Red Horner

George Reginald "Red" Horner (May 29, 1909 in Lynden, Ontario - April 27, 2005) was an defenceman for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1928 to 1940. He was the Leafs captain from 1938 until his retirement. He helped the Leafs win their first Stanley Cup in 1932. Horner was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965.

Horner spent all of his time playing in Toronto. As a junior player, he played for the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association. In his NHL career, Horner had the role of enforcer and retired with 42 goals, 110 assists and 1,264 penalty minutes in 490 regular season games. His election to the Hall of Fame has been controversial, as he never before his final two seasons was regarded as even the best defenceman on his own team. His contemporaries for most of his career were the Hall of Famers King Clancy and Hap Day, who were and seems to rest more on his unprecedented and unequaled eight straight seasons as the NHL penalty minute leader. Horner's toughness was never questioned, he played the 1933 playoffs with a broken right hand in a cast. He retired the league's all-time penalty minute leader, a mark he held until Ted Lindsay broke it in the late Fifties.

After retiring from hockey in 1940, Horner lived in Florida, and Toronto, where he became involved in business ventures for several companies On February 13, 1999, Horner was involved in the opening ceremonies for the 65th anniversary of Maple Leaf Gardens and its closing the same day. Horner was also involved in the opening of the Air Canada Centre.

Horner was last surviving member of Toronto 1932 Stanley Cup team. He was also the oldest living member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and believed to be the oldest living NHL player at the time of his death.

Video
Arguably the most interesting NHL video of the 1930's. 1933 Stanley Cup Finals Game 4 highlights of all periods of play including the Cup winning goal by Bill Cook in overtime. Foster Hewitt provides the play-by-play and interviews Conn Smythe, Dick Irvin, Busher Jackson, Charlie Conacher, King Clancy and Red Horner in the dressing room during the first intermission. Horner played with a broken right hand and shows Hewitt his cast and how he was able to grip his stick. Hewitt then interviews the Rangers in their dressing room in the second intermission.