On this day in 1937, referee Clarence S. Campbell officiated his first NHL playoff game, a significant moment in hockey history long before he became one of the most influential figures in the sport. 

The game was Game 2 of the 1937 Stanley Cup Final, in which the Detroit Red Wings defeated the New York Rangers 4–2 at Detroit’s Olympia Stadium. This victory evened the best‑of‑five series at 1–1 on April 8, 1937. 

Clarence Sutherland Campbell was born on July 9, 1905, in Fleming, Saskatchewan, and began his hockey career as a referee in the NHL during the mid‑1930s. He worked NHL games from 1933 until 1939, including regular season and playoff contests, before eventually moving into league administration. 

The 1937 Stanley Cup Final was contested between the Red Wings and Rangers in a best‑of‑five format, with Detroit ultimately winning the series 3–2 to claim the Stanley Cup. After the Game 2 win on April 8, the Red Wings would go on to win Games 4 and 5 at home to secure back‑to‑back championships, becoming the first U.S.‑based team to repeat as Cup winners.

After his officiating days and service in World War II, Campbell became the third president of the NHL in 1946, a position he held for 31 years, overseeing major expansions and notable moments in league history.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966, and the NHL’s Western Conference championship trophy, the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, is named in his honor.