A hero on the ice and on the battlefield

Throughout his professional hockey career and military service, Francis Clarence McGee demonstrated one thing: retreat was never an option for him. Even in situations where he had to put himself in great danger.

First, when discussing his record — which will likely never be broken — in a Stanley Cup game, it is impossible to ignore his nickname. On the ice, he was known as “One-Eyed” Frank McGee.

The young Ottawa native lost the use of his left eye at the age of 17 when he was hit in the face by a raised puck. That didn't stop him from returning to the game a few years later to become one of the pillars of the Ottawa Silver Seven, who won the Cup several times in the early 20th century.

Things hadn’t changed much for McGee when, in his early thirties, he suffered a knee injury when the armored vehicle he was riding in was hit by shellfire somewhere in Belgium, while he was fighting in World War I. After a long period of hospitalization in England, he chose to rejoin his battalion, now in France, to take part in the Battle of the Somme.

This Franco-British offensive, launched on July 1, 1916, aimed to break through German lines and liberate French territories. One of the deadliest battles in history, it involved soldiers from some 20 nations and resulted in 1.2 million dead, wounded, and missing.

McGee was among them. He was declared dead in action on September 16, 1916. He was 33 years old. His body was never found.

A century later, McGee's name appears on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which was erected to honor Canadian soldiers who died in France without a known grave.

As Remembrance Day approaches, the Vimy Foundation and the Hockey Hall of Fame have helped us share his story.

Eight goals in nine minutes

As a young adult, “One-Eyed” Frank McGee first built a solid reputation on the ice rinks of Canada.

On January 16, 1905, in a Stanley Cup championship game, he scored no fewer than 14 goals in a 23-2 victory for the Ottawa Silver Seven over the Dawson City Nuggets.

It is this record, in particular, that is likely to stand the test of time.

The history of the series between Ottawa and the Nuggets is legendary in itself.

A team made up of the best citizens of this small Yukon town, at its peak during the Klondike Gold Rush, challenged the reigning Stanley Cup champions. The latter agreed to put the trophy on the line in a two-game series. Both games were to be played at Dey’s Rink in the capital.

At the beginning of the 20th century, it was not easy to cross Canada. To cover the 6,900 kilometers between Dawson City and Ottawa, the Nuggets first traveled by dog sled. They also made part of the journey by bicycle and on foot before they could board a train.

The team arrived at the Ottawa station in the middle of January 1905 to play a best-of-three series against the powerful and experienced cup holders.

The visitors managed to hold their own for much of the first game, but the hosts' experience eventually made the difference. The Silver Seven won 9-2, and according to legend, the Dawson City players were not particularly impressed with their star player's performance. “McGee isn't that impressive,” one of the team members reportedly said in the hours following the game.

A search of the digitized archives of newspapers from that era did not turn up this statement.

Nor does history tell us whether McGee was made aware of any of this. What we do know, however, is that he delivered one of the greatest performances of his life in the second and final game of the series.

During this one-sided game, won 23-2 by Ottawa, the team leader found a way to beat the opposing goalie 14 times. McGee reportedly scored no fewer than eight goals in a nine-minute scoring spree, according to the article published on page 2 of the Tuesday, January 17 edition of the Ottawa Journal.

“He was even better than they say he was. He had everything – speed, stickhandling, scoring ability and was a punishing checker. He was strongly built but beautifully proportioned and he had an almost animal rhythm,” said Frank Patrick about him.

Like Frank McGee, Mr. Patrick was also inducted into the Hall of Fame, but as a builder. Before inventing a series of rules that transformed hockey, he followed with interest the exploits of the greatest players of the early 20th century

During his career, which preceded the founding of the National Hockey League, McGee played 45 games at the senior level. In those games, he scored no fewer than 135 goals. He scored 63 goals in 22 games in which his team competed for the Stanley Cup. When the Silver Seven eventually lost the trophy in a game against the Montreal Wanderers in 1906, he decided to hang up his skates. He was 23 years old.

His performances are even more legendary when you consider that he spent his entire career shining despite his disability.

He was one of the first 10 players inducted into the Hall of Fame when it opened in 1945.

To serve your country

“He can see at the required distance with either eye.”

This is written in black and white on the medical certificate found in Frank McGee's military file. The former sports hero, who had chosen to fight for his country in the greatest armed conflict in history, managed to deceive the officers during his examination in the fall of 1914.

How did he pull off this deception? It's a mystery. A few stories have circulated. Unfortunately, the people who witnessed the event are no longer with us to confirm it.

McGee enlisted for service in the Canadian Expeditionary Force as an active member of the 43^rd Regiment (Duke of Cornwall’s Own Rifles) Militia, and was later appointed lieutenant in the 21^st Battalion (Eastern Ontario).

The battalion crossed the ocean in May 1915. McGee was wounded in December of that year. Once he had recovered, in August 1916, he chose to return to the front.

On September 15, the Battle of Flers-Courcelette—part of the Somme Offensive—began. McGee was declared dead in action the following day.

“Francis Clarence McGee’s life reflects the close connection between early Canadian sport and national service in the early twentieth century,” says the Vimy Foundation, whose role today is to preserve and promote Canada's heritage and leadership. “His career bridged the transition from amateur to professional hockey, and his scoring achievements with the Ottawa Hockey Club remain unmatched in the history of the Stanley Cup. His decision to enlist, despite physical limitations and an already distinguished athletic career, reflected a sense of duty that was shared by many Canadian athletes of his generation.”

Frank McGee was born in Ottawa on November 4, 1882. His father, Joseph McGee, was Clerk of the Privy Council of Canada. His uncle, Thomas D'Arcy McGee, was one of the Fathers of Confederation. Between the end of his hockey career and his military service, he served his country by working in the public service.

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