coutu banned from NHL
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1915–16 | Michigan Soo Indians | NMHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1916–17 | Montreal Canadiens | NHA | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 1916–17 | Montreal Canadiens | St-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| 1917–18 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 20 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 49 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1918–19 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 15 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 1918–19 | Montreal Canadiens | St-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1919–20 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 20 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1920–21 | Hamilton Tigers | NHL | 24 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 95 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1921–22 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 24 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1922–23 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 24 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 1923–24 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 16 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923–24 | Montreal Canadiens | St-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924–25 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 28 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 56 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1924–25 | Montreal Canadiens | St-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| 1925–26 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 33 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 95 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1926–27 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 40 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 35 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1927–28 | New Haven Eagles | Can-Am | 37 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1928–29 | Newark Bulldogs | Can-Am | 40 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1929–30 | Minneapolis Millers | AHA | 47 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 105 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1930–31 | Minneapolis Millers | AHA | 33 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1932–33 | Providence Reds | Can-Am | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | 244 | 33 | 21 | 54 | 478 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 39 | ||
| St-Cup totals | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 50 |
Transactions/Rap Sheet
- November 24, 1916 – Signed as a free agent by Montreal Canadiens (NHA).
- November 26, 1917 – Rights retained by Montreal Canadiens after NHA folded.
- November 27, 1920 – Loaned to Hamilton Tigers by Montreal Canadiens as part of trade of Jack McDonald, Harry Mummery and Dave Ritchie to Hamilton for Jack Coughlin, Samuel (Goldie) Prodgers and Joe Matte.
- January 26, 1921 – Returned to Montreal Canadiens from loan to Hamilton Tigers.
- November 15, 1921 – Fined $200 and suspended by Montreal Canadiens for rough play.
- March 8, 1923 – Missed seven games due to a broken wrist suffered in a game vs. Toronto St. Patricks.
- January 21, 1925 – Suspended two games and fined $100 by NHL for misconduct.
- January 19, 1926 – Suspended one game and fined $100 by NHL for tripping referee Jerry Laflamme vs Ottawa Senators.
- October 22, 1926 – Traded to Boston Bruins by Montreal Canadiens for Amby Moran.
- April 13, 1927 – Suspended for life from the NHL for assaulting referee Jerry Laflamme, tackling referee Billy Bell, and starting a bench-clearing brawl after a Stanley Cup game.
- January 5, 1928 – Traded to New Haven (C-AHL) by Boston with Pat (Nobby) Clark for cash.
- January 28, 1928 – Suspended for the season by C-AHL for hitting George Redding of Boston with his stick in January 23, 1928 game.
- January 29, 1928 – Suspension lifted by C-AHL and changed to a $200 fine.
- August 19, 1928 – Traded to Minneapolis (AHA) by New Haven (C-AHL) for cash.
- November 8, 1928 – Released by Minneapolis (AHA).
- October 8, 1929 – Lifetime suspension from NHL lifted.
- October 2, 1934 – Named manager of Providence (C-AHL).
- March 24, 1935 – Ejected from C-AHL game for abusing referee Jack Cameron.
Keep Your Stick on the Ice.
