Revered in Brighton where he starred on and off for eighteen years, Montreal born Bobby Lee became a superstar, years before the phrase was first uttered.
Bobby Lee played in the Eastern Hockey League with the Baltimore Orioles before first coming to Britain in 1937 joining the Earls Court Rangers for two seasons. But, it was on the south coast with the Brighton Tigers that he really made his mark. Renowned for his great sportsmanship and ready wit as much as his superb skills with a stick and the puck, Lee became an icon for the fans in the Sports Stadium who idolised him.
In the 1946/47 season, he player/coached the Tigers side that swept the honours. The National League, National Tournament and the Autumn Cup were all captured with Lee the driving force behind the team – on and off the ice. That season saw him centring a line, which had Jimmy Chappell and Lee Thorne as his two wingers, and between them they set a record for the most points scored by a line in one season in British ice hockey – a staggering 206 points.
However, in a team sport Bobby Lee proved what a great individual he was. On his way to becoming the first player to reach the 400-goal mark in British hockey, he outpaced his contemporaries to such an extent that he reached 300 goals ahead of anybody else reaching 200. By the time he retired in 1954, he had accumulated a career total of 472 goals.
Selected to numerous All Star teams as both centre and coach, Bobby Lee was described as being charismatic and a legend in his own lifetime. He died on New Year’s Eve, 1974 at the age of 62.
Compiled with research, provided by John Vinicombe.
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