Joe Jerwa
Born 20 January 1907
Warsaw, Russian Empire
(present-day Poland)
Died 11 April 1983(1983-04-11) (aged 76)
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Defense
Shot Left
Played for New York Rangers
Boston Bruins
New York Americans
Playing career 19281942

Joseph Charles Jerwa (22 January 1907 – 11 April 1983) was a Polish-born Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman who played 8 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and New York Americans between 1930 and 1939.[1] He was the first Polish-born player in NHL history.[2][3]

Early life

Jerwa was born in Warsaw, Russian Empire (now Poland) on 22 January 1907 to Frank and Anna Jerwa.[4][5][1] He had three brothers, Frank, Art, and Steve, all of whom later played hockey, and a sister, Josephine.[6][7][8][9][5] The family moved to Bankhead, Alberta in 1911, then to nearby Canmore in 1922.[10][11] He and his brother Frank played for both the Canmore Miners junior and senior teams during the late 1920s.[10][12]

Career

Jerwa's hockey career started during the 1928-29 season with the Vancouver Lions in the PCHL.[13] He played 77 games with them between 1928 and 1930 before being traded to the New York Rangers (NYR) along with Red Beattie for $25,000.[14][15] He played 9 games for the Rangers' Can-Am affiliate, the Springfield Indians, before being recalled in December 1930.[15][16][17] His NHL debut was on March 17, 1931, with NYR against the Ottawa Senators, wherein he earned 1 assist with a pass to Butch Keeling during the second period.[18][19] He played 37 games for NYR during the 1930-31 season.[6]

In 1931, he was traded from NYR to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Dutch Gainor.[20] The following year, the Bruins traded Red Beattie for Jerwa's brother Frank.[10] Between 1931 and 1935, he played 172 games for the Boston Cubs.[21][15][14] In 1935, after 39 games with the Bruins, he was traded along with Nels Stewart to the New York Americans (NYA).[14][22][6] Though he briefly returned to the Bruins in 1936 due to an incomplete contract, he was sent back to the NYA on loan for Al Shields and future considerations for Terry Reardon and Tom Cooper in 1937.[14] He played 175 games with the NYA until being traded to the Cleveland Barons in 1939, where he played 147 games.[15][14] He retired in 1942 after being advised by doctors to quit playing due to irreparable tears in his groin muscles.[10][23][24] Just weeks before his retirement was announced, he was selected to play in the second-ever AHL All-Star Game on the western team.[25]

Later life

Following his retirement from hockey, Jerwa settled in Vancouver and worked as a longshoreman.[26] In 1932, during his time with the Cubs, he married Ethel Melria "Millie" Haynes in Montréal and the couple had two children.[27] Jerwa died on April 11, 1983, aged 75, in Coquitlam, British Columbia.[28] He was survived by his wife, children Jerry and Joan, and 5 grandchildren.[26] Millie died in 1993.[29]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1927–28 Canmore Miners ASHL
1928–29 Vancouver Lions PCHL 35851372 30116
1929–30 Vancouver Lions PCHL 351261876 41016
1930–31 New York Rangers NHL 3471172 40004
1930–31 Springfield Indians Can-Am 980826
1931–32 Boston Bruins NHL 110008
1931–32 Boston Cubs Can-Am 3171522116 522427
1932–33 Boston Cubs Can-Am 39101828108 742622
1933–34 Boston Bruins NHL 20002
1933–34 Boston Cubs Can-Am 374812101 520228
1934–35 Boston Cubs Can-Am 4421173895 315620
1935–36 New York Americans NHL 479122165 52352
1936–37 Boston Bruins NHL 2635830
1936–37 New York Americans NHL 20681427
1937–38 New York Americans NHL 483141753 60008
1938–39 New York Americans NHL 474121652 20002
1939–40 Cleveland Barons IAHL 494101461
1940–41 Cleveland Barons AHL 5613223520 44046
1941–42 Cleveland Barons AHL 3318918
NHL totals 204295887309 1723516

References

  1. 1 2 "Joe Jerwa". Hockey Reference. n.d. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  2. Paulus, Steve (2022-01-20). "January 20 in NYR history: Broadway Bernie arrives & happy B-day Reavo". Blue Line Station. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  3. Clinton, Jared (2017-07-31). "HISTORY MAKERS: 11 PLAYERS WHO BECAME THE FIRST NHLERS FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES". The Hockey News. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  4. "Jerwa". Calgary Herald. Calgary, AB. 1971-03-05. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 "Tops in markmanship". Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. 1965-07-17. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 3 "Joe Jerwa". Stats Crew. n.d. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  7. "Briquetters hit old-time form". The Calgary Albertan. Calgary, Alberta. 1942-11-13. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  8. Wilson, Ralph (1936-12-16). "Sport O Scope Candid Comment". Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  9. "Marra". Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. 1981-03-30. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Frank Jerwa and Joe Jerwa". Greatest Hockey Legends. 2015-08-01. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  11. "Jerwa". Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. 1971-03-05. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  12. "Joe Jerwa". QuantHockey. n.d. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  13. "Frank Patrick signs lilkely young players". Times Colonist. Victoria, BC. 1928-10-27. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "JOE JERWA 1946 BOSTON BRUINS". HockeyGods. 2019-03-10. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Joe Jerwa". Stats Crew. n.d. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  16. "Joe Jerwa stars as Indians win". The Province. Vancouver, BC. 1930-12-05. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  17. "Hockey standings". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, AB. 1930-12-22. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  18. "Joe Jerwa #2". NHL. n.d. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  19. Parrott, Harold F. (1931-03-18). "Rangers get a cup, but not the right one". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, NY. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  20. Lindroth, Andrew (2020-04-10). "Bruins Alumni: Happy Birthday Dutch Gainor". Black & Gold Hockey Podcast. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  21. "Joe Jerwa scores for Boston Cubs". The Province. Vancouver, BC. 1933-03-17. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  22. Jones, Victor O. (1931-03-18). "Stewart is sold to the Amerks". The Boston Globe. Boston, MA. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  23. "Joe Jerwa, vet defense player, quits Cleveland". Sunday News. Lancaster, PA. 1942-02-15. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  24. "Snapshots on sport in Canada". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Kingston, ON. 1942-11-13. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  25. "American League All-Star Teams Announced for Game on Feb. 3". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. 1942-01-31. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  26. 1 2 "Jerwa". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, BC. 1983-04-13. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  27. "Shower for Bride-Elect". The Calgary Albertan. Calgary, AB. 1932-11-25. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  28. "Joe Jerwa dead at 75". The Province. Vancouver, BC. 1983-04-13. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
  29. "Jerwa". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, BC. 1993-11-05. Retrieved 2022-04-11 via newspapers.com.
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