REMEMBERING PAUL RONTY: 1928-2020

Last month, former NHL center Paul Ronty passed away at the age of 91. 

In 1920, his parents, Heikki and llma Ronty, left their homeland of Finland to settle in Toronto, Ontario. They resided in East York, a suburb in Toronto's East End.

Ronty excelled in several sports, including hockey, baseball and golf.

I spoke with Sandy Air, who played against Ronty in both hockey and baseball when they were teenagers. 

"He was a good baseball player, we played in the North Toronto Baseball League," said Air during our late afternoon telephone interview. Both Air and Ronty played the hot corner at third base. "He was a good hitter," stated Air of his counterpart on the diamond. Air was a member of the Century Cleaners club.

Looking back at a number of news reports from the 1940s, it becomes evident that Ronty had no troubles making contact with the ball. In May 1947,  Ronty's Peter Woods team faced the North Toronto Lions in a junior contest held at Eglinton Park. "Paul Ronty was a star hitter for the winners, having a triple with the bases loaded and a single." This is one example of Ronty's skill when he settled in at home plate.

On the ice, Ronty and Air competed against each other in junior "B" hockey in the OHA. Ronty skated for the Toronto Chevies Aces and Air suited up for Victory Aircraft. In a game on February 26, 1945, the Aces defeated Victory Aircraft 3-2 at Maple Leaf Gardens. Ronty and Air both scored a goal and an assist.

"He never played junior "A" hockey," stated Air of Ronty's early career. "Paul went from junior "B" to the Boston Olympics in the Eastern Amateur Hockey League. He had very good offensive skills and was a good all-round athlete."

During hockey's off-season, Ronty, when not on the baseball field, hit the links. "He was an excellent golfer and the first guy to take me out for a round," remembered Air of Ronty's kind gesture.

Ronty, who was property of the Boston Bruins, was assigned to the Boston Olympics for the 1945-46 season. His 44 points in 49 games, earned him a promotion the following year to the American Hockey League to play for the Hershey Bears. 

In his first year in Hershey, Ronty continued to work on his game and produced 59 points in 64 contest.

His first crack at breaking into the NHL with the Bruins came in 1947-48. Ronty started the season with Boston, but didn't see any ice time and was sent to Hershey. He was summoned by the Bruins several times as an injury replacement and subsequently was returned to the Bears. 

The major concern about Ronty was his slight stature as he hit the scales at only 150 pounds. He stood at an even six-feet. Boston general manager, Art Ross, expressed fear that the opposition would "break" Ronty "in two." One reporter referred to Ronty as "a gangling 19-year-old youngster."

A knee injury to Milt Schmidt resulted in Ronty being called up for a match on February 8, 1948, against Detroit at the Olympia. 

On his third time up with the parent club, Ronty demonstrated he could handle the rough and tumble action of the National Hockey League. With the Bruins in hot pursuit of a playoff spot, they needed Ronty to assist in the hunt.

And down the stretch, Ronty didn't disappoint as he played between wingers Kenny Smith and Johnny Peirson.

The Bruins hosted the Rangers on March 10, 1948, at Boston Garden and their 6-3 victory put them closer to obtaining a playoff berth. A United Press story noted, "Combining beautifully with another rookie, Johnny Peirson, Ronty sparked a tiring Boston to its win with a splendid exhibition of stickhandling in the third period."

Boston clinched a playoff spot when they defeated the Red Wings 5-1 in Detroit. The Bruins were ousted in their semi-final series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In five playoff games against Toronto, Ronty earned four assists.

After his solid performance, Ronty spent his first full season with the Bruins in 1948-49. If there were any lingering doubts he couldn't handle the physical warfare, Ronty proved such concerns weren't necessary. He withstood the rigors of a 60 game schedule and recorded his first 20 goal season in the NHL.

Although he experienced personal success, Ronty and the Bruins were once against bounced from the playoffs by the Maple Leafs in the semi-final. In five games, Ronty scored one goal and two assists.

During the playoff series against Toronto, Red Burnett of the Toronto Daily Star, spoke with Chicago Black Hawks' coach Charlie Conacher. A star with the Leafs, Conacher played on the famed Kid Line alongside Joe Primeau and Harvey Jackson.

While speaking with Burnett, Conacher told him, "For my money, Paul Ronty's the best player in the NHL this season." Conacher elaborated on his statement. "Before Ronty, Ken Smith was just a killer of penalties. Now he's a 20-goal man. Johnny Peirson was no ball of fire until they put him with Ronty and he got 22 goals. Ronty himself got 20 and for my money he was responsible for most of those 62 counters. That line kept Clapper's [Boston coach, Dit Clapper] gang in there and Ronty was the man who made it tick."

In 1949-50, the NHL schedule expanded to 70 games and Ronty kept up his production on offence by netting 23 goals and 36 helpers for 59 points. His meagre 8 penalty minutes, resulted him finishing third in the balloting for the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly conduct.

Ronty's last year with the Bruins was in 1950-51. His numbers dropped to 10 goals and 22 assists in 70 games. In September of 1951, he was shipped to the New York Rangers for Gus Kyle and the rights to Pentti Lund.

He got off to a slow start in the Big Apple and didn't score his first goal with the Blueshirts until November 14, 1951. In dramatic fashion, with the Rangers' net empty, Ronty scored the equalizer at the 19:18 mark of the third period. His goal delighted the fans at Madison Square Garden as the Rangers tied the Leafs 2-2.

After the 1952-53 season, Ronty was voted the Rangers' MVP by the New York Hockey Writers' Association. He registered 54 points in 70 games. He was the second youngest Ranger to receive the honour.

His time in New York came to close on February 20, 1955, when he was claimed on waivers by the Montreal Canadiens. Ronty was seldom used by the Habs and only played in four regular season games and five playoff contests. He failed to earn a point with Montreal. Ronty retired after his brief stint with the Canadiens.

He played in 488 NHL games and scored 101 goals and 211 assists for 312 points. Ronty saw action in 21 playoff dates and posted 8 points. He played in four NHL All-Star Games - 1949, 1950, 1953 and 1954.

Paul Ronty was born on July 12, 1928. He passed away on April 22, 2020, in Newton, Massachusetts.