Dear Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee,
I know you’re busy and have a lot of worthy candidates to sort through, but I would like to submit Marguerite Norris for your consideration.
Marguerite was the first female executive in the NHL and the first woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup. She became the Red Wings team president at age 24, and capably ran the team for three seasons from 1952-55, after which she briefly became team vice president. The Red Wings placed first each season she was in charge and won the Stanley Cup twice.
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Although it was commonly believed Marguerite was a figurehead while her brothers figured some tax and financial issues, this is not true. The Red Wings became a more profitable team under her care, and she tried to convince the other owners that televised games were the future. She also advocated for arenas to be more female-friendly and for the farm team system then in place be revamped to be more equitable and fair to all the teams.
Stymied by Conn Smythe from sitting on the Board of Governors, Marguerite worked out a system of hand signals with Jack Adams (whom she appointed in her place despite their intense mutual dislike) so she could vote through him. Marguerite clearly loved hockey, loved the team, was an astute business woman and also took care of the players, doing things like thanking each player personally after a Cup win, sending them Christmas gifts and leaving Easter chocolates on their train berths after a playoff loss.
The players loved and respected her in return.
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“Marguerite was more than capable in our eyes,” Red Kelly said in his biography, "The Red Kelly Story." "She was a great lady."
"I found her to be both smart and capable. Others I talked to felt the same way," Gordie Howe said in his 2014 book "Mr. Hockey: My story."
"She was good for the club, but unfortunately she didn't stick around for as long as anyone would have liked. I don't think it's a coincidence that Marguerite's time in charge coincided with some of the greatest years in franchise history. As president, she had enough juice to check Trader Jack's instincts to upset the apple cart. It's hard to say how many Stanley Cups we might have won if she had stuck around longer."
Even Marian Illitch refers to Marguerite Norris as “the first lady of hockey.”
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If, as we so frequently proclaim, hockey is for everyone, then why shouldn't Marguerite Norris be inducted in the Hall of Fame and honored as the female pioneer she is? No other woman has served as NHL team president. Not everyone can play in the NHL, but that doesn’t mean a career in hockey isn’t possible. Marguerite is the perfect example.
Please, do the right thing. Induct Marguerite Norris as the first female builder in the Hall of Fame.
Thank you for your consideration.
*Fans who also want to express support for Marguerite’s candidacy, please feel free to use this letter as a template.
You can write to the committee members ℅ the Hockey Hall of Fame, 30 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M5E 1X8, Canada