The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted an excerpt from her book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, a Curated History of the Red Wings” this morning, discussing the influence of trailblazing Marguerite Norris, who should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Why? Because she ran the Red Wings to two Stanley Cups as the first woman to run an NHL team, starting her 3-year tenure as the Wings’ active governor at all of 25 years of age:
On December 5, 1952, a headline ran across one of the pages of the Detroit Free Press: “Wings Lose Owner and ‘No. 1 Fan’ as Norris Dies.” James E. Norris, the man who in 1932 bought a fledgling hockey franchise in Detroit and used his money and power to make the re-named Red Wings successful, died at age 73 from a heart attack. The immediate presumption was that son James D. Norris— who went by Young Jim—would become the next head of the Detroit hockey club. Ten days after James E. Norris’ death, the contents of his will revealed his choice: his youngest child, Marguerite Ann Norris, would become the first woman ever to head a professional hockey team.
She was named president of both the Red Wings and Olympia Stadium. The announcement was made by general manager Jack Adams on behalf of the Norris heirs. “Marguerite Ann was selected to follow the prescribed wishes of her father,” Adams said in a brief statement that he telephoned to Detroit hockey writers.
A graduate of Smith College, Marguerite later had business training with Dun & Bradstreet in New York and West Farm Management in Chicago. When coach Tommy Ivan was introduced to Marguerite a few days later, he inquired how to address her. “What should I call you when we talk hockey,” he said. “Miss Norris? Miss Boss? Miss President? Miss Owner?” She replied, “Margo will do.” (Margo was “my father’s choice,” Marguerite explained, while “Marge is what my brothers and sister call me.”)
Marguerite Norris accepted her new role with aplomb. “One minute I’m thrilled and the next I feel rather humble,” the 25-year-old said a week into the job. “This is all so new and exciting, and I really can’t say a thing yet about team operations.”
Not a big fan of HSJ, but this book is pretty good especially for the early team history. I also liked her book on the Wings draft a few years back.
It’s too bad Marguerite was forced to turn over control of the team to her brother Bruce after losing an intrafamily struggle. Bruce basically destroyed the 50s dynasty by letting Jack Adams tear down the team with all his trades.
=However, just days after Bruce took over the presidency, Adams traded away eight players from the 1955 champions. Years later, Howe wrote that Adams’ reasoning for the trades still “def(ied) explanation,” and argued that the trades opened the door for the Montreal Canadiens to win five Cups in a row (and nine in 14 years). Although the Red Wings remained competitive until the late 1960s, Howe believed the trades “sapped us of the firepower we needed to win another championship.”=
Ted and Gordie had said many times that the Wings would’ve been a Montreal like dynasty if not for Jack Adams dismantling the team.