Horace Merrill
Born (1884-11-30)November 30, 1884
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died December 24, 1958(1958-12-24) (aged 74)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Ottawa Senators
Playing career 1907–1920

Horace Jefferson Merrill (November 30, 1884[1] – December 24, 1958) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player with the Ottawa Senators in both the National Hockey Association and National Hockey League from 1912 to 1920. He won the Stanley Cup with Ottawa in 1920. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, but lived most of his life in Ottawa, Ontario. Merrill was also an accomplished canoeist, holding the Canadian title from 1907 until 1909 in the single canoe.[2]

Playing career

Merrill, at bottom left, with the Ottawa Cliffsides in 1909.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Merrill moved to Ottawa, Ontario at an early age. By 1907, Merrill was playing senior-level hockey with the Ottawa Seconds of the Ottawa City Hockey League. The following year he also started playing for the Ottawa Cliffsides and was a member of their Allan Cup-winning squad in 1909. By 1912, he joined the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey Association (NHA). He stayed with the Senators as they joined the National Hockey League in 1917, playing 9 games over 2 seasons until his retirement in 1920.

Canoeing

Merrill was an outstanding paddler in the decade 1902–1912. He was a member of the Rideau Canoe Club’s first war canoe crew in 1902.[3] Paddling for Ottawa Canoe Club (OCC) in 1904 he won the senior singles in the Canadian Canoe Association (CCA) competition. By 1906 he had switched to the New Edinburgh Canoe Club (NECC) and took second place in the senior singles at the CCA championship. In 1908 and 1909 he took the title as Canadian senior singles champion. In 1908, 1909 and 1910 he led the NECC war canoe crew to second place finishes in the half-mile Canadian championships. The crew came second in the mile race in 1908 and finished first in 1909, 1910, and 1911. In 1912 he served as rear commodore of the CCA.[4]

Personal life

Merrill retired to live and marry in Ottawa. He became the president of the Dadson-Merrill Press Company until his retirement from that business in 1945.[2] He also served as a school trustee.[2] In 1958, he suffered a stroke on an automobile trip to Florida with his wife, while driving through Cortland, New York, and was returned to Ottawa on December 19, 1958.[2] He died a week later and is buried in Ottawa at Beechwood cemetery along with numerous other Senators players.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1907–08 Ottawa Seconds OCHL 7505— —————
1908–09 Ottawa Cliffsides IPAHU 10000 10000
1908–09 Ottawa Seconds OCHL 50000 20000
1909–10 Ottawa Seconds OCHL 730320 10000
1909–10 Ottawa Seconds Al-Cup ————— 21010
1910–11 Ottawa New Edinburghs IPAHU 53036 31010
1911–12 Ottawa New Edinburghs IPAHU 98086 32020
1912–13 Ottawa Senators NHA 105054 —————
1913–14 Ottawa Senators NHA 1833629 —————
1914–15 Ottawa Senators NHA 2030332 51010
1915–16 Ottawa Senators NHA 2441525 —————
1916–17 Ottawa Senators NHA 1912312 20003
1917–18 Ottawa Senators NHL 40003 —————
1919–20 Ottawa Senators NHA 50000 —————
NHA totals 9116622102 71013
NHL totals 90003 —————

References

  1. ↑ According to his gravestone
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Ottawa Hockey Star Also Top Canoeist". The Globe and Mail. December 27, 1958. p. 22.
  3. ↑ Ottawa Citizen, 28 July 1902. "Canoeing"
  4. ↑ C. Fred Johnston, 100 Years of Champions - The Canadian Canoe Association 1900-2000. Queens University, Kingston. 2003.
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