Joe Primeau

Joe Primeau was born on January 29, 1906 in Lindsay, Ontario. He grew up in British Columbia and moved to Toronto as a youngster. Primeau played hockey with the St. Michaels College, later on Toronto St. Mary's team and then the Can-Pro league, greatly impressing Maple Leafs boss Frank Selke. Though he played a hard nosed style of hockey, his clean cut look earned him the nickname "Gentleman Joe". By 1929 Primeau's career finally took flight as he began playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Primeau is best known for playing on the Maple Leafs' "Kid Line" alongside Charlie Conacher and Busher Jackson. The 23-year-old Primeau centred the line with a pair of 18-year-old rookies and all three turned into NHL superstars who won Stanely Cups and earned Hall of Famer inductions. Joe Primeau had his best point season in 1931-32 when he scored 50 points in 46 games. The Toronto Maple Leafs also won a Stanley Cup championship in 1932 with him in the lineup. After ending his hockey playing career in 1936, Primeau continued to be involved in the game, coaching at the minor league level. In 1950 he became head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs and led them to a Stanley Cup victory that year. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963 and passed away in 1989.

Joe Primeau's Career Statistics

Year     Team                  GP   G   A   Pts   Pim
1927-28  Toronto Maple Leafs    1   0   0     0     0      
1928-29  Toronto Maple Leafs    6   0   1     1     2      
1929-30  Toronto Maple Leafs   43   5  21    26    22      
1930-31  Toronto Maple Leafs   38   9  32    41    18      
1931-32  Toronto Maple Leafs   46  13  37    50    25      
1932-33  Toronto Maple Leafs   48  11  21    32     4      
1933-34  Toronto Maple Leafs   45  14  32    46     8      
1934-35  Toronto Maple Leafs   37  10  20    30    16      
1935-36  Toronto Maple Leafs   45   4  13    17    10
Career Totals                 309  66 177   243   105 

Joe Primeau Pictures