Sprague Cleghorn

Sprague Horace "Peg" Cleghorn, (March 11, 1890 – July 12, 1956), was a Canadian professional player who played for the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Renfrew Creamery Kings and Toronto St. Patricks in the National Hockey Association and National Hockey League from 1911 until 1929.
==Playing Career==
Born in Montreal, Cleghorn had a Hall of Fame career but was regarded as one of the dirtiest players of his era. He played on Stanley Cup-winning teams in 1920, 1921 and 1924. 
In 1909–10, Cleghorn began his career with the Montreal Wanderers, becoming a professional with Renfrew of the National Hockey Association (NHA) the next season. He then played for the Montreal Wanderers for six seasons. In the NHL, he played defenceman for the Ottawa Senators from 1918 to 1920. In an attempt at league parity, the NHL transferred him to the Hamilton Tigers in December 1920, but Cleghorn refused to report. The Senators asked that he be allowed to return to their team. George Kennedy, owner of the Montreal Canadiens, threatened to have Ottawa thrown out of the league. Cleghorn eventually signed with Toronto, but was released in March after the St. Pats lost their play-off and he signed with Ottawa during the playoffs in time to be a member of the 1921 Stanley Cup-winning team.
The league transferred Cleghorn to Hamilton in 1921, and again he refused to go. Just before the start of the 1921–22 NHL season, Sprague was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Harry Mummery and Amos Arbour. He played four seasons in Montreal and after the 1924–25 NHL season, was purchased by the Boston Bruins for $5,000. Sprague played his final three seasons in the NHL with Boston (1925 to 1928). He then moved to the minor-league Newark Bulldogs (1928–29) as a player-coach. Later, he coached the CAHL Providence Reds (1930–31) and NHL Montreal Maroons (1931–32). He later coached the Pittsburgh Shamrocks of the International Hockey League (1935–36) and the Cornwall Cougars of Quebec's Provincial Senior League in 1947-48..
Even in an era of rough play, Cleghorn was notorious for being among the dirtiest of the lot, and ranked amongst the league leaders in penalty minutes for nine of the first ten seasons of the NHL's history. In 1923, Cleghorn hit Ottawa Senators player Lionel Hitchman in the head with his stick. Charged with aggravated assault, Cleghorn was found guilty and fined $50. 
Cleghorn was hit by a car in early June 1956, and died of his injuries in Montreal on July 12, 1956. His funeral was July 14, 1956 and he was buried in Montreal. Cleghorn's brother, Odie Cleghorn, was found dead in his bed just hours before the funeral, as a result of heart failure, perhaps induced by the stress of the loss of his brother.
==Awards & Achievements==
* 1924: Name was engraved on the Stanley Cup.
* 1958: Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
* In 1998, he was ranked number 88 on List of 100 greatest hockey players by The Hockey News.
==Career Statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1910–11 	Renfrew Creamery Kings	NHA 	 	12 	5 	0 	5 	27 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1911–12 	Montreal Wanderers 	NHA 	 	18 	9 	0 	9 	40 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1912–13 	Montreal Wanderers 	NHA 	 	19 	12 	0 	12 	46 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1913–14 	Montreal Wanderers 	NHA 	 	20 	12 	8 	20 	17 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1914–15 	Montreal Wanderers 	NHA 	 	19 	21 	12 	33 	51 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	17
1915–16 	Montreal Wanderers 	NHA 	 	8 	9 	4 	13 	22 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1916–17 	Montreal Wanderers 	NHA 	 	19 	16 	9 	25 	62 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1918–19 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	18 	6 	6 	12 	27 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1919–20 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	21 	16 	5 	21 	62 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1920–21 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	3 	2 	1 	3 	9 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1920–21 	Toronto St. Patricks 	NHL 	 	13 	3 	4 	7 	26 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
1920–21 	Ottawa Senators 	Stanley Cup	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	 	5 	1 	2 	3 	36
1921–22 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	24 	17 	7 	24 	63 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1922–23 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	24 	9 	4 	13 	34 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1923–24 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	23 	8 	3 	11 	39 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1924–25 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	27 	8 	1 	9 	82 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1925–26 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	28 	6 	5 	11 	49 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1926–27 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	44 	7 	1 	8 	84 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1927–28 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	26 	2 	2 	4 	14 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1927–28 	Newark Bulldogs 	CAHL 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals 	 	251 	84 	39 	123 	489 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Trivia==
*Though a defenseman, Cleghorn wore jersey #1 for the entire 1926-27 NHL season while playing for the Boston Bruins.
==Gallery==
1925_Hitchman_Cleghorn_Stewart.jpg|Bruins 1925-26 defense. Lionel Hitchman, Charles Stewart and Sprague Cleghorn.
==External Links==
* 
Category:Born in 1890
Category:Dead in 1956
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Hockey Hall of Fame
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:Montreal Wanderers (NHA) players
Category:Ottawa Senators (original) players
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Toronto St. Pats players
Category:Pittsburgh Shamrocks players
Category:Montreal Maroons coaches
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches
Category:Newark Bulldogs coaches
Category:Newark Bulldogs players
Category:Retired in 1928