Longtime NHL boss oversaw expansion to 18 teams
Dead-of-night phone calls to the NHL’s Montreal headquarters were often answered by Clarence Campbell himself, the only man in the building, putting the finishing touches on a 16-hour day.
The hard-working NHL president, who occupied that post from 1946 to 1977, was a Saskatchewan native with a big life story — soldier, Rhodes Scholar, lacrosse referee at the 1928 Olympics. As a lawyer, Campbell worked on the postwar prosecution of Nazi commander Kurt Meyer.
Campbell was born in the tiny Saskatchewan town of Fleming in 1905, and later moved with his family to Macklin. At 16, his grandmother left him $60, and his father chipped in $40. He bought a cow with that money, and expanded his holdings to five head of cattle, using the proceeds from their eventual sale to help fund his education at the University of Alberta.
From there, a Rhodes Scholarship sent him to Oxford, and many years later, he moved into the direct spotlight as the NHL’s president. Campbell spearheaded a fledgling players’ pension, presided over the league’s expansion from six to 18 teams, and launched the all-star game.
Campbell was also the flash point for the notorious Richard Riot on March 17, 1955, sparked when he suspended Montreal Canadiens’ star Maurice (Rocket) Richard for the balance of the regular season and playoffs. Richard earned the sanction by assaulting Hal Laycoe with his stick and punching linesman Cliff Thompson.
Campbell attended the next game in Montreal, where he was physically assaulted by fans. After a tear-gas bomb was released in the arena, the game was forfeited to Detroit. The riot continued in the streets for several hours.
Campbell retired in 1977, and died in 1984, aged 78.
As we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, the StarPhoenix and Leader-Post are telling the stories of 150 Saskatchewan people who helped shape the nation. Send your suggestions or feedback to sask150@postmedia.com.