Born in Fort William on May 7th, 1907, Tommy went on to learn his outstanding hockey skills on the ponds and rinks of his hometown. He first played organized hockey with St. Pats in the church league before playing junior hockey with the Fort William Dominions. From this starting point, Tommy went on to play hockey at St. John's College in Winnipeg before returning to play senior hockey with the Fort William Thundering Herd.

 

Tommy soon caught the eye of professional scouts and was signed to play for the Tulsa Oilers of the American Hockey Association in 1928. In his only season with the team, Tommy won the AHA scoring title and led his team to the AHA championships. This season did not go unnoticed by the Chicago Black Hawks who signed him in 1929.

 

Tommy would wind up playing eight seasons in Chicago before playing his final season in Montreal, amassing 77 goals and 98 assists for 175 points during his career.

 

The high point of Tommy's career occurred during the 1934 season, his fifth with the Black Hawks. The Black Hawks beat the Detroit Red Wings three games to one to win the Stanley Cup. In the earlier round, Tommy had scored his only playoff goal, a timely one at that, as it would become the goal that knocked Montreal out of the playoffs, putting the Hawks into the finals, on their road to victory.

 

After his retirement from professional hockey in 1938, Tommy returned to the Lakehead where he went on to coach hockey and baseball. Tommy passed away in 1961, leaving behind a legacy of greatness in the early days of hockey in Canada.

 

Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, September 29, 1990