Owen (Bud) McCourt
Sport: Hockey: Year Inducted: 1969
Owen “Bud” McCourt, born in 1874, was a star hockey player in Cornwall and District who died as a result of an incident in one of Cornwall’s most infamous hockey games.
Owen McCourt was a 22 year old Cornwall bricklayer. He had just assumed the responsibility as head of his family after his father had died in the fall of 1906. He had great speed and could score.
During the 1906-07 season, McCourt’s Cornwall team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League – FAHL. Players of that era often found themselves playing on different teams in different leagues, during the same season. Nick named “Bud” the speedy goal scorer also brought a nasty side to his game. As he skated onto the ice at the Victoria Arena on March 7, 1907 against the Ottawas, Owen McCourt would score the first of Cornwall’s 11 goals, be involved in a fight and then, in the second period, be clubbed across the head by the Ottawas Charlie Masson, McCourt was carried off the ice. Although he would return to the game, Owen “Bud” McCourt would be dead by eight o’clock the following morning from a brain haemorrhage. Masson was charged, but eventually acquitted as many players from that game (from both teams) explained to the court, that stick swingings happened in some games that the McCourt/Masson incident had unified the Ottawa and Cornwall players, some of whom were rallying around the accused Masson because he never meant to kill McCourt.
Owen McCourt is buried at St. Columban’s Cemetery in Cornwall Ontario.