An innovator as a goalie during the early days of professional hockey, Hugh Lehman played 22 seasons as a pro from 1906-28, including 12 with Vancouver in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League/Western Hockey League and two with the Chicago Black Hawks in the NHL.

Lehman was among the first goalies to leave his net to play the puck and earned the nickname "Old Eagle Eyes" because of his ability to spot loose pucks, track them down and then pass up ice to his teammates. Once, playing for Berlin of the Ontario Professional Hockey League in the days before goalies were restricted from crossing center ice, Lehman is said to have rushed the puck up ice and scored a goal, but there is no documentation of the achievement.

A native of Pembroke, Ontario, Lehman played three seasons for Pembroke of the Ontario Valley Hockey League, one season with Canadian Soo of the International Professional Hockey League and four seasons with Berlin before joining New Westminster of the PCHA in 1911.

Lehman helped New Westminster win the PCHA championship in 1911-12, but he moved to Vancouver when the team folded following the 1913-14 season. Lehman had a career-best (all leagues) 2.33 goals-against average in 1922-23, and holds PCHA records for most games played by a goalie (262), most wins (142) and most shutouts (17).

Lehman played for the Stanley Cup eight times, winning it once, when Vancouver defeated the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey Association in the 1915 Stanley Cup Final. The PCHA merged with the WCHL in 1924 and the league shortened its name to the WHL in 1925 before disbanding in 1926. An aging Lehman joined the Black Hawks for their inaugural NHL season in 1926-27 and went 19-22 with three ties, a 2.49 GAA and five shutouts.

Lehman won his first NHL game, a 4-1 victory against the Toronto St. Patricks on Nov. 17, 1926, at 41 years, 21 days old to set a League record for the oldest goalie to win his debut. That mark stood until emergency backup David Ayres got the win for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 6-3 victory on Feb. 22, 2020, at 42 years, 194 days old.

Lehman played four games in 1927-28 before retiring and being named the Black Hawks coach, but was fired at the end of that season. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958 and died April 12, 1961 at age 75.