Steamer Maxwell

Who was Steamer Maxwell?

Fred "Steamer" Maxwell was a Canadian amateur ice hockey player. He played rover in the days of seven-man hockey at the turn of the 20th century, spending six seasons with the Winnipeg Monarchs of the Manitoba Hockey League between 1909 and 1915. Considered one of the top players of his era, he won two Manitoba provincial championships with the Monarchs and was a member of the team that won the 1915 Allan Cup as Canadian senior amateur champions. Maxwell spurned multiple offers to turn professional and ultimately quit playing hockey when he learned some of his peers at the senior amateur level were getting paid.

A long-time coach at the senior level, Maxwell led the Winnipeg Falcons to an Allan Cup championship in 1920; the team went on to win an Olympic Gold medal as Canada's representative in the 1920 Olympic ice hockey tournament. He coached into the 1930s, leading several teams to senior and junior championships. Maxwell is an honoured member of the Manitoba Sports and Hockey Halls of Fame and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962.