The date was February 11, 1945; the place, Old Madison Square Garden on Eighth Avenue between West 49th and West 50th Streets. (World War II still was blazing in Europe, Pacific and elsewhere.
The Feat: A Goalie plays two games at MSG on the same day/night. The Hero: Netminder Doug Stevenson. And here's how:
In those Original Six days, the Rangers had a farm team in the Eastern Amateur Hockey League called the New York Rovers. And, conveniently, the Rovers played their home games on Sunday afternoons at The Old Garden.
On this date, the Redshirts – alias the Rovers – played host to the Washington Lions. It was an exciting game, played before 14,917 who were delighted that the home team rallied with three goals in the second half of the third period.
Final score, 4-4, and one of the stars was a young fella who had spent two years in the Canadian Army – young Rovers goalie Doug Stevenson.
But the best was yet to come.
After the game against Washington, Stevenson exited the Players' Entrance on West 49th Street, walked down the block and then crossed the street to the Hotel Belvedere, his temporary home in Manhattan.
Meanwhile, the Blueshirts trainer was busy examining starting goalie Ken McAuley and soon determined that Ken's knee was too battered for him to play that night against the Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens.
Just as Stevenson made himself comfortable in his hotel room, the phone rang. "Frank Boucher, here," said the Rangers manager at the other end, "c'mon back, Doug, "you're our goalie tonight."
It was quite a challenge for Stevenson. Montreal had won 13 games and tied one in their past 14 games. The Habs' Punch Line of Maurice Richard, Toe Blake and Elmer Lach was the hottest in the league, but Doug was unfazed.
"Stevenson gave a poised performance," wrote Hy Turkin in the Daily News. "He was spectacular."
The crowd of 15,981 – largest in more than three years – applauded the Edmonton native time and again. as he kept the score 1-1 after two periods.
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"Perhaps Stevenson's greatest feat was in blanking Rocket Richard," added Turkin. "Last night Richard had tied the modern record for goals in one season."
Unfortunately, Stevenson's Cinderella evening ended in the third period when the Visitors scored three times to New York's deuce. The Habs skated off 4-3 winners but Stevenson got a "thundering ovation" from the appreciative Garden crowd.
When Doug picked up the Daily News the next morning a grin crossed his face as he read the headline:
CANADIENS DEFEAT RANGERS, 4-3; 15,981 SEE ROOKIE GOALIE STAR!