Bombers star juggled football duties with career in NHL

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This article was published 14/02/2024 (572 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Gerry James, a superb athlete who starred for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 1950s and ’60s and also played for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, died Tuesday at the age of 89.

News of death came shortly after another franchise icon, Ken Ploen, had died at the age of 88.

“It’s been a difficult couple of days for the Blue Bombers with the losses of Ken Ploen and Gerry James — two iconic figures in this franchise’s long and storied history,” said Winnipeg Football Club President & CEO Wade Miller. “Gerry James was a two-sport star during his playing days and his skill, his grit and his toughness were trademarks of those legendary Bud Grant-coached teams of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

“The WFC would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

Born in Regina, the Kelvin High School product was nicknamed ‘Kid Dynamite’ for his exploits on the football field. He was also an accomplished hockey player, making his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1955. He played in 149 NHL games and is the only player to suit up for both the Grey Cup game and the Stanley Cup final in the same season.

He joined the Blue Bombers in 1952 at 17 years of age and played through the 1963 season. A running back and kicker, he played in six Grey Cup games and was part of the four championship teams in 1958, ‘59, ‘61 and ‘62. He won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian Player award in 1954 and 1957.

He scored 19 touchdowns in 1957, a club record that stood until 2002. His 18 rushing TDs in 1957 stood as a league record until 2000. His 63 career touchdowns rank fourth in franchise history.

After retiring from his playing career, James became a hockey coach. He was employed in Switzerland and with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Yorkton Terriers, Melville Millionaires and Estevan Bruins and the Western Hockey League’s Moose Jaw Warriors. He retired to Nanoose Bay, B.C.

James was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1981, the Blue Bomber Hall of Fame in 1984 and the club’s Ring of Honour in 2016.

— staff