Here's the latest addition to my Hockey Den and to my quest to collect a program for every year of Maple Leaf Garden's existence. This one is from opening night of the 1942/43 season between the New York Rangers and the defending Stanley Cup champs Maple Leafs. The cover features a great photo of Pete Langelle scoring the winning goal in Game 7 of the 1942 Cup Finals.
The Maple Leafs would win this home-opener by a score of 7-2. I found a Canadian Press write up on the game;
"In surprisingly simple fashion, Toronto Maple Leafs conquered New York Rangers, 7-2, Saturday in their opening National Hockey League game before 11,777 fans to pick up the thread where they left off in the Stanley Cup finals last season.
President Frank Calder of the National Hockey League presented Leafs the Stanley Cup pennat they won last season in a brief pre-game ceremony. The first puck was faced by Pte. Alex Chisholm of the Toronto Scottish Regiment, who won the Military Medal at Dieppe."
Gaye Stewart potted two goals and an assist and Hank Goldup recorded a goal and two helpers. Lorne Carr, Bucko McDonald, Shep Mayer, Bud Poile and Billy Taylor all chipped in two points.
Being at the height of World War II, the program is filled with wartime ads and articles, one is below. The game was also the debut of Rangers goaltender Steve "The-puck-goes-inski" Buzinski who would play only eight more games with the Rangers posting a career goals against average of 5.92.
Toronto would finish 3rd in the NHL in 42/43 and lost in the semi-finals to Detroit in six games. New York stumble to a mere 11 wins and 30 points in the fifty game season.
