John Adams

John Adams often went by the nickname Jack, but is not to be confused with the legendary Jack Adams. The real Jack Adams is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame after a brilliant career as both a player and coach. John Adams, a proud western Canadian born in Calgary, Alberta, only played one season in the NHL.

Adams played junior and senior hockey in Calgary until 1938 when he headed to the bright lights of Vancouver to play with the PCHL Lions. The 5'10" left winger played there for two years before the NHL was interested in his services. Because NHL teams were being depleted by the call to serve for the Canadian military in World War II, Adams was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens on May 13, 1940 in exchange for a lump sum of cash. Adams played in 42 games without making much noise. He scored 6 times and set up 12 others for 18 points.

Military service was on Adams' own plate the following season, thus interrupting his NHL career. It did not interrupt his hockey career though. While serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Adams spent three years playing in various National Defense hockey leagues.

In 1944-45 he missed the entire year as a result of a horrific knee injury in a NNDHL preseason game. The injury got him out of his military commitments, though the war was near over already.

Adams was never the same player on the ice following the injury. Once the war was over the Montreal Canadiens farmed out the gimpy Adams first to Montreal Royals of the QSHL, then the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL and later the Houston Huskies of the USHL. However in two years of minor league play, Adams was only healthy enough to play in 43 games, and aside from a strong 1946 playoffs with the Bisons, was ineffective.

Adams headed back west in 1947 to play with in the PCHL once again, this time with the Vancouver suburb based New Westminster Royals. He played two years with the Royals, but by 1949 he decided his leg had had enough and he hung up the blades.