Russ Blinco was 25 when he suited up for his first career NHL game as a member of the Montreal Maroons in 1933-34. He signed with the Maroons after playing for the Windsor Bulldogs of the International Hockey League in 1932-33 and, in doing so, became the first NHL player to wear spectacles in an NHL game.
But it wasn’t the glasses that put Blinco’s name down in the NHL record books. Rather it was his play during his rookie season in 1933-34 that landed him the honour of being named just the second player in NHL history to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the rookie of the year.
With that, let’s take a look back at what Blinco did in his rookie season to earn him the honours of being the league’s top rookie during the 1933-34 NHL season.
Blinco Was A Natural Goal Scorer
It wasn’t the case his entire career, but as a 25-year-old Blinco had a clear-cut ability to put the puck into the net. His rookie season saw him play 31 regular season games for the Maroons and he scored 14 goals over that span.
His goal total from that season was an eventual career-high, while his 0.45 goal-per-game average that season was also a career mark. He added nine assists and while the following season he did notch 27 points, his 23 points in 31 games as a rookie was his best point-per-game average of his short career as well.
Of his 14 goals that season, 10 were at even strength and four came with the man advantage. He also added one game winner to his tally as well. He finished the season third on the Maroons in goals behind Baldy Northcott (20) and Hooley Smith (18) and tied for 19th in the league in that category.
Meanwhile, he finished tied for fifth on the Maroons with Jimmy Ward for points in his rookie campaign, 14 points back of Smith for the team lead.
The Maroons would make the playoffs that season and while he was a goal machine in the regular season, Blinco finished with just one assist in four games, losing to the Chicago Black Hawks in the semi-finals. The Maroons finished 19-18-11 in 48 games and Blinco ended his rookie season by taking home the Calder Trophy as the top rookie that year.
His goal scoring didn’t stop there either. In 265 career regular season games, he finished with 59 goals — an average of 0.22 goals per game and far less than his rookie season average.
Blinco Added to His Trophy Case
The following season, Blinco posed 13 goals and 27 points in 48 games for the Maroons. The point total was a career high and the Maroons improved to 24-19-5 in the regular season during his second year. He finished tied for second on the Maroons in scoring with Herb Cain and Hooley Smith and helped the Maroons reach the playoffs once again.
This time, however, the Maroons were ready. They beat the Black Hawks and the New York Rangers before beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 in the final to win the Stanley Cup — another trophy for Blinco to add to his case.
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This time, Blinco finished the run with two goals and four points in the team’s seven games. On top of that, he finished second in Lady Byng voting for the regular season with just four penalty minutes to go along with his 27 points.
Blinco would once again be up for the Byng in 1936-37 when he finished with 18 points in 45 games and just two penalty minutes to go along with those numbers. He finished third this time around, closing out his run of accolades during his career.
Blinco Had A Short, Sweet NHL Career
Blinco would eventually be traded by the Maroons to the Black Hawks at the age of 30 prior to the 1938-39 season. He played 48 games for the Black Hawks with just three goals and 15 points before retiring after just six seasons in the NHL.
The trade saw Blinco go to the Hawks along with Northcott and Earl Robinson in exchange for $30,000.
As for Blinco, he finished his career with 59 goals and 125 points over 265 regular season games, adding another three goals and six points in 19 playoff games. Over that span he had just 24 penalty minutes which would explain why he was considered for the Lady Byng twice over his career as well.
While his career was short-lived, Blinco’s name will continue to be held within the NHL record books for his outstanding rookie season in 1933-34. Like his predecessor, Carl Voss, he might not be the most recognized name, but his Calder season was certainly one for the ages.
Other Calder Seasons:
