Broadbent's given name was Harry, but he was dubbed "Punch" for a couple of reasons. Not only did he have a knockout scoring punch, a knack for getting goals at clutch times, but he was a power forward decades before the term became popular.
The Ottawa native played most of his career in Canada's capital. He turned pro when the Senators and the National Hockey Association formed. In 1912-13, his first season, Broadbent scored 21 goals. Two seasons later, he had 24.
Broadbent's given name was Harry, but he was dubbed "Punch" for a couple of reasons. Not only did he have a knockout scoring punch, a knack for getting goals at clutch times, but he was a power forward decades before the term became popular.
The Ottawa native played most of his career in Canada's capital. He turned pro when the Senators and the National Hockey Association formed. In 1912-13, his first season, Broadbent scored 21 goals. Two seasons later, he had 24.
But Broadbent put his hockey career on hold and joined Canada's armed forces for three years during World War I, earning a Canadian Military Medal for heroic combat service overseas. By the time he returned to the Senators for the 1918-19 season, they were part of the NHL, which had begun play in 1917.
Broadbent hadn't lost any of his game during his military service. He had 19 goals in 21 games during 1919-20, his first full NHL season, then helped the Senators win the Stanley Cup -- their first of three in four seasons. He was even better in 1921-22, leading the NHL in goals (31) and points (45) in 24 games. That included a 16-game goal-scoring streak from Dec. 21, 1921, to Feb. 15, 1922 -- still an NHL record.
The Senators had tried twice to trade Broadbent, but he refused to leave his hometown and stayed with Ottawa. However, on Oct. 20, 1924, the now-32-year-old forward and goalie Clint Benedict were sent to the Montreal Maroons for cash.
This time, Broadbent reported, and in his second season helped the Maroons win the Stanley Cup in 1926. He played three seasons with Montreal, one in a return to Ottawa and one with the New York Americans before retiring after the 1928-29 season, finishing with 172 points (120 goals, 52 assists) in 303 NHL games.
He coached for several years in the Ottawa city league, where he had begun his hockey career, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962. Broadbent died on March 6, 1971.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Signed as a free agent by Ottawa, January 21, 1919.
- Rights transferred to Hamilton by NHL, December 30, 1920.
- Rights traded to Montreal by Hamilton for cash, January 4, 1921.
- Rights returned to Ottawa by NHL, February 21, 1921.
- Traded to Mtl. Maroons by Ottawa with Clint Benedict for cash, October 20, 1924.
- Traded to Ottawa by Mtl. Maroons with $22,500 for Hooley Smith, October 7, 1927.
- Traded to NY Americans by Ottawa for cash, October 15, 1928.
