If you've ever seen a hockey-related reference to Jim Watson – such as here – and wondered which Jim Watson was being discussed, you really know your hockey. This post is about the NHL's first Jim Watson, a defenseman. The second Jim Watson, also a d-man – the better known one – is the younger brother of Joe Watson, another blueliner.
The lesser known Jim Watson was born June 28, 1943, in Malartic, Quebec. Malartic has produced 3 NHLers, Watson was the first. Yves Bergeron and Michel Briere followed him. Not bad for a town with a population – at its peak – of about 7,000?
Somehow, the Detroit Red Wings discovered Watson in Malartic, signed him and brought him to Ontario, to play for their farm team in Hamilton. Jim spent parts of two seasons with the Red Wings of the Ontario Hockey Association. In 1963-64, he began playing hockey professionally. He had one game in the NHL with Detroit, and spent the rest of that season with the Cincinnati Wings of the Central Professional Hockey League (CPHL). In 1964-65, Watson had another game with Detroit, and spent the remainder of that season in the American Hockey League (AHL), with the Pittsburgh Hornets.
The rambunctious Jim Watson, who spent a lot of time in the penalty box – the Jim Watson I loved with the Buffalo Sabres – emerged when he was returned to the CPHL for the 1965-66 season. With the Memphis Wings – playing 69 games – he had 4 goals, 11 assists, and 126 PIM. That was his first time hitting the century mark. He also spent two games with Detroit that season.
Watson spent the entire 1966-67 season on the West Coast, with the San Diego Gulls of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In 72 games, he had 4 goals, 19 assists and 158 PIM – which led the WHL.
In June, 1967, the NHL held its Expansion Draft to stock the rosters of the six new teams. Detroit lost six defensemen in the draft – opening a spot on the blueline for Jim. He spent the entire 1967-68 season in the NHL, picking up zero goals, three assists and 87 PIM in 61 games with Detroit. He was – 19.
The next season – 1968-69 – Watson spent 8 games with Detroit, and split the rest of the year between two minor league teams: Twenty-five games with the AHL's Baltimore Clippers, and 21 games with the Fort Worth Wings of the Central Hockey League (CHL). He accumulated 112 PIM in those 46 minor league games.
Jim spent four games in 1969-70 with Detroit, while spending most of that season in the AHL, with the Cleveland Barons. He exploded offensively, scoring 7 goals and adding 19 assists, while spending 128 minutes in the penalty box. In Buffalo, Punch Imlach – GM and coach of the expansion Sabres – was impressed. Watson was his fifth selection in the Expansion Draft held in the Summer of 1970. D-man Tracy Pratt – very similar in style to Jim – was the Sabres' fourth selection. Doug Barrie would later in the draft be added to the bruiser blueline corps being built in Buffalo. That trio would accumulate 494 PIM during the Sabres' inaugural season, 1970-71.
If Jim was keeping a diary, you have to assume that October 10, 1970, was a red-letter day. The Buffalo Sabres played their very first regular season game, on the road in Pittsburgh. The first goal in the franchise's history was scored at 5:01 of the first period – giving the Sabres a 1-0 lead. That goal was the first NHL goal scored by Jim Watson. He also picked up two minor penalties, one of them for his stick work with the Penguins' Glen Sather, which earned them both slashing penalties. Buffalo won the game 2-1. Watson scored one more goal that season to prove that the first one was no fluke. He finished the 1970-71 season with 2 goals, 9 assists and 147 PIM in 78 games. His plus/minus was – 28. Needless to say, Jim was back full time for the Sabres in 1971-72. In 66 games, he had another 2 goals, 6 assists and 101 PIM. His plus/minus was – 33.
During the Summer of 1972, the World Hockey Association (WHA) was formed. There would be 12 teams formed to compete during the inaugural season of 1972-73. One of those dozen teams – the Los Angeles Sharks – made Jim Watson an offer he couldn't refuse, so he didn't. The Sharks certainly got their money's worth: Watson had 5 goals, 15 assists and 123 PIM in 75 regular season games. In the playoffs – where LA was bounced in six games by the Houston Aeros – he had one assist and two minutes in penalties in the four games he played.
The 1973-74 WHA season saw Jim play 48 games with the Sharks – and two games with their minor league affiliate, the Greensboro Generals of the Southern Hockey League (SHL) – before being traded to the Chicago Cougars, where he played 23 regular season games. With the Cougars – who finished in fourth place in the WHA's East Division – Watson enjoyed an extended postseason run. Chicago eliminated the New England Whalers in the first round, and then bounced the Toronto Toros in the second round. In the Avco Cup Final, the Cougars were swept in four games by Howe led Houston Aeros. Jim had 2 goals, three assists and 18 PIM in 18 playoff games.
Watson was back in Chicago in 1974-75, playing 57 games with the Cougars. He also played 4 games with their minor league affiliate, the Long Island Cougars of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The 1974-75 season would be the Chicago Cougars' last season. Following the season a dispersal draft was held, and Jim was selected by the Quebec Nordiques. He was back home – playing hockey just 700 kilometres from Malartic. The 1975-76 season would be Watson's last. He played 28 games for the Nordiques.
Given Jim Watson's size – 6' 2” 186/195 lbs* – and the truculence he developed, you have to assume that there was a problem with his skating. What else could have kept him in the minors? He is another guy who must have really loved playing hockey, since he stuck with it even when full time employment in the NHL must have seemed very unlikely. Guys like Watson have always fascinated me just as much - if not more - than the stars.
