Edward William Shore (November 25, 1902 – March 16, 1985) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, principally for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, and the longtime owner of the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League. Iconic for his aggressiveness, toughness and defensive skill, he was called both "Old Blood and Guts" and "the Edmonton Express". In 2017, Shore was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
Shore won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player four times, the most of any defenceman; only Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe have won it more often. After the league began naming NHL All-Star teams at the end of Shore's fifth season, Shore was honoured as a First Team All-Star in seven of his last nine seasons, while being named a Second Team All-Star one of the other seasons; in the remaining season he missed over half the schedule due to injury. A bruiser known for his violence, Shore set a then-NHL record for 165 penalty minutes in his second season.
Shore was born to Katherine and John T. Shore in rural Saskatchewan and grew up in the small town of Cupar, which had only an outdoor rink for him to skate on. Shore had six siblings, and his family owned a ranch, which helped him develop a strong athletic foundation. As a youngster, Shore was not considered the most talented player even in his own household—his older brother Aubrey held that title. Eddie did not begin taking hockey seriously until his teenage years. After the First World War he attended an agricultural college in Manitoba. He originally did not make the school's hockey team; however, after taunting from his older brother, Shore started to take the game seriously once again, improving his skills and making the college team.
Shore started his career with his hometown minor hockey team, the Cupar Canucks. He played for the Melville Millionaires and won the 1923–24 Saskatchewan senior championship.
Shore moved up to professional hockey with the Regina Capitals of the Western Canada Hockey League in 1925. His team finished last in the league and moved to Portland after the season. Shore moved to the league champion Edmonton Eskimos in 1926, where he converted from forward to defence and was given the nickname "the Edmonton Express".
When the Western Hockey League (renamed from the WCHL) folded in 1926, Shore was sold to the Boston Bruins of the NHL. As a rookie, he scored 12 goals and 6 assists for a total of 18 points and accumulated 130 penalty minutes. His first goal came on November 20, 1926, in Boston's 5–1 loss to Chicago. When he joined the Bruins, he was paired with fellow defenceman Lionel Hitchman. The two were quickly recognized as the league’s best defensive pairing. They remained partners for the rest of Hitchman’s career, with Shore’s rushing style complementing Hitchman’s stay-at-home play. During Shore’s second year with the team, he and Hitchman helped lead the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final, though they ultimately lost to the Ottawa Senators. Two years later, the pair anchored a defence that was virtually impenetrable. The Bruins surrendered only 52 goals over 44 games, helping the team capture its first Stanley Cup in 1929. That year he also became one of the highest paid athletes in the country with a $25,000 salary.
Shore was named to the NHL First All-Star Team for the first time in 1931 after recording 31 points with a career-high 15 goals. His best statistical season came in 1932–33, when he scored 8 goals and 35 points, earning him the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player for the first time. That year he also finished 12th in the league's scoring race, which was unheard of for a defenceman at that time.
He became one of the earliest defencemen to use speed and stick-handling skill to carry the puck deep into the offensive zone, doing so with an upright skating style and a defiant air, daring opponents to try to stop him. Bruins trainer Hammy Moore said, "He was the only player I ever saw who had the whole arena standing every time he rushed down the ice. He would either end up bashing somebody, get into a fight, or score a goal."
Shore brought a brand of rough-and-tumble hockey the league had never seen before. He antagonized fans, fought opponents, and stirred more controversy than any other player of his era. He quickly became one of the league’s first star players during the 1920s and 1930s. Also being credited for helping gain the city of Boston's interest in the NHL.
Due to Shore being one of the top players in the league he regularly faced an onslaught of physical punishment. His former teammate Milt Schmidt later commented “He was bruised, head to toe, after every game, everybody was after him. They figured if they could stop Eddie Shore, they could stop the Bruins.”
In the 1925–26 season, Billy Coutu and Sprague Cleghorn of the Montreal Canadiens were traded to the Boston Bruins. During their first practice with the Bruins, Shore strutted back and forth in front of Coutu and Cleghorn. Coutu body-slammed, head-butted, elbowed and tried to torment Shore. Next Coutu picked up the puck and made a rush at Shore. The two players collided. Shore held his ground and Coutu flew through the air violently crashing to the ice. Shore's ear was almost ripped off but he barely noticed it. Coutu was out cold and was out of commission for a week. Shore visited several doctors who wanted to amputate the ear, but found one who sewed it back on. After refusing anesthetic, Shore used a mirror to watch the doctor sew the ear on. Shore claimed Coutu used his hockey stick to cut off the ear, and Coutu was fined $50. Shore later recanted and Coutu's money was refunded.
Shore stood out as one of the NHL’s most frequent fighters. Spending as much time throwing punches as he did handling the puck. In one early-season matchup in 1929 against the Montreal Maroons, he was unusually aggressive, even by his own rough standards, squaring off repeatedly with Buck Boucher and Dave Trottier. Almost everyone on the Maroons were going at Shore throughout the game. In total Shore got into a record five fights throughout the game. By the end of the game Shore had suffered a concussion, a broken nose, two black eyes, and three broken teeth resulting in him spending the night in the hospital.
Another unusual incident involving Shore occurred in January 1930 when he was challenged to a boxing match by baseball player Art Shires. While NHL President Frank Calder said that Shore's participation was up to Bruins' manager Art Ross to decide, baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis vetoed Shires' participation, and the match was never held. On January 24, 1933, during a game against Montreal, Shore accidentally punched NHL referee-in-chief Cooper Smeaton during a fight with Sylvio Mantha and was fined $100.
On March 30, 1933, Shore scored a playoff overtime goal against Toronto, the only time he accomplished that feat in his career.
In Boston Garden on December 12, 1933, Shore ended the career of Toronto Maple Leafs star Ace Bailey when he hit Bailey from behind. When Bailey's head hit the ice, he was knocked unconscious and went into convulsions. Moments earlier, Maple Leafs teammate King Clancy upended Shore with a hard check as he rushed up the ice. Angry, dazed, and thinking he was going after Clancy, Shore rushed at Bailey intent on revenge. In retaliation, the Leafs tough-guy Red Horner punched Shore, whose head hit the ice as he fell from the blow. Shore was knocked unconscious and required seven stitches but was not seriously injured. Bailey was rushed to hospital in critical condition with a fractured skull and was operated on for more than four hours. There were many fears that he could possibly die. He came out of a coma for the second time 10 days later, making a full recovery, but he did not play professionally again. When he was assured that Bailey would survive, league president Frank Calder suspended Shore for 16 games. An all-star benefit game was held at Maple Leaf Gardens on February 14, 1934, which raised $20,909 for Bailey and his family. Bailey and Shore shook hands and embraced at centre ice before the game began. Thirteen years later, the NHL introduced an annual all-star game.