Born in Saskatchewan, hockey was practically a given for Grant ‘Knobby’ Warwick. Undersized in his time, Warwick was just five-foot-six and shy of 160 pounds, but he was built different and it came across in his play.
Warwick kicked off his hockey career with his hometown Regina Abbots of the Southern Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in 1939-40, before climbing the ranks the following season. At that point, he joined the Regina Rangers in 1940-41 and made some noise offensively with 14 goals and 32 points in 31 regular season games. The Rangers went on to win the Allan Cup that season, starting his hardware collection.
The 1941-42 season became Warwick’s debut season in the NHL. On November 1, 1941, he suited up for the New York Rangers for his first career game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Rangers went on to win 4-3 with Warwick getting shut out in his debut. But that was the start of a season he wouldn’t forget.
Grant Warwick’s Calder Run
Warwick’s first career point came eight days after his NHL debut and in his second career game – a win over the Detroit Red Wings. Just over five minutes into the game, Warwick tallied his first career assist on Lynn Patrick’s first goal of the season.
Over the next six games, Warwick would total five more points, including a four-game goal streak. He finished his first month in the NHL four goals and six points in 11 games played. From there, he went on to play in 44 games that season for the Rangers, racking up 16 goals and 33 points over that span.
He finished sixth on team scoring and added one assist in six postseason games for the Rangers as they were knocked off by the Maple Leafs.
Warwick’s 33-point season earned him the nod as the NHL’s top rookie, landing him the Calder Trophy and another piece of hardware for his trophy case. He knocked off Montreal’s Buddy O’Connor for the award, with O’Connor finishing his season with nine goals and 25 points.
Grant Warwick Had a Consistent NHL Career
That was really the only hardware that Warwick collected over his NHL career. However, he was a consistent player if nothing else. Six times, over the next seven season, Warwick hit the 35-point mark. But following a move to the Boston Bruins, he started to see a decline in his offensive production.
He played parts of seven seasons with the Rangers from 1941 to 1948. He finished with 117 goals and 233 points in 293 regular season games before being traded to the Bruins during the 1947-48 season. As a member of the Rangers, Warwick did play in the 1947 NHL All-Star Game, an honour he would only see once in his career.
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The Rangers traded him to the Bruins for Billy Taylor and future considerations and Warwick’s career took a turn. He played parts of two seasons with the Bruins, collecting 28 goals and 48 points in 76 regular season games. However, they also moved on from him, trading him to the Montreal Canadiens prior to the 1949-50 season.
His tenure in Montreal was short-lived. He played just 26 games for the Canadiens before breaking his nose and never returning to the NHL. While his hockey career wasn’t done, his NHL career had come to a close just nine seasons after his debut.
Grant Warwick Was Still a Hall of Famer
While his career never led him to the Hockey Hall of Fame, outside of his name on the Calder Trophy, Warwick’s contributions to the game in his home province were widely recognized. Along with his Allan Cup, Warwick added another alongside his brothers in 1954 as a member of the Penticton Vees and also secured a gold medal at the 1955 World Championships, representing Canada.
Related: Revisiting Calder Trophy Seasons – Kilby MacDonald’s 1939-40 Season
In 1986, he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and as such was named as an honorary inductee to the Regina Sports Hall of Fame which was established after his prior induction.
Interestingly enough, he remains 46th on the Rangers’ all-time goal list, and alongside many others as a former Calder Trophy winner.
