David "Sweeney" Schriner

David Schriner was born in Russia in 1911. Even though he was born half a world away from Alberta, he would have a significant impact on this province’s hockey culture.

Long before he knew how to walk or talk, Schriner’s family left their native land for a new life in Canada. Little David was barely over a month old when the move was made.

As a child growing up in Calgary, Schriner’s first love was the game of baseball. He idolized a semi-pro player by the name of Bill Sweeney, and that’s how he was blessed with his famous nickname. But, he excelled at the game of hockey, and by the 1930s, he had made his way onto the roster of the junior Calgary Canadians. In 1933 he played in the Allan Cup for the Calgary Broncs.

The National Hockey League scouts followed his progress with interest. In 1934, Sweeney Schriner made his pro debut with the New York Americans, the "other" team on Broadway that played in the shadows of the New York Rangers. That first season in the big city was a major triumph; Schriner won the Calder Trophy, awarded to the League’s rookie of the year. That first season was a harbinger of things to come. Schriner enjoyed a glorious NHL career, registering 201 goals and 204 assists in 484 career games.

In both the 1935-36 and 1936-37 seasons, Schriner won NHL scoring championships and the Art Ross Trophies that went with them. But the Americans never captured the imagination of the New York public like the Rangers, and struggled at the box office. To shake things up, management decided to make a blockbuster trade before the 1939-40 season, sending Schriner to the powerhouse Maple Leafs. The Leafs sent five players to New York in exchange for the team’s superstar, including the famous Busher Jackson. Even though Schriner did not dominate the scoring races like he did when he played for the Americans, he earned his second First Team All-Star selection at the end of the 1940-41 season. But Leafs owner Conn Smythe brought Schriner to the team so he could help Toronto win Stanley Cups. In 1942, he rewarded the faith the organization put in him. In the seventh game of the Stanley Cup final, Schriner scored two goals in the Leafs’ 3-1 win, arguably the finest moment of his career. That series saw the Leafs come back and take the championship in seven games after the Detroit Red Wings had won the first three. In 1945, Schriner and the Leafs won another Cup, and one year later, Schriner retired.

He never moved away from the game. Schriner returned to his home province and coached the Lethbridge Maple Leafs until 1948. Schriner ached to play again, and in 1948 agreed to return to the ice to try and help the Regina Capitals win the Allan Cup. The team made it to the finals, but didn’t win. It did, however, give fans on the prairies a chance to bid goodbye to a favourite hockey hero.

The Canada West Universities Athletic Association honours Schriner each and every season—the top scorer from the conference receives the David "Sweeney" Schriner Trophy. Schriner died on July 4, 1990. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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