(* sources like Hockey Reference give his playing weight as 186 lbs. While with the Sabres, his weight was said to be 195 lbs.)
The lesser known Jim Watson was born June 28, 1943, in Malartic, Quebec. Malartic has produced 3 NHLers, Watson was the first. Yves Bergeron and Michel Briere followed him. Not bad for a town with a population – at its peak – of about 7,000?
Somehow, the Detroit Red Wings discovered Watson in Malartic, signed him and brought him to Ontario, to play for their farm team in Hamilton. Jim spent parts of two seasons with the Red Wings of the Ontario Hockey Association. In 1963-64, he began playing hockey professionally. He had one game in the NHL with Detroit, and spent the rest of that season with the Cincinnati Wings of the Central Professional Hockey League (CPHL). In 1964-65, Watson had another game with Detroit, and spent the remainder of that season in the American Hockey League (AHL), with the Pittsburgh Hornets.
The rambunctious Jim Watson, who spent a lot of time in the penalty box – the Jim Watson I loved with the Buffalo Sabres – emerged when he was returned to the CPHL for the 1965-66 season. With the Memphis Wings – playing 69 games – he had 4 goals, 11 assists, and 126 PIM. That was his first time hitting the century mark. He also spent two games with Detroit that season.
Watson spent the entire 1966-67 season on the West Coast, with the San Diego Gulls of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In 72 games, he had 4 goals, 19 assists and 158 PIM – which led the WHL.
In June, 1967, the NHL held its Expansion Draft to stock the rosters of the six new teams. Detroit lost six defensemen in the draft – opening a spot on the blueline for Jim. He spent the entire 1967-68 season in the NHL, picking up zero goals, three assists and 87 PIM in 61 games with Detroit. He was – 19.
The next season – 1968-69 – Watson spent 8 games with Detroit, and split the rest of the year between two minor league teams: Twenty-five games with the AHL's Baltimore Clippers, and 21 games with the Fort Worth Wings of the Central Hockey League (CHL). He accumulated 112 PIM in those 46 minor league games.
Jim spent four games in 1969-70 with Detroit, while spending most of that season in the AHL, with the Cleveland Barons. He exploded offensively, scoring 7 goals and adding 19 assists, while spending 128 minutes in the penalty box. In Buffalo, Punch Imlach – GM and coach of the expansion Sabres – was impressed. Watson was his fifth selection in the Expansion Draft held in the Summer of 1970. D-man Tracy Pratt – very similar in style to Jim – was the Sabres' fourth selection. Doug Barrie would later in the draft be added to the bruiser blueline corps being built in Buffalo. That trio would accumulate 494 PIM during the Sabres' inaugural season, 1970-71.
If Jim was keeping a diary, you have to assume that October 10, 1970, was a red-letter day. The Buffalo Sabres played their very first regular season game, on the road in Pittsburgh. The first goal in the franchise's history was scored at 5:01 of the first period – giving the Sabres a 1-0 lead. That goal was the first NHL goal scored by Jim Watson. He also picked up two minor penalties, one of them for his stick work with the Penguins' Glen Sather, which earned them both slashing penalties. Buffalo won the game 2-1. Watson scored one more goal that season to prove that the first one was no fluke. He finished the 1970-71 season with 2 goals, 9 assists and 147 PIM in 78 games. His plus/minus was – 28. Needless to say, Jim was back full time for the Sabres in 1971-72. In 66 games, he had another 2 goals, 6 assists and 101 PIM. His plus/minus was – 33.
During the Summer of 1972, the World Hockey Association (WHA) was formed. There would be 12 teams formed to compete during the inaugural season of 1972-73. One of those dozen teams – the Los Angeles Sharks – made Jim Watson an offer he couldn't refuse, so he didn't. The Sharks certainly got their money's worth: Watson had 5 goals, 15 assists and 123 PIM in 75 regular season games. In the playoffs – where LA was bounced in six games by the Houston Aeros – he had one assist and two minutes in penalties in the four games he played.
The 1973-74 WHA season saw Jim play 48 games with the Sharks – and two games with their minor league affiliate, the Greensboro Generals of the Southern Hockey League (SHL) – before being traded to the Chicago Cougars, where he played 23 regular season games. With the Cougars – who finished in fourth place in the WHA's East Division – Watson enjoyed an extended postseason run. Chicago eliminated the New England Whalers in the first round, and then bounced the Toronto Toros in the second round. In the Avco Cup Final, the Cougars were swept in four games by Howe led Houston Aeros. Jim had 2 goals, three assists and 18 PIM in 18 playoff games.
Watson was back in Chicago in 1974-75, playing 57 games with the Cougars. He also played 4 games with their minor league affiliate, the Long Island Cougars of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The 1974-75 season would be the Chicago Cougars' last season. Following the season a dispersal draft was held, and Jim was selected by the Quebec Nordiques. He was back home – playing hockey just 700 kilometres from Malartic. The 1975-76 season would be Watson's last. He played 28 games for the Nordiques.
Given Jim Watson's size – 6' 2” 186/195 lbs* – and the truculence he developed, you have to assume that there was a problem with his skating. What else could have kept him in the minors? He is another guy who must have really loved playing hockey, since he stuck with it even when full time employment in the NHL must have seemed very unlikely. Guys like Watson have always fascinated me just as much - if not more - than the stars.
(* sources like Hockey Reference give his playing weight as 186 lbs. While with the Sabres, his weight was said to be 195 lbs.)
