Joseph Cattarinich

Who was Joseph Cattarinich?

Joseph "Joe" Cattarinich, was a professional hockey player, and co-owner of horse racing tracks in Canada and the United States as well as a co-owner of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League.

He grew up in Quebec City and played ice hockey and lacrosse as a young man. Later, he lived in Levis near Quebec City. He is best known as the first goaltender of the professional Montreal Canadiens, then known as 'Les Canadiens'. He retired after Georges Vézina shut out Cattarinich's club in a game with Vézina's amateur Chicoutimi team. He was so impressed, that he recommended the Canadiens sign Vézina; and voluntarily stepped down, from his place on the team.

With longtime business partner Leo Dandurand, Cattarinich became prominent in the Montreal tobacco wholesaling business, but it was their popularization of the Parimutuel betting system at local tracks that provided their greatest commercial success. With the re-introduction of race track betting in the United States after World War I, the pair, known popularly as "Catta-Léo", extended their activities to racetracks in Chicago, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, New Orleans, and others in St. Louis and further afield.