Alec Connell

Alec Connell (February 8, 1902 – May 10, 1958) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Falcons, New York Americans and Montreal Maroons teams in the National Hockey League. His nickname was "The Ottawa Fireman".
==Playing Career==
He played junior hockey in Kingston in 1917-18 and 1918-19. From 1919-24, Connell played in the Ottawa City Senior League for the Ottawa Cliffsides, Ottawa Gunners, and Ottawa St Brigids.
Connell joined the Senators for the 1924–25 season after the Senators dealt Clint Benedict (Ottawa's former number one goalie) to the Montreal Maroons. In 1927 he was one of the first goalies to record a 30–win season, the year that the original Ottawa Senators franchise won the last of their Stanley Cups. In the 1927–28 season he set the NHL record for the longest shutout streak at 461:29, by recording six consecutive shutouts, from January 31 to February 18, 1928.
The Ottawa team fell into decline after that and, while the Ottawa team was in hiatus for the 1931–32 season, he played for the Detroit Falcons under loan. He returned to the Senators after that until his first retirement after the 1932–33 season. He was named team captain for that season.
He played one game for the New York Americans in the next season as a substitute. He then returned to the NHL to play for the Montreal Maroons and won a Stanley Cup in 1935. He retired again, but returned two seasons later with the Maroons.
His 1.91 career goals against average (GAA) is the all-time record among goaltenders of his era. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.
He lived to see himself elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, but died before his formal induction after a lengthy illness on May 10, 1958.
==Career Statistics==
GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, SO = Shutouts, GAA = Goals against average
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	SO 	GAA 	 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	SO 	GAA
1924–25 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	30 	17 	12 	1 	7 	2.14 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1925–26 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	36 	24 	8 	4 	15 	1.12 	 	2 	0 	1 	1 	0 	1.00
1926–27 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	44 	30 	10 	4 	13 	1.49 	 	6 	3 	0 	3 	2 	0.60
1927–28 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	44 	20 	14 	10 	15 	1.24 	 	2 	0 	2 	0 	0 	1.50
1928–29 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	44 	14 	17 	13 	7 	1.43 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1929–30 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	44 	21 	15 	8 	3 	2.55 	 	2 	0 	1 	1 	0 	3.00
1930–31 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	36 	10 	22 	4 	3 	3.01 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1931–32 	Detroit Falcons 	NHL 	 	48 	18 	20 	10 	6 	2.12 	 	2 	0 	1 	1 	0 	1.50
1932–33 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	15 	4 	8 	2 	1 	2.56 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1933–34 	New York Americans	NHL 	 	1 	1 	0 	0 	0 	3.00 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1934–35 	Montreal Maroons 	NHL 	 	48 	24 	19 	5 	9 	1.86 	 	7 	5 	0 	2 	2 	1.12
1936–37 	Montreal Maroons 	NHL 	 	27 	10 	11 	6 	2 	2.21 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	417 	193 	156 	67 	81 	1.91 	 	21 	8 	5 	8 	4 	1.19
==Gallery==
1935-Jan8-Bun Cook-Connell.jpg|Bun Cook scores on Alec Connell, January 8, 1935.
==External Links==
*
* Find-A-Grave profile for Alex "The Ottawa Fireman" Connell
*
Category:Ottawa Gunners players
Category:Ottawa Cliffsides players
Category:Ottawa St. Brigids players
Category:Born in 1902
Category:Dead in 1958
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Detroit Falcons players
Category:Hockey Hall of Fame
Category:Montreal Maroons players
Category:New York Americans players
Category:Ottawa Senators (original) players
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Retired in 1937