Hod Stuart William Hodgson " Hod " Stuart ( February 20 , 1879 – June 23 , 1907 ) was a Canadian professional ice hockey cover - point ( now known as a defenceman ) who played nine seasons for several teams in different leagues . He also played briefly for the Ottawa Rough Riders football team . With his brother Bruce , Stuart played in the first professional ice hockey league , the American - based International Professional Hockey League ( IPHL ) , where he was regarded as one of the best players in the league . Frustrated with the violence associated with the IPHL , he left the league late in 1906 and returned to Canada , where in 1907 he helped the Montreal Wanderers win the Stanley Cup , the championship trophy for hockey . Two months later , he died in a diving accident . To raise money for his widow and children , the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association hosted an all - star game , the first of its kind to be played in any sport . An estimated 3 , 800 spectators attended the Hod Stuart Memorial Game on January 2 , 1908 , described by the " Montreal Herald " as " unique in the history of hockey in Montreal , if not in the whole of Canada " . In an era when defencemen were expected to stay behind during the play , Stuart became known for his ability to score goals while playing a defensive role , and for his ability to remain calm during matches that often turned violent . He also became known for his work to reduce that violence and to increase the salaries of hockey players . His efforts were acknowledged when the Hockey Hall of Fame was created in 1945 and he became one of the first nine players to be inducted . He was joined there by his brother Bruce in 1961 . Personal life . Stuart was born in Ottawa , Ontario , the eldest son of William Stuart and Rachel Hodgson . He had two brothers , Alex and Bruce , and two sisters , Jessie and Lottio . Stuart was involved in sports from an early age . His father had been a good curler and was once point skip of the Ottawa Curling Club , and both Hod and Bruce played hockey from a young age , often for the same teams . Stuart also played rugby and football , and played for the local professional football team , the Ottawa Rough Riders . Outside of hockey Stuart worked as a bricklayer , and later in his life he also worked with his father in construction . He was said to have been a quiet person , and unlike other athletes of his era was not one to talk about his exploits , except with close friends . Loughlin , his wife , came from Quebec ; around 1903 they were married and had two children together . Playing career . Stuart first joined a senior hockey team when he spent the winter of 1895 – 1896 with the Rat Portage Thistles , a team in northwestern Ontario . Along with his brother Bruce , Stuart joined the Ottawa Hockey Club of the Canadian Amateur Hockey League ( CAHL ) for the 1899 season . He played the 1900 season for Ottawa , captaining the team . Through his father ' s business contacts , Stuart got a job in Quebec and moved there in 1900 ; upon arriving there he joined the Quebec Bulldogs , also of the CAHL . He scored seven goals in fifteen games with the team over the next two seasons . In 1902 , the Pittsburgh Bankers of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League signed Stuart to a professional contract ; this was disputed between the Bankers and the Pittsburgh Victorias , who also claimed him . Eventually the Bankers won the dispute and kept Stuart ; the following year they would also sign Bruce . Stuart was offered a salary of US $ 15 – 20 per week , plus steady income from a day job in Pittsburgh . Stuart scored seven goals and had eight assists and was named the best cover - point in the league in 1903 . After one season in Pittsburgh , Stuart moved to the Portage Lakes Hockey Club , a team in northern Michigan , for the 1903 – 1904 season and played in fourteen exhibition games , finishing fourth on the team with thirteen goals scored . With the formation of the International Professional Hockey League , Stuart left Portage Lake for the Calumet Miners , where he accepted the positions of coach and manager , in addition to playing cover - point , for $ 1 , 800 . He scored eighteen goals for Calumet in 1904 – 1905 , helped the team with the league championship and was named to the end of season all - star team as the best cover - point in the league . On December 11 , 1905 , before the start of the 1905 – 06 season , Stuart was suspended from the league after the western teams complained that he had won too many championships and was too rough for the league . He was reinstated by the league on December 30 , and joined the Pittsburgh Professionals . After Pittsburgh finished their season , Stuart joined Calumet for one game so they could try to win the league championship , which they lost to the Portage Lakes Hockey Club . Once again he was named best cover - point in the IPHL as he scored eleven goals . A big man with a fluid skating stride , he was considered the finest defenceman of his era for his outstanding play on both offence and defence . As the IPHL convinced players to move to the United States and get paid to play , hockey teams in Canada were forced to match the salaries in