50 Facts About Tommy Lockhart

Thomas Finan Lockhart was an American ice hockey administrator, business manager, and events promoter.

Tommy Lockhart was president of the Eastern Hockey League from 1933 to 1972, and was the founding president of the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States in 1937, which later became USA Hockey.

Tommy Lockhart led AHAUS into the International Ice Hockey Association in 1940, then into the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace in 1947.

Tommy Lockhart managed operations at Old Madison Square Garden, introduced fans to innovative on-ice promotions which made amateur hockey a profitable event.

Tommy Lockhart was the business manager of the New York Rangers for six years, and was inducted into both the Hockey Hall of Fame and the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and is a recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy for building the game in the United States.

Thomas Finan Tommy Lockhart was born on March 21,1892, in Manhattan, near the area of Eighth Ave and 50th Street.

Tommy Lockhart participated in track and field events with the St John's Club on 56th Street in Manhattan, and was interested in boxing, but he never played hockey growing up.

Tommy Lockhart began his sports administration career by promoting amateur boxing at the Old Madison Square Garden, and soon became vice-president of the Metropolitan Association of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, before serving as vice-chairman of USA Boxing for four years.

Tommy Lockhart was asked by the Garden's ownership to manage its amateur hockey games in addition to boxing, and he was successful in making Sunday afternoon amateur hockey profitable, while serving as vice-president of the Metropolitan Amateur Hockey League for eighteen years, starting in 1934.

Tommy Lockhart looked to increase exposure for the New York amateur teams by seeking a league for them to play in regularly.

Tommy Lockhart traveled to the Penn Athletic Club in Philadelphia for the Tri-State Hockey League annual meeting in 1933.

Tommy Lockhart successfully convinced the league to add his three teams to its schedule, with the promise of revenue from ticket sales at Madison Square Gardens.

Tommy Lockhart defended criticism of the league's amateur status, by saying that its players earned a primary income outside of hockey, despite receiving money for basic living expenses and recreation.

Tommy Lockhart instituted three separate trophies for competition in the EAHL.

Tommy Lockhart purchased it for $500 from a pawnbroker, after it had been previously donated to another hockey competition by Mayor Jimmy Walker in 1926.

Tommy Lockhart later repurchased the same Cup from a pawnbroker for $80, and relayed the story to Dan Parker for coverage in The Fairfield Mirror.

Tommy Lockhart lobbied the AAU to reactivate the Atlantic City Boardwalk Trophy, and awarded it to the playoffs champions of the EAHL.

Tommy Lockhart recovered the Hamilton B Wills Trophy from a pawnbroker, and awarded it for winning a challenge series between teams in Canada and the United States.

In 1954, Tommy Lockhart's EAHL became the Eastern Hockey League after being dormant for a season.

Tommy Lockhart later arranged an exhibition schedule for the Soviet Union national ice hockey team to tour the United States in 1963, and for an EHL all-star team coached by Don Hall to travel to the Soviet Union.

Tommy Lockhart retired as EHL president in the summer of 1972.

Tommy Lockhart was put in charge of managing Sunday afternoon amateur hockey at Madison Square Garden by John Kilpatrick, and made it profitable for its resident teams, the New York Athletic Club, the Crescent Athletic Club, and the St Nicholas Hockey Club.

Tommy Lockhart promoted hockey through radio from the Gardens, and marketed games to working class people, charging 25-cent ticket prices.

Tommy Lockhart began advance ticket sale promotions, allowing patrons of a game to purchase tickets to the following game, before general public sale, resulting in games sold out a week in advance.

Tommy Lockhart printed souvenir programs without advertisements, but rather inserted of reading material such as columns on the teams and leagues, in hopes that patrons would take it home to share with others.

Tommy Lockhart made use of his position within the MAHL to promote hockey in the United States, and develop American-born players and referees.

Tommy Lockhart used MAHL players to create improvised all-star teams when a snow storm prevented a National Hockey League match.

Tommy Lockhart introduced on-ice entertainment during intermissions, which included racing model aircraft and bicycles around the arena.

Tommy Lockhart later booked a grizzly bear from the circus which performed on roller skates, to entertain during the first period intermission of a game versus the Hershey Bears.

Tommy Lockhart had arena staff improvise skates to fit size 40 paws, with blades tied to its feet with ropes.

Tommy Lockhart initially felt the stunt would get him fired, but it turned out to be popular with the spectators.

Tommy Lockhart later replicated the same skating bear act at the Hersheypark Arena, and other arenas in the EAHL.

Some notable Rovers players signed by Tommy Lockhart include Rudy Pilous, Hank D'Amore, and Chinese-Canadian player Larry Kwong.

Tommy Lockhart later managed the New Haven Ramblers in the American Hockey League, another Rangers farm team.

Tommy Lockhart was the business manager of the Rangers from 1947 to 1953.

Tommy Lockhart took over for Lester Patrick, and became the first American-born team executive in the NHL, other than a team president or vice-president.

Tommy Lockhart later managed the Long Island Arena, a practice facility for the Rangers, and home arena for the Rovers.

Tommy Lockhart saw the need for a national governing body for hockey to efficiently manage the growing game of ice hockey.

Tommy Lockhart founded the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States in October 1937, and was elected its first president.

In September 1938, Lockhart reached an agreement with W G Hardy of the CAHA which regulated international games in North America, set out provisions for transfer of players between the organizations, and recognized of each other's authority.

Tommy Lockhart arranged for AHAUS, the CAHA and the International Ice Hockey Federation to hold their annual general meetings concurrently at the New Yorker Hotel in May 1949.

Tommy Lockhart felt that the joint meetings demonstrated the progress made in international ice hockey co-operation.

Tommy Lockhart established the first national ice hockey tournaments for pre-high school boys in 1949.

Tommy Lockhart announced the establishment of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame on May 19,1968, to be located in the town of Eveleth, Minnesota.

Tommy Lockhart was succeeded as president of AHAUS by William Thayer Tutt in 1972.

Tommy Lockhart was honored by the Ontario Hockey Association in 1948 with its Gold Stick award for distinguished service to hockey.

Tommy Lockhart was elected to the builder category of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965.

Tommy Lockhart was a recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1968, for service to hockey in the United States.

Tommy Lockhart was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1973.

Tommy Lockhart was an honorary and life member of the Century Road Club Association for his early life work in cycling.