Fred Whitcroft

Fred Whitcroft
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1963
Born	(1882-12-02)2 December 1882 Milford, County Carlow, Ireland, UK
Died	9 August 1931(1931-08-09) (aged 48) Atlin, British Columbia, Canada
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position	Rover
Shot	Right
Played for	Renfrew Creamery Kings Edmonton Eskimos Kenora Thistles
Playing career	1906–1910

Frederick John Whitcroft (2 December 1882 – 9 August 1931) was a Canadian Ice Hockey player and coach. Whitcroft played for several notable amateur and early professional hockey squads, including the Renfrew Creamery Kings, Edmonton Eskimos and Kenora Thistles.

Hockey career[]

Early in his career, Whitcroft made a name for himself in hockey circles with his outstanding amateur play with the Peterborough Colts. In 1907 the Stanley Cup champion Kenora Thistles signed him to a $700 contract. While with the Thistles, the team defeated Brandon to retain the Stanley Cup. The club next played a challenge with the Montreal Wanderers. The Wanderers defeated the Thistles in a two game, total points series by the score of 12–8, avenging their loss to the Thistles earlier in the season.^{[citation needed]}

The following year Whitcroft signed a contract to play with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Alberta Professional Hockey League. While with Edmonton, Whitcroft scored six goals in a game, five goals in a game three times and four times in a game once. Whitcroft led the league two years running in goals scored. Edmonton played in one Stanley Cup challenge in 1908, coming up against the Wanderers, losing 13-10 on goals in a two-game series. After the Edmonton team disbanded in December 1909, Whitcroft jumped back east and signed with the National Hockey Association's Renfrew Creamery Kings for $2,000. Among his teammates were Hockey Hall of Famers Cyclone Taylor, Frank Patrick, Lester Patrick, and Newsy Lalonde, on a team dubbed the Renfrew Millionaires. After one season playing for the Millionaires, Whitcroft retired from playing. He coached the Edmonton Dominions to the Alberta championship in 1913–14.^{[citation needed]}

Taking up gold prospecting after his hockey career was over, Whitcroft died of a heart attack in northern British Columbia in August, 1931. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962.^[1]

References[]

• "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FB4H-ZPP : 10 March 2018), BIRTHS entry for Frederick John Whitcroft; citing Millford, Oct - Dec 1882, vol. 2, p. 227, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,058.

Bibliography[]

• Hockey Hall of Fame (2003). Honoured Members: Hockey Hall of Fame. Bolton, Ontario: Fenn Publishing. ISBN 1-55168-239-7.

Notes[]

External links[]

• Biographical information and career statistics from Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey