Alfred Joseph Francis "Gentleman Joe" Primeau (January 29, 1906 – May 14, 1989), was a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.

Playing career

Born in Lindsay, Ontario, and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Primeau moved to Toronto at an early age and began his professional career in 1927 with the Toronto Ravinas, an affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs. While he played in a handful of games for the Maple Leafs in the previous two seasons, he became a full-time member of the Maple Leafs in the 1929–30 season, famously centering the Kid Line with Charlie Conacher and Busher Jackson. He tied for ninth in the league for assists that year with 21.

In 1930–31, with Conacher on his right wing blossoming into a great scoring star and recording the first of his five goal-scoring championships, Primeau finished sixth in league scoring with 41 points. After failing to make the playoffs in his rookie season, the Kid Line led Toronto to a second place position in the Canadian Division, but the Leafs fell in the opening round of the playoffs to Chicago. Primeau placed third in voting for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

The 1930–31 season saw the inauguration of the new Maple Leaf Gardens, and it was Primeau's best season. Helping lead the Leafs to their only Stanley Cup championship of his career, he scored 50 points to finish second in league scoring (behind linemate Jackson), led the league in assists with 37, and was awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, breaking Frank Boucher's streak of four straight Byng wins. Primeau's play slipped in the following season, but he still finished second in Byng voting to Boucher.

1933–34 saw Primeau return to full form, finishing second (behind Conacher with 52) in league scoring with 46 and once again leading the league in assists. With Jackson finishing seventh with 38, the Kid Line led the league in forward line scoring by a wide margin. Conacher and Jackson both were named First Team All-Stars, while Primeau was named to the Second Team, as well as finishing runner-up in Byng voting once again to Boucher.

With his skills fading sharply in his final season (although he scored seven points in nine games in the playoffs) Primeau retired in 1936 at age 30. Over his NHL career, Primeau scored 66 goals and 177 assists in 310 games.

Retirement and coaching career

Primeau operated a concrete business in the offseasons (which became Primeau-Argo Block), and running the business contributed to his early retirement. In his personal life, he was married to his wife Helen, and had four children, Joseph Jr, William, Anne-Marie and Richard, as well as numerous grandchildren.

Going into coaching in 1946 with his old Toronto St. Michaels team for three seasons, he coached the Majors to a Memorial Cup title in his first year, racking up a 33-3 regular season record. With a much poorer record over the succeeding two years, he moved on to coach the Toronto Marlboros senior team to the Allan Cup championship in 1950, and was hired thereafter to be the head coach for the Maple Leafs. Primeau won the Stanley Cup in his first year as head coach of the Maple Leafs in 1950–51. He remains the only coach to ever lead teams to the Memorial Cup, Allan Cup and Stanley Cup championships.

Primeau was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963.

He died in Toronto, Ontario at the age of 83, and was interred in the Assumption Catholic Cemetery, Mississauga.

In 1989, Primeau was ranked number 92 on The Hockey News list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Awards and achievements

Player

• 1931–32 – Stanley Cup Champion – Toronto Maple Leafs

• 1931–32 – Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

• 1933–34 – Second Team All-Star – Centre

• 1963 – Honoured member – Hockey Hall of Fame

Coach

• 1946–47 – Memorial Cup Champion – Toronto St. Michael's Majors

• 1949–50 – Allan Cup Champion – Toronto Marlboros

• 1950–51 – Stanley Cup Champion – Toronto Maple Leafs

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Coaching record

References

External links