In the spring of 1950, the fourth place Rangers startled the hockey world by reaching the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Detroit in double-overtime.
"Hockey interest had hit a post-war all-time high," said then new Blueshirt publicist Herb Goren, but I felt that something was missing and I decided to do something about it."
What Brooklynite Goren – he had succeeded Stan Saplin as club p.r. man that summer – did was to send out a mailing that a Rangers Fan Club was being organized in The Old Garden and all fans would be invited to the debut meeting prior to the opening game.
"I wanted to be sure we had a big turnout," Goren recalled, "so I said the Blueshirts playoff hero Don (Bones) Raleigh would be the guest speaker. I had the right guy, the right time and the right place."
The Maven was there for the Rangers Fan Club's World Premiere and – lemme tell you – it was a hit. Make that a BIG HIT.
For starters, just to be up close and personal with a star like Raleigh was huge for fans like us. And Bones answered all questions, joked around and, all in all, made everyone feel that all of us did right by showing up.
Goren made sure to tell us that the new RFC would run on its own, elect its own officers and that all Herbie's publicity office would do is supply the player guest.
To say we were thrilled is beyond words. A vote was taken and college professor Marino Sabatino was named first Fan Club president. (The Maven later became vice-president.)
"You guys should put out your own fan club publication," Goren suggested and that's what we did. Jerry Weiss, Fred Meier and The Maven were charter editors of The Rangers Review.
True to his word, Goren agreed to allow my pet Ranger, Eddie Kullman, be available for an interview. "I'll tell Eddie," said Goren, "and you'll see him in his room at the Hotel Belvedere on 49th Street across from the balcony entrance."
Much More On Rangers "Toughness Or Not?"
The question touched a Maven's Roundtable nerve and the reactions have been intense. So I repeat: HOW TOUGH ARE THE RANGERS?
Sure enough, on the afternoon of the next game, Meier and myself were welcomed by Kulllman who allowed us to interview him while he stretched out in bed prior to his pre-game nap.
Eddie was welcoming, answering all our questions and even asked us if we had more before he napped. It was quite a first-time hockey interviewing experience for me, and Fred.
Unorthodox as it may seem the interview setting was perfect. Kullman was a swell guy and Fred and I proceeded to do the first story in the Rangers Review, with many more to come.
All things considered, The Rangers Fan Club would prove a big part of my early journalistic hockey life.
Thank you Herb Goren for that and Eddie Kullman for being such a pleasant first interview (EDITOR'S NOTE: More Fan Club Stories To Come.)