#118 - Sweeney Schriner

Sweeney Schriner (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #118)

Adjusted Stats

1934-1935   NYA        82 GP   38 goals   46 assists   84 points      1.02 PPG
1935-1936   NYA        82 GP   46 goals   63 assists   109 points    1.33 PPG
1936-1937   NYA        82 GP   45 goals   53 assists   98 points      1.20 PPG
1937-1938   NYA        82 GP   44 goals   35 assists   79 points      0.96 PPG
1938-1939   NYA        82 GP   27 goals   64 assists   91 points      1.11 PPG
1939-1940   Tor           67 GP   23 goals   32 assists   55 points      0.82 PPG
1940-1941   Tor           82 GP   47 goals   27 assists   74 points      0.91 PPG
1941-1942   Tor*         80 GP   34 goals   27 assists   61 points      0.76 PPG
1942-1943   Tor           61 GP   27 goals   24 assists   50 points      0.83 PPG
1944-1945   Tor           43 GP   30 goals   21 assists   51 points      1.19 PPG
1945-1946   Tor           77 GP   20 goals   9 assists     29 points      0.37 PPG

Career - 820 GP, 381 goals, 401 assists, 781 points, 0.95 PPG
Career-Highs - 47 goals (40-41); 64 assists (38-39); 109 points (35-36); 1.33 PPG (35-36)
Avg. (11 seasons) - 75 GP, 35 goals, 36 assists, 71 points, 0.95 PPG
Peak Avg. (34-42) - 80 GP, 38 goals, 43 assists, 81 points, 1.02 PPG, 1 Cup

Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 1-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion

Another gem of the pre-WWII era, Sweeney Schriner was the best left-winger in the league in the mid-to-late 1930s, leading the league in scoring two years in a row for the (now non-existent) New York Americans. Beyond that, there's not much I can say about him, aside from pointing out his four years of 40+ adjusted goals, two Stanley Cup rings, and three appearances on year-end all-star teams.

Schriner retired from hockey at quite a young age in 1943, annoyed with what he perceived as growing individualism within the game (one wonders how he would have reacted to, say, Ilya Kovalchuk sixty years later). He returned in 1945 after playing a year with an Army/Navy team, and still clearly had a fair measure of skill, scoring 51 adjusted points in only 43 games. Perhaps if he hadn't missed a season and a half, Schriner's career totals would be even more impressive.

The postseason numbers are lacking, which is probably due to the fact that the New York Americans never got over the hump to win a championship while Schriner was their star. In a trade that gives an indication of how highly Schriner was viewed, he was traded to the Maple Leafs for five different players, including former star Busher Jackson. Schriner was never quite as productive with the Leafs, but he was a part of two Stanley Cup champions, adding well-deserved team success to his individual accolades.