The origin or the two-goalie system was invented by the New York Rangers.
Once upon a time National Hockey League teams carried one -- and only one -- goalkeeper .
But it was the Rangers who changed things and produced the league's first two-goalie tandem.
When the NHL was a seven-team league in 1941-42 the seventh team was called the Brooklyn Americans although the club also called Madison Square Garden its home.
Because many of the Americans joined the Canadian Armed Forces to serve in World War II, the Amerks disbanded in 1942 "for the duration" and hoped to return at war's end. But in 1945 after the conflict ended, the Americans bid to return was rejected and its players were put up for grabs.
The Rangers landed former Amerks goalie Chuck (Bonnie Prince Charlie) Rayner even though the Blueshirts had a first-rare stopper in Sugar Jim Henry. The club's boss, Lester (The Silver Fox) Patrick, decided to retain both goalies and coach Frank Boucher chose to dress both for the games.
Boucher went so far as to alternate Rayner and Henry during games.
"I would change goalies every five minutes," said Boucher. "At one point we only had one pair of gloves for the two goalies, so every time they passed each other during a change they'd transfer gloves -- which looked kind of funny at the time."
With the current two-goalie system in the books, it's not funny anymore; having two stoppers is a must!