Frank J. Selke
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Francis Joseph Aloysius Selke (May 7, 1893 – July 3, 1985) was a Canadian hockey manager in the National Hockey League.
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[edit] Early career
Born in Berlin, Ontario (now Kitchener), Selke was managing the Iroquois Bantams in his hometown at the age of 14. He coached the Berlin Union Jacks junior team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1912–1915, reaching the finals of the league championship in his final season. In 1919, he coached the University of Toronto Schools hockey team to the first Memorial Cup title. He coached the St. Mary's junior OHA team to its third-straight SPA junior championship in the 1924–25 season, with a team that included future Leafs star Joe Primeau. Selke again coached St. Mary's in 1925–26. For the 1926–27 season, the team became the Toronto Marlboros, and again won the junior SPA championship. Red Horner was a star defenceman on the Toronto team. Selke also coached the Marlboros senior team. In 1927–28, Selke was coach and manager of the Toronto Ravinas of the Canadian Professional Hockey League, with Primeau as the team's leading scorer. The team was bought by the Toronto Maple Leafs and renamed the Toronto Falcons mid-season. Late in the year, the team played some home games in Brantford, Ontario after drawing poor crowds all season in Toronto. Rejoining the Marlboros for 1928–29, Selke helped lead the team to the Memorial Cup championship in 1929.
[edit] Hired by the Leafs
Selke became the top assistant to Leafs managing director Conn Smythe in September 1929—a position he would hold until 1946. He helped raise funds for the construction of Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931. While Smythe served in World War II, Selke filled in as acting manager of the Leafs and Maple Leaf Gardens. He did such a good job in that role that some of the directors of the company wanted him to remain in charge after Smythe returned. He had angered Smythe by trading Frank Eddolls to the Montreal Canadiens for the rights to Ted Kennedy in 1943. Kennedy would go on to become one of Smythe's favourite Leafs, but at the time he was a big supporter of Eddolls and was upset that he hadn't been consulted before Selke made the deal. Once Smythe returned to Toronto, there was tension between the two, particularly after Selke wouldn't back Smythe's bid to become president of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. With his working conditions becoming intolerable, Selke turned in his resignation in May 1946.
[edit] Joins the Canadiens
Two months after resigning from the Leafs, Selke was hired as manager of the Montreal Forum and became general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. He took over a team that was in financial trouble, even though they were winners. But with his money he grabbed as many players as he could, creating an extensive farm system. He had great success with the Canadiens. His club, anchored by Maurice Richard, Elmer Lach, Doug Harvey and Jacques Plante won the Stanley Cup in 1953.
By the mid-1950s, the farm system that Selke had established really began to put life into the Canadiens as Jean Beliveau, Dickie Moore, Tom Johnson and Henri Richard came into the star-studded Canadiens and in consecutive years, 1954 and 1955, the Habs pushed the great Detroit Red Wings to the seven game limit before losing the finals. In 1956, they won the first of five consecutive Cups, a record that has never been beaten. Selke retired after the 1964 season, turning the reins over to Sam Pollock. He died in 1985 at the age of 92 in Rigaud, Quebec.
[edit] Honours
In 1960, Selke was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 1978, the NHL inaugurated the Frank J. Selke Trophy that is awarded annually to the outstanding defensive forward in the league. He is also an inductee of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame as a major owner/breeder of thoroughbred race horses.
[edit] Frank Selke Jr.
Selke's son, Frank Selke Jr., was also a noted executive and media personality. He was the intermission host on Montreal Canadiens broadcasts for much of the 1960s and was president of the Oakland Seals (later known as the California Golden Seals). He became vice-president of Canadian Sports Network, producers of Hockey Night in Canada.
