NOTORIOUSLY IMPULSIVE, SPRAGUE CLEGHORN WAS DESPISED BY OPPONENTS BUT TRULY APPRECIATED BY HIS TEAMMATES.

Skill and skulduggery were the hallmarks of Sprague Cleghorn’s 20-year career in professional hockey. A Montreal native, the rugged defenseman was among the meanest players of his era, consistently one of the team leaders in both scoring and penalty minutes.

Cleghorn began his pro career with the NHA’s Renfrew Millionaires and then moved back to his hometown, suiting up as a member of the Wanderers for six seasons. He developed quickly, becoming an excellent defenseman both in his own end and when leading the rush up the ice.

Quick-tempered and fiercely competitive, “Peg” as he was known to his friends, gave no impression through his play that he was at all familiar with the rules of hockey. His stick, as often as not, was put to use on opponents rather than the puck, making his side of the ice an area to be avoided if at all possible.

With the advent of the NHL, Cleghorn became a member of the Ottawa Senators. A team featuring several future Hall of Famers, they won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1920 and 1921 with their rock-ribbed defenseman playing a major role in both triumphs.

Acquired by Montreal prior to the start of the 1921-22 season, the 31-year-old joined forces with younger brother Odie, who had been a fixture with the Canadiens since the NHL’s inception. His kid brother’s more tranquil style of play did not change Cleghorn’s approach to his duties. Neither did the fact that he was named team captain upon arrival.

As always, Cleghorn was merciless with his adversaries, beating them both with his goals and his fists. Determined not to come out second-best in any confrontation, Cleghorn battled through four seasons with the Canadiens, proving that while he might have aged, he certainly hadn’t mellowed. He put three Senators out of commission in a single game in 1922 and faced assault charges following another on-ice incident the next year.

A decade in the trenches hadn’t eroded Cleghorn’s offensive skills. Sprague scored 17 goals in his first season wearing the bleu-blanc-rouge. His 24 points tied Odie for the team lead and his 63 penalty minutes were tops in the league, more than double the next highest total.

Under Cleghorn’s on-ice leadership, the Canadiens won their second Stanley Cup in the spring of 1924, defeating challengers from Vancouver and Calgary. Representing the East again in the following year, Montreal lost out to the Victoria Millionaires, the last non-NHL team to capture the Cup.

Cleghorn ended his NHL career playing three years in Boston, followed by a brief minor league stint before coaching for several years. He directed the fortunes of the Montreal Maroons for one season, guiding them to the semifinals in 1932-33.

Sprague Cleghorn died in 1956 from injuries suffered when he was hit by a car. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.