Ray Mullins

Ray (Moon) Mullins was a star halfback and kicker for various Montreal teams in the secoond half of the 1930s and early 1940s.

Mullins started with the Montreal Indians of the IRFU / Big Four in 1936. The Indians were a new team, replacing the long running Montreal Winged Wheelers. Mullins played the next three seasons for the Montreal Westmounts / Nationals*. The Westmounts played in the QRFU in 1937 and became the first QRFU team to challenge for the Grey Cup in many years as the QRFU had slipped to intermediate status with the birth of th eIRFU in 1907. The Westmounts were humiliated by Sarnia 63-0 in the East playoffs. Mullins played for the Nationals in 1938 as the team moved into the ORFU and again for the Westmounts of the ORFU in 1939,

In 1940, Mullins returned to the Big Four / IRFU with the Montreal Football Club which didn't take a nickname until 1941 when it adopted the name Bulldogs.  Mullins would finish third in scoring with in the IRFU in 1940. In 1941, Mullins was one of the Bulldogs' nominees for the Jeff Russell Trophy, awarded to the outstanding player in the IRFU**.

Mullins joined the RCAF with the outbreak of World War II. The Big Four suspended play after 1941, but football continued in the East, mainly with military based teams. Mullins played for the St. Thomas Hornets, an RCAF team in a military team leage in 1944.

* Franchises and tean names in Monreal get a bit confusing during this era. The Canadian National Railway (C.N.R) sponsored a Montreal team, so hence the nickname Nationlas. The team played at Westmound field Despite the name and league changes, it is probably best to think of them as one franchise.

** Again a bit of confusion here. The Big Four / IRFU really stopped play after 1940. In 1941, the Hamilton Tigers could not field a team and the remaining three teams (Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa) were in a dispute with the Canadian Rugby Unoin and formed a replacement league called the ERFU (Eastern Rugby Football Union) which added Tronto Balmy Beach in place of Hamilton. That is why there are no Big Four / IRFU stats for 1941. The ERFU lasted only one season and the IRFU resumed after the war.

Mullins with Montreal Indians - September 24, 1936

Mullins With Westmounts - October 17, 1937

Mullins Second in Scoring in ORFU - November 8, 1938

Mullins Fumbles Twice in ORFU Title Loss to Sarnia - November 27, 1939

Mullins Finishes Third in IRFU Scoring - November 11, 1940

Mullins on Hand for First Practice - August 29, 1941

Mullins one of Montreal's Nominees for Jeff Russell Trophy - October 24, 1941

Mullins Leads St. Thomas Hornets - October 23, 1944

GP and Points
Year Team GP PTS
1936 MI
0
1937 MWM

1938 MNAT

1939 MWM

1940 MBD
17
1941 MBD

1944 STH

 

 

Ray Mullins

Ray Mullins