Charlie Hodge (ice hockey)

Charlie Hodge
Born	July 28, 1933 Lachine, QC, CAN
Died	April 16, 2016 (aged 82) Vancouver, BC, CAN
Height	5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight	150 lb (68 kg; 10 st 10 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Montreal Canadiens Oakland Seals Vancouver Canucks Providence Reds
Playing career	1955–1971

Charles Edward Hodge (July 28, 1933 – April 16, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and Oakland Seals in the National Hockey League.

Early career

Charlie Hodge was born in Lachine, Quebec. Hodge was devoted to becoming a member of the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Hodge began his hockey career with the Montreal Jr. Canadiens in 1950. In 1952, Hodge began showing his true skills finishing with a 2.22 GAA. The next year, he led the Quebec Junior Hockey League with 35 wins and 5 shutouts. Hodge then moved on to the Cincinnati Mohawks in the International Hockey League. There, he led the league in wins and shutouts and helped the Cincinnati Mohawks win the Turner Cup. In 1955, he played his first game with the Montreal Canadiens.

NHL career

Hodge's first NHL game occurred in 1954 with Montreal. But because teams in that era only carried one goalie, and Montreal had perhaps the best goalie of the era in Jacques Plante, Hodge was only used in emergency situations. During this time, he played mostly in the AHL. When Plante was traded in 1962, Hodge got his chance to play full-time. He twice won the Vezina Trophy for being the goaltender of the team allowing the fewest number of goals during the regular season, once outright in 1963–1964 and shared with Gump Worsley in 1965–1966. Hodge's name appears on the league championship Stanley Cup six times, although he only actually played in one of those finals. He also played 1 game in the finals in 1955, but lost to Detroit. In 1967, young goaltender Rogatien Vachon was called up by the Canadiens. Vachon played superbly, and there was no more room for Hodge. Hodge was left unprotected in 1967 and he was picked up by the Oakland Seals in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft.

Expansion

In 1967, the league doubled in size to 12 teams. Hodge was picked up in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft by Oakland. In Oakland, Hodge garnered up three shutouts and 13 wins. Next season, he saw his playing time greatly reduced and was sent down to the Western Hockey League where he played for the Vancouver Canucks. Hodge was an expansion pick again when the Vancouver Canucks entered the NHL in 1970. He posted a winning record while sharing netminding duties with George Gardner and Dunc Wilson. He retired after being unable to come to terms with General Manager Bud Poile.

Scouting

Hodge sold real estate for a decade until Winnipeg Jets GM John Ferguson recruited him for the team's scout in Western Canada.

Hodge thereafter was an amateur scout for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning after two decades with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He received Stanley Cup rings with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992. He primarily scouted the Vancouver Giants and Chilliwack Bruins of the Western Hockey League and the Lower Mainland clubs in the British Columbia Hockey League.

Awards and achievements

• Turner Cup Championship in 1954.
• Stanley Cup Championship as a goaltender in 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966 with Montreal.
• Stanley Cup Champion 1992 as Scout with Pittsburgh.
• Vezina Trophy Winner in 1964 and in 1966 (shared with Gump Worsley).
• Played in 1964, 1965, and 1967 NHL All-Star Games.
• Selected to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 1964.

Career statistics

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA
1949–50	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	QJHL		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1950–51	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	QJHL		23	14	8	0	1320	57	1	2.59
1951–52	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	QJHL		45	32	10	3	2700	100	3	2.22
1951–52	Montreal Royals	QMHL		1	0	0	0	40	3	0	4.50
1952–53	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	QJHL		44	35	9	0	2640	100	5	2.27
1952–53	Montreal Royals	QMHL		1	0	1	0	60	4	0	4.00
1953–54	Cincinnati Mohawks	IHL		62	—	—	—	3720	145	10	2.34
1953–54	Buffalo Bisons	AHL		3	2	1	0	180	10	0	3.33
1954–55	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		14	6	4	4	820	31	1	2.27
1954–55	Providence Reds	AHL		5	3	2	0	300	18	1	3.60
1954–55	Montreal Royals	QHL		35	17	17	1	2100	113	2	3.23
1955–56	Seattle Americans	WHL		70	31	37	2	4245	239	6	3.38
1956–57	Rochester Americans	AHL		41	18	18	4	2460	132	2	3.22
1956–57	Shawinigan Cataracts	QHL		14	7	5	2	859	39	2	2.72
1957–58	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		12	8	2	2	720	31	1	2.58
1957–58	Montreal Royals	QHL		48	23	21	4	2880	153	4	3.19
1958–59	Montreal Royals	QHL		24	15	8	1	1440	67	1	2.79
1958–59	Rochester Americans	AHL		4	0	4	0	240	12	0	3.00
1958–59	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		2	1	1	0	120	6	0	3.00
1959–60	Montreal Royals	EPHL		33	15	12	6	1980	96	5	2.91
1959–60	Hull-Ottawa Canadiens	EPHL		26	15	6	5	1560	74	2	2.85
1959–60	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		1	0	1	0	60	3	0	3.00
1960–61	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		30	18	8	4	1800	74	4	2.47
1960–61	Montreal Royals	EPHL		22	5	13	4	1320	74	0	3.36
1961–62	Quebec Aces	AHL		65	28	33	4	3900	185	5	2.85
1962–63	Quebec Aces	AHL		67	31	25	11	4020	190	4	2.84
1963–64	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		62	33	18	11	3720	140	8	2.26
1963–64	Quebec Aces	AHL		10	4	6	0	600	32	1	3.20
1964–65	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		53	26	16	10	3180	135	3	2.55
1965–66	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		26	12	7	2	1301	56	1	2.58
1966–67	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		37	11	15	7	2055	88	3	2.57
1967–68	Oakland Seals	NHL		58	13	29	13	3311	158	3	2.86
1968–69	Oakland Seals	NHL		14	4	6	1	781	48	0	3.69
1968–69	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		13	7	2	4	779	32	0	2.54
1969–70	Oakland Seals	NHL		14	3	5	2	738	43	0	3.50
1970–71	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		35	15	13	5	1967	112	0	3.42
NHL totals				358	150	125	61	20,753	925	24	2.70
QHL totals				121	62	51	8	7279	372	9	3.07
AHL totals				195	86	89	19	11,700	567	13	2.91

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA
1949–50	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	M-Cup		2	0	2	0	122	11	0	5.41
1950–51	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	QJHL		9	4	5	0	564	31	0	3.30
1951–52	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	QJHL		11	9	2	0	669	19	0	1.70
1951–52	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	M-Cup		8	4	4	0	480	32	1	4.00
1952–53	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	QJHL		7	—	—	—	560	18	0	2.57
1953–54	Cincinnati Mohawks	IHL		11	8	3	0	660	19	2	1.73
1954–55	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		4	1	2	—	84	6	0	4.29
1957–58	Montreal Royals	QHL		7	2	4	0	380	25	1	3.95
1958-58	Montreal Royals	QHL		2	2	0	0	120	4	0	2.00
1959–60	Hull-Ottawa Canadiens	EPHL		7	3	4	0	430	24	0	3.35
1963–64	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		7	3	4	—	420	16	1	2.29
1964–65	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		5	3	2	—	300	10	1	2.00
1968–69	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		8	8	0	0	497	12	1	1.45
NHL totals				16	7	8	—	804	32	2	2.39

External links

• Crusty old bird dog Hodge still beating bushes for talent, By Gary Kingston, The Vancouver Sun, May 26, 2007
• Charlie Hodge's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database