It’s hard to believe a high-level goalie playing twice in a day. Stan Fischler recalls the man who played for the New York Rovers and Rangers merely hours apart.

I couldn't believe it, and I doubt that you would have believed it had you been in my shoes on Feb. 12, 1945.

At age 12 – soon to be Bar Mitzvah'd on my 13th birthday in a few weeks – I was sitting in old Madison Square Garden on a Sunday afternoon, doing what I usually did every week.

I watched a hockey double-header in the fifth row of the end balcony. The Jamaica Hawks beat the Sands Point Tigers in the Met League opener, 11-6. Then, following the intermission, there was the "big" game.

It featured the hometown New York Rovers against the Washington Lions, battling in the Eastern Amateur Hockey League. (By the way, they were not really "amateurs." Those guys got paid.)

The Rovers happened to be the NHL Rangers' farm team. Over the years, many Rovers graduated to the NHL and became stars with the Blueshirts.

In those days, the Rangers games didn't start until 8:30 p.m., and since I had to get up early for school at P.S. 54 in Brooklyn the next day, I wasn't allowed to stay up late and watch the NHL guys play their night game at the Garden.

Not that I cared. I just loved the afternoon action and knew I could listen to the Rangers game on WHN Radio at home that night. Besides, I was a big fan of the Washington Lions and had several favorites on that team.

To my delight, the game was terrific. Although Rovers' netminder Doug Stevenson gave up four goals, New York rallied with three late in the third period, and it wound up a 4-4 tie. (I exited the Garden onto Eighth Avenue, knowing I got my "moneys worth" with a Police Athletic League freebie.)

One thing did fascinate me about the Rovers that afternoon. Mind you, this was February 1945, and the Second World War was still blazing in Europe and the Pacific. The Nazis would be defeated in May, and V-J Day would not signal the war's end with Japan until August.

But I learned from the Rovers' program that goalie Doug Stevenson had spent two years in the Canadian Army and was only recently discharged. I mused over that fact on the subway ride home, never imagining I'd hear about Doug Stevenson again.

How wrong I was!

When I tuned in to the Rangers game at 8:30 that night, play-by-play guy Bert Lee and his color commentator, Ward Wilson, discussed an unusual occurrence. The Blueshirts' regular goalie, Ken McAuley, had suffered a knee injury and would miss his first game in two seasons.

"In the nets for New York," chirped broadcaster Lee, "is a 26-year-old out of Edmonton – Doug Stevenson."

Doug Stevenson!

I couldn't believe my ears. This is the same palooka I'd seen give up four goals to Washington a few hours ago. And now he will face the defending Stanley Cup champion, the Montreal Canadiens.

Talking to myself, I was saying, "poor Stevenson will be up against Montreal's great Punch Line of Elmer Lach, Rocket Richard and Toe Blake. Tough stuff."

Of course, it would be nice if I could put a Hollywood ending on this tale of two goalie games in one day – but the facts won't let me. But, yes, there was a kind of happy ending.

The New York Daily News headline in my scrapbook summed it up neatly: "Canadiens Defeat Rangers, 4-3; 15,981 See Rookie Goalie Star."

Yes-siree. That rookie goalie was none other than Doug Stevenson, who had tied Washington just a few hours earlier. (Check out the Rovers story on the bottom right – "Rally By Rovers Tie Lions 4-4" – also from the same Daily News.)

The beauty part here is that – even in defeat – Stevenson was sensational against a first-place Montreal team whose record was 31-6-3 entering the match that night.

Writing in the Daily News, reporter Hy Turkin led off his story with these words:

"Though he never did get to see action during his two years in the Canadian Army, young Doug Stevenson spent the most exciting day of his life on Garden ice yesterday.

"In the afternoon, he goaltended for the Rovers, who finished in a 4-4 tie. With a few hours rest, he made his pro debut with the Rangers."

My scrapbook also featured a photo from the night game with the caption: "Rookie goalie turns back Canadien charge." In the picture seen at the top, the Punch Line was storming Stevenson, who foiled their assault.

"Stevenson was sensational," reported Turkin. "His greatest feat was blanking Rocket Richard who had counted twice the night before to tie the modern record for goals in one season."

It would have been wonderful to write that Stevenson's feat propelled him to eventual NHL goaltending stardom, but that wasn't to be, as author George Grimm noted in his fine book, Guardians Of The Goal.

"Stevenson saw action in four games with the Blueshirts in 1944-45," wrote Grimm, "and lost them all. In March 1945, he was loaned to Chicago to replace their injured starter Mike Karakas.

"He played two games for the Black Hawks that season and two more the next before returning to the minors. He spent the remainder of his career playing for teams in the PCHL and WHL and retired in 1956."

But for one afternoon and evening in Manhattan 78 years ago, Doug Stevenson did what no puck-stopper ever did – he played a league game at The Garden in the afternoon – and then became a headliner for the Rangers that same evening.