Johnny Harms
Born (1925-04-29)April 29, 1925
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died January 5, 2003(2003-01-05) (aged 77)
Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Right
Played for Chicago Black Hawks
Playing career 19431956

John Harms (April 29, 1925 – January 5, 2003) was a Canadian ice hockey player of Cree heritage[1] who played 44 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Black Hawks during the 1943–44 and 1944–45 seasons. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1943 to 1961, was spent in various minor leagues. He died at age 78 from a burst esophagus.

Early life

Harms was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, at Saskatoon City Hospital, to Helen Laird (née Hauback) and George Laird, a farmer, both from Marquis Saskatchewan. When he was 10 days old, he was adopted by a Dutch speaking couple, John and Helen Harms. He attended elementary school, and later studied art in Saskatoon, prior to playing hockey. He lived with his adoptive family until the age of 18 when he was drafted into the NHL.

Entry into the NHL

During the 1942-43 season, at the age of 17, he played for the Saskatoon Quakers and helped the team win the Memorial Cup with 4 goals and 2 assists. In the 1943-44 season he signed with the Chicago Black Hawks where he played 4 games in the playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was sent to the Hersey Bears of the American Hockey League for the last part of the 1943-44 season and in 1944 he was back in the NHL playing 43 games in the regular season with the Black Hawks scoring 5 goals and 5 assists. Of the 26 players on the Black Hawks roster in 1944, 19 were Canadians.

Post NHL

Between 1945 and 1950 he played with the Kansas City Pla-Mors which is where he met his future wife Donna Bell Spencer with whom he had 3 children; John, Michael, and Catherine. He worked as a lineman and an electrician for the British Columbia Power and Hydro Authority for 25 years between 1959 and 1984 and during that time brought hydro to many remote regions of the Okanagan and Shuswap regions of British Columbia.


He was recruited to play for several Canadian teams after 1949 playing for the Regina Capitals (1950-51), the Nelson Maple Leafs (1950-52), the Vernon Canadians (1951-61), and one year (1959-60) with the Kelowna Packers.  In 1956 his team won the Allan Cup, the trophy awarded annually to the senior ice hockey champions of Canada. The reigning Allan Cup champion was usually chosen to represent Canada in ice hockey at the Olympic Games or the Ice Hockey World Championships.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1942–43 Saskatoon Quakers NSJHL 843728 32356
1942–43 Saskatoon Quakers M-Cup 842612
1943–44 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 10000 43032
1943–44 Hershey Bears AHL 5210213135 72136
1944–45 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 43551021
1944–45 Providence Reds AHL 30440
1945–46 Kansas City Pla-Mors USHL 4526255173 1222414
1946–47 Kansas City Pla-Mors USHL 6021345580 1239129
1947–48 Kansas City Pla-Mors USHL 6629406956 72680
1948–49 Kansas City Pla-Mors USHL 5719486764 20000
1949–50 Kansas City Pla-Mors USHL 6415274238 32022
1950–51 Regina Capitals WCSHL 2107712
1950–51 Nelson Maple Leafs WIHL 258122099 412312
1951–52 Nelson Maple Leafs WIHL 3714304480 32245
1951–52 Vernon Canadians OSHL 10000
1952–53 Vernon Canadians OSHL 52303760110 522420
1953–54 Vernon Canadians OSHL 55272350113 51344
1954–55 Vernon Canadians OSHL 5317234052 52462
1954–55 Vernon Canadians Al-Cup 175131816
1955–56 Vernon Canadians OSHL 3916254158 843732
1955–56 Vernon Canadians Al-Cup 135162110
1956–57 Vernon Canadians OSHL 4920385887 1236926
1957–58 Vernon Canadians OSHL 379112062 804416
1958–59 Vernon Canadians OSHL 20112
1959–60 Kelowna Packers Al-Cup 61342
1960–61 Vernon Canadians OSHL 3993443131 51676
OSHL totals 325128191319613 50132942108
NHL totals 44551021 43032

References

  1. "Johnny Harms". puckstruck. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
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