When Stan Fischler was born, another journalist created a fully loaded annual hockey guide. He explores the guides over the decades and how they evolved.
In 1932, the year I was born, a young journalist living in Manhattan gave birth to a publication that could best be described as a hockey fan's delight.
Jim Hendy, the publisher, took a gamble when he produced what he called The Official National Hockey Guide and Record Book.
"I wanted it to be a helpful book for the hockey fan," Hendy explained.
Calling the pocket-sized guide a "book" was not an exaggeration. Like its second edition (1933-34) shown above, Hendy's work won instant acceptance amid the stickhandling fraternity. It was loaded with stories and profiles of all kinds, written by the top hockey writers in the business.
"I was encouraged by the enthusiastic reception," Hendy went on. "And this, despite the chaotic conditions which existed in the United States and Canada."
The young publisher was referring to the Great Depression, which had engulfed North America. Yet the NHL – under president Frank Calder – withstood the economic crisis. Ditto for the annual guides.
By fall 1942, Hendy celebrated the 10th anniversary of his guide with a photo of Rangers high-scoring left wing Lynn Patrick adorning the cover.
I was 10 years old and eagerly plunked down a quarter for my copy. To say that I got my money's worth would be the understatement of the half-century.
For starters, it was larger than Hendy's earlier editions, making it easier to read. What's more, Hendy always made it a point to get the best writers for his stories. And since the 1943 guide followed the incredibly exciting 1942 Detroit-Toronto final, the first story was "Stanley Cup Highlights of 1941-42."
The byline belonged to Vern DeGeer, sports editor of the Toronto Globe and Mail. As I expected, he wrote a terrific essay on how the Maple Leafs were down three games to none and managed to win the next four in a row and capture the Cup. (To this date, no other team has ever accomplished this feat in the finals.)
Putting the cherry on the cake, Hendy ran a team picture of the Leafs – with Stanley, of course – on the opposite page.
Since the NHL was already in its fourth year since the start of the Second World War, Hendy ran a page called "Hockey's Victory Lineup." It listed every NHL player on active service in the Canadian or American armed forces.
Sprinkled throughout the book were hockey ads. My favorite was one for Lovell hockey sticks. Part of the ad was a photo of Rangers Hall of Fame right wing Bill Cook with a sidebar claiming "Bill Cook Autographed Models."
The Hendy guides continued publishing, and by 1946 – a year after the war had ended – Jim had concluded a deal with the then-popular sports book publisher, A.S. Barnes. For one year, A.S. Barnes published Hendy's guide.
It was billed as "Professional Hockey's Official Rule and Record Book." Hendy's editorial was all about how the NHL survived the war years and how the boom years for big league hockey were about to begin.
This time, the 1945 Stanley Cup highlights were authored by Jim Hurley, who covered the NHL for Hearst's morning tabloid, the New York Daily Mirror.
Coincidentally, it was another Detroit-Toronto final, which the Leafs again won in seven games.
The extra added attraction included six full pages of details from every one of the seven contests, followed by a team picture of the champions.
When Hendy's guide reached its 17th annual edition, it opened with a cover color photo of Rangers center Buddy O'Connor, who won the Hart Trophy and the Lady Byng award.
It was another quality Hendy job which included a "Who's Who in Hockey" and none other than a column by NHL publicity director Ken McKenzie.
And guess what? On the opposite page, there was a huge ad for The Hockey News. (By that time, NHL President Clarence Campbell had given McKenzie his blessing to publish "The Bible Of Hockey.")
Since the Maple Leafs had won their second straight Stanley Cup in 1947-48, Toronto's publicity director, Ed Fitkin, was given the honor to describe why Leafs boss Conn Smythe called this edition "My greatest Leafs team."
The 1949 guide was my favorite because it covered the American League, the Pacific Coast League and the United States League and concluded with a detailed Who's Who of Hockey.
By the end of the 1940s, individual team guides began appearing. Rangers publicist Stan Saplin produced the Rangers 1947-48 premiere edition.
It was hailed throughout the industry for Saplin's diligent research and proved to be a model which other NHL clubs eventually copied.
The amateurs also got into the act in 1947-48. Tom Lockhart's Amateur Hockey Association of the United States – now called USA Hockey – published a superb guide and record book simply labelled Ice Hockey – The International Sport. For those of us who followed "Senior" hockey in America, this was a hockey bible of another kind. It listed virtually every league team in the USA with pictures and stories to go with them.
By 1951 – the last year a Hendy guide was published – Jim had branched out to other full-time hockey jobs. He became president of the United States Hockey League and then – as GM – turned the Cleveland Barons into the best minor league team of the late 1940s and early 1950s. He transferred his stats to the NHL, which had begun publishing stats and guides on its own.
Hendy died in 1961 at the age of 56. By this time, Ken McKenzie had turned The Hockey News into a going concern.
Before leaving his job as NHL publicist in 1963, McKenzie and his Hockey News behind-the-scenes partner, Will Cote, had formed a group called Ken-Will Publishing Company. Its best work was the Official NHL Record Book, 1917-64.
From that point on, virtually every NHL team – right through to expansion in 1967 – published guides.
But it was a full 90 years ago that the baby of hockey publications was born, and it was Jim Hendy who we have to thank for that.
Quite appropriately, Hendy was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1968 as a builder.