Riley Hern
Inducted:
1963
Player Stats
5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Born:
December 5, 1878
St. Marys, Ontario, Canada
Died:
June 24, 1929
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Position:
Goaltender
College:
St. Marys
Stratford
William Milton "Riley" Hern was the first superstar goaltender of the professional era and a cornerstone of the Montreal Wanderers dynasty. Before the NHL existed, Hern was the man between the pipes for one of the greatest teams in history, backstopping the Wanderers to four Stanley Cup championships between 1906 and 1910. He was renowned for his "coolness" under pressure and was one of the first goaltenders to master the art of the kick save.
Hern’s career was a bridge between the amateur and professional worlds. In 1904, he became the first professional goaltender in history when he joined the Portage Lakes Hockey Club in the International Hockey League (IHL). Despite the high-scoring nature of the era and the lack of protective equipment, Hern maintained a remarkably low goals-against average. He retired at the top of his game in 1911 to pursue a career as a businessman and NHL referee. He was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963.
Hern's Awards and Record:
- 4x Stanley Cup Champion (1906, 1907, 1908, 1910)
- First Professional Goalie in hockey history (1904)
- IHL First All-Star Team (1904, 1905)
- Only goaltender to be a part of all four of the Wanderers' early Stanley Cup victories
- Was the starting goaltender for the Wanderers during the inaugural season of the NHA in 1910
NHL Teams
Pittsburgh Keystones (WPHL) (1901-1903)
Portage Lakes (IPHL) (1903-1906)
Montreal Wanderers (ECAHA/NHA) (1906-1911)
NHL Stats
Playing career:
1898–1911
Games Played (ECAHA/ECHA/NHA):
61
Wins:
46
Losses:
15
Goals Against Average (GAA):
4.65
Shutouts:
1
Playoff Record:
10-4 in 14 games
Playoff GAA:
3.86
Stanley Cups:
4 (1906, 1907, 1908, 1910)