Memorable Manitobans: John Sherratt “Black Jack” Stewart (1917-1983)

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John Sherratt “Black Jack” Stewart
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Athlete.

Born at Pilot Mound on 6 May 1917, he played hockey for the Portage Collegiate hockey team, then the Portage Terriors in the early 1930s. He played in the National Hockey League for 12 years, ten with the Detroit Red Wings (1938-1950, interrupted by service in the Royal Canadian Armed Forces from 1943 to 1945) and two with the Chicago Black Hawks (1950-1951). He served as Captain and Assistant Coach at the latter.

His hard body checks, said to be like getting hit with a black jack, were the basis for his nickname. He played on two Stanley Cup winning teams at Detroit and was on three All Star teams. He retired from hockey in 1951. He was inducted to the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame (1964), Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame (1985), and Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (1997).

He died at Detroit, Michigan on 25 May 1983 and was buried in the Pilot Mound Greenwood Cemetery.

Sources:

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 28 May 1983, page 39.

We thank James Kostuchuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 6 August 2021

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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