Dunc Munro

Dunc Munro
Position	Defense
Shot	Left
Height Weight	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 190 lb (86 kg)
Teams	Montreal Maroons Montreal Canadiens
National team	Canada
Born	January 19, 1901, Moray, Scotland
Died	January 3, 1958, Montreal, QC, CAN
Playing Career	1920 – 1932

Duncan Brown Munro (January 19, 1901 – January 3, 1958) was a Canadian Olympic ice hockey player who played with and coached the Montreal Maroons. He was born in Moray, Scotland. When he was still a child his family moved to Toronto, Ontario, where he learned to play hockey. In his youth Munro also excelled in track events as a runner. He attended the University of Toronto Schools, where he played on the hockey team that won the first Memorial Cup.

Before the NHL, he played for the Toronto Granites, a team that featured future Hockey Hall of Famer Hooley Smith. This team won the gold medal in the 1924 Winter Olympics. Team Captain Munro scored 18 goals in the Olympic tournament, which saw the Canadians outscore their combined opponents by a total of 110 to 3. As a result of the team's winning the gold medal, there was a scramble to sign players from this elite squad and Munro was quickly snatched up by the newly formed Montreal Maroons.

The Montreal Maroons won the Stanley Cup in their inaugural season. The Maroons had a strong defense, led by the team's captain Munro and featuring Red Dutton and Reg Noble. They gave up few chances to opposition marksmen. The Maroons went on to make the finals in 1928, but lost to the New York Rangers.

The following season Munro suffered a heart attack that hospitalized him, and while in hospital contracted pneumonia. His absence was felt and the Maroons tumbled to the bottom of the Canadian Division of the NHL. It was said of the players of the Maroons that they were as interested in the stock market as they were in hockey and Munro was amongst the most avid of the speculators. He had signed a huge contract (for the times) and was a shrewd investor, but ultimately lost a fortune when the Stock Market crashed.

Munro recovered his health in time for the 1929–30 season and was named player-coach upon his return. He took the Maroons from worst to first in the Canadian Division that year. The following year the Maroons signed practically the entire Montreal A.A.A. Allan Cup team and the team sagged, and before the season ended, he was fired as coach, replaced by George "Buck" Boucher. He played his last season with the Montreal Canadiens in 1931–32.

Having suffered several heart attacks over the years, Dunc Munro died in Montreal on January 3, 1958 at age 56.

References

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