They used to call him “Gentleman Joe”. A.J. (Joe) Primeau was all that and much more. One of the classiest players ever to wear a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform, Primeau was not merely an outstanding hockey player. He was also a great coach, the only man to have coached teams which have won hockey’s coveted triple crown: Memorial Cup, Allan Cup and the Stanley Cup. The former two represent the Canadian junior and senior hockey championships and the Stanley Cup is the National Hockey League’s greatest prize.

     “Gentleman Joe” was one of five charter members to be inducted into the Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame. The award was accepted on his behalf by his grand daughter Sue Primeau, at the time star player with the Mississauga Girls Hockey League.

     Joe Primeau had also left his mark on Mississauga as a businessman and president of the Primeau Argo Block company, for many years a familiar landmark at Dundas Street and Mavis Road.

During his illustrious hockey career, Primeau had done what others scarcely dare dream about. Interestingly, he did not don skates until he was 12. He first attracted attention as a centre with St. Mike’s College juniors, playing in a four-team prep group league. Conn Smythe turned Primeau into pro with the Maple Leafs in 1927, but he never joined the team until the next year, finishing the season in the Canadian Pro League where he was scoring leader.

     It would require a long list to list all of Primeau’s accomplishments. He became the centre (and what a slick centre) on Toronto’s legendary Kid Line with Charlie Conacher and Harvey Jackson as his wingers. The line got credit for leading the Maple Leafs to their first Stanley Cup in 1932. During his NHL career, Primeau netted 243 points (including 66 goals) in regular season play and 23 more in playoffs. He was twice runner-up in scoring and was voted to the second NHL All-Star team in the 1933-’34 season. A tenacious checker and outstanding playmaker, Primeau was also an extremely clean player, earning the nickname “Gentleman Joe” and was awarded the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship for the 1931-’32 season. In over eight years and 348 regular NHL and playoff games, he spent only 124 minutes in the penalty box, a remarkable legacy.Outstanding as a player, Primeau did just as well behind the bench as a coach for 23 years.

     After retiring from the NHL in 1936, he coached the Air Force squad before taking over the reign of St.Michael’s Majors, guiding them to three Memorial Cup finals between 1944 and ‘47, winning twice. In 1947, he was asked to coach the Marlboro Seniors and two years later the team became Allan Cup winner. Smythe asked him coach the Maple Leafs in 1950 and a year later was sipping the bubbly out of the Stanley Cup. For his accomplishments, Primeau was inducted both into the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and Canada’s Hockey Hall of Fame.