order to keep their players . Stuart , who was unhappy playing in Pittsburgh because of the violence involved in games , heard from Dickie Boon that the Montreal Wanderers , defending Stanley Cup winners , of the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association ( ECAHA ) were willing to make Stuart the highest paid player in hockey if he were to join the team . On December 13 , 1906 , Stuart had a letter published in the " Montreal Star " that detailed his problems with the IPHL . Stuart ' s chief concern was the officiating ; he said they " don ' t know how to run hockey over here , the rink people appoint the most dumb and incompetent referees that could be found . " In December 1906 Pittsburgh refused to play a game against Michigan Soo , claiming they did not like the choice of referee . While a common problem in the IPHL , Pittsburgh ' s management believed Stuart was behind the action , and released him from the team . No longer bound to any team , Stuart joined the Wanderers ; his first game with the team was watched by 6 , 069 fans . He took part in the Wanderers ' Stanley Cup challenge against the New Glasgow Cubs , a team from Nova Scotia , on December 27 and 29 , 1906 , and along with teammates Riley Hern , Frank Glass , Moose Johnson and Jack Marshall , became the first professional hockey players to compete for the Stanley Cup . Stuart did not escape violence in the ECAHA . On January 12 , 1907 , the Wanderers faced the Ottawa Senators , a game the Wanderers ultimately won 4 – 2 . Charles Spittal of Ottawa was described as " attempting to split Cecil Blachford ' s skull " , Alf Smith hit Stuart " across the temple with his stick , laying him out like a corpse " , and Harry Smith cracked his stick across Ernie " Moose " Johnson ' s face , breaking Johnson ' s nose . Stuart was commended for his actions during the game ; it was said that he neither flinched nor retaliated , even after bearing most of the hits . At a league meeting on January 18 , the Montreal Victorias proposed suspending Spittal and Alf Smith for the season in response to their actions , but this was voted down and the president of the league , Fred McRobie , resigned . The next time the Senators visited Montreal for a game , the police arrested Spittal , Alf and Harry Smith , leading to $ 20 fines for Spittal and Alf , and an acquittal for Harry . Even with the persistent violence , Stuart helped the Wanderers to an undefeated season ; they then accepted a challenge from the Kenora Thistles for the Stanley Cup . The Thistles won the series , held in January , but lost a rematch between the teams in March , giving the Cup back to the Wanderers . Stuart participated in both challenges , and though did not score a goal in any of the four games , he was said to have played the best game of his career in the first game of the series , even with a broken finger . Regarded as the most important player on the Wanderers , Stuart was said to know how to play every position on the ice , and passed his knowledge of the game onto his teammates . Death . Tired of the constant violence , Stuart quit hockey after the Stanley Cup championship in 1907 and joined his father in construction . As part of this job , Stuart was sent to Belleville , Ontario , to oversee the building of the Belleville Drill Shed , one of his father ' s contracts . While in Belleville , he continued to receive offers to join a new hockey team . He was asked if he wanted to manage the Belleville team ; a similar offer came from Peterborough , Ontario , while a town outside Toronto was said to have offered a railroad president ' s salary if Stuart would join them . On the afternoon of June 23 , 1907 , Stuart went to the Bay of Quinte , near Belleville , to swim with some friends . Stuart swam to the nearby lighthouse , about half a kilometre away from his group , climbed onto a platform and dived into the shallow water . He dived head first onto jagged rocks , gashing his head and breaking his neck . He was killed instantly . His body was brought back to Ottawa , where a service was held at his family ' s home before he was buried at Beechwood Cemetery . All - star game . To raise money for Stuart ' s widow and two children , the ECAHA decided to host an all - star game , the first of its kind to be played in any sport . An estimated 3 , 800 spectators attended the Hod Stuart Memorial Game on January 2 , 1908 , with tickets selling out days in advance . Described by the " Montreal Herald " as " unique in the history of hockey in Montreal , if not in the whole of Canada , " the event featured the Montreal Wanderers , Stuart ' s former team , playing against a squad of top players from the other teams in the ECAHA . The Westmount Arena agreed to host the event for no charge , and all proceeds from the game went to Stuart ' s family , totalling over $ 2 , 100 . Fans were asked to mail in choices of who should play on the all - star team , with the contest winners given two tickets to the game . The Wanderers , an established team , played better than the All - Stars , who had to learn to play together , and led 7 – 1 after the first half of the game ; though the All - Stars played better in the second half , the Wanderers won by a score of 10 – 7 .