It Was A Good Life For Me

Lorne Gump Worsley 1929-2007
One of this country’s most colourful hockey legends, NHL Hall of Fame goalie Lorne (Gump) Worsley, passed away last week after suffering a heart attack. He had been in delicate health for four years. He was 77.

In a 21 year career, he kept a sustained sense of humour and love of life. After struggling 10 years for the hapless New York Rangers, he was traded to Les Canadiens. There, Worsley helped Les Glorieux win four Stanley Cups.

The Gumper took Rookie of the Year honours and won the 1952 Calder Trophy. He twice won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender. He did it in 1966 and 1968, when he was also a first-team all-star. He entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1980.

Worsley played maskless in the Original Six NHL. The Gumper played maskless when NHL teams carried only one goaltender. It was the time of NHL netminder greats Jacques Plante, Terry Sawchuk, Glenn Hall and Johnny Bower. Gump retired with a career record of 335-352-150 with 43 shutouts. In the playoffs, he was 40-26 with five shutouts. When he left the NHL, only one goalie, Andy Brown of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was still not wearing a mask.

It was a good life for me. A great life. I loved every minute I was there. I’d do it all over again. Not for the money. I’d just do it all over again.

LORNE Gump WORSLEY

History By Colin
Less known about Gump was that he was also a pretty good soccer player. Canadian soccer historian, Colin Jose, is a man who explores the soccer record in Canada. Jose has found that while playing hockey in the minor leagues for the Saskatoon Quakers in the early 1950s, Worsley played soccer in the summer for the Saskatoon Legion.

Had Worsley not been a star hockey player he might have had an outstanding soccer career. Gump was not a soccer goalkeeper.

In 1952, he played centre forward for Saskatoon All-Stars against the touring Tottenham Hotspur. During the following winter he was moved to New York to play for the Rangers and in the summer of 1953 went home to Montreal to play for Montreal Hakoah. That summer Hakoah had a very good team and reached the Challenge Cup final only to lose in three games to Westminster Royals. Gump played centre half in all three games and scored his teams goal from a penalty kick in the final game.

His father was also a good soccer player and he played in the Challenge Cup final in 1919 for Montreal Grand Trunk Railway, who beat Winnipeg War Veterans in the final.