Sports Career
Born in Toronto, Harvey Pulford moved to Ottawa at an early age. Pulford joined the Ottawa Hockey Club in 1893, playing as a defenceman. In his first season, Pulford played in the first Stanley Cup playoff games, against the Montreal Hockey Club. Pulford played for Ottawa until 1908, the year that Ottawa became professional. Pulford was captain of the Ottawa Hockey Club during the "Ottawa Silver Seven" era when the club won the Stanley Cup in March 1903 and held it until March 1906. After retirement from playing, Pulford continued in the game as a referee. In 1933, Pulford was given an option to buy the Ottawa club, by then known as the Senators, and move it to Baltimore, Maryland, but the purchase did not go through.
Pulford was outstanding in several sports. He was a backfielder for the Ottawa Football Club football team from 1893 to 1909, winning national championships in 1898, 1899, 1900, and 1902. He also served as captain of the team. He played lacrosse for the Ottawa Lacrosse Club from 1893 to 1900, winning four national titles. As a boxer, he won Eastern Canadian light heavyweight and heavyweight titles between 1896 and 1898.
He was hesitant to start the 1907 season as he wanted to row the following summer and was concerned about playing professionals on other hockey teams, which would not allow him to compete in other sports as the rules stated. Despite members of his rowing club telling him to stay out of hockey, Pulford wanted to play for the Stanley Cup and rejoined the Senators a few days before the season started.
Pulford was an excellent rower, Britannia Boating Club winning national and U.S. championships and leading his crew to the semifinals of the 1911 Henley Royal Regatta.
He was a member of the 1910 Ottawa Rowing Club eight that defeated every one of its opponents in 1910, earning the Canadian and North American championships. Pulford later became president of the Ottawa Rowing Club. He served as president of Ottawa Rowing Club until resigning in 1936.
Pulford resigned as a rower with the Ottawa Rowing Club.
In 1916, Pulford was a candidate to succeed Emmett Quinn as president of the National Hockey Association (NHA), though he lost to Frank Robinson. He was nominated by Eddie Livingstone to replace Frank Calder as president of the by-then defunct NHA in a league meeting on September 28, 1918, but Calder would retain his position.
Pulford remained active in sports later in life. In his late 40s, he won the Ottawa squash championship and held it from 1922 to 1924.
Pulford was a charter member of the Hockey Hall of Fame (1945) and the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame (1966). He was, with Russell Bowie, Harry Westwick and Alf Smith, one of the final active hockey players who had played in the 19th century.
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