The greatest mass fight in history between the Canadiens and Rangers in Old Madison Square Garden (March 16, 1947) had major – and very nasty – repercussions.
We knew that either Ranger forward Bryan Hextall or Cal Gardner had rearranged the jaw of Hab defenseman Kenny Reardon, but nobody seemed to know for sure which one.
We also knew that some mystery Ranger had broken Hab Buddy O'Connor's jaw with a good, old fashioned right cross.
Only later did we learn that Rangers D-man Bill Juzda whacked Buddy. (Bill was sorry!) Then, when Rangers D-man Hal Laycoe was traded to the Habs, he cornered Reardon and told him three little words: "Gardner did it!"`
Here's what Gardner told me during a later interview:
"I was on the point, working the power play and we were behind by a goal trying to tie the score when Reardon shot the puck off the boards. I stopped it and fired it back into the Canadiens' zone. Meanwhile, Reardon kept coming at me. I tried to sidestep him and when I did the blade of my stick caught his lip, cutting him for more than a dozen stitches. In fact, I didn't even know who he was until it happened; after all I was new in the league.
"Once Reardon found out it was me, he vowed to get even and said in a Sport magazine story that he'd break my jaw. After that we had a stick-swinging joust in Toronto that led to a fistfight. I got fined $250 and he got only fined $200."
A season later Reardon took aim again:
Gardner: "I was checking him at center ice when I just dropped my head for a moment to look at the puck. Next thing I knew he caught me with an elbow and gave me a double compound fracture of the jaw. After that league president Clarence Campbell made Reardon put up a $1,000 bond to be forfeited if Reardon attempted to injure me again."
The Mystery Punch That Broke Buddy O'Connor's Jaw
If a comedy act can emerge from the biggest mass brawl on Old Garden ice (March 16, 1947) leave it to the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers" target="_blank">Rangers</a> to pull it off.
Reardon and Gardner met again in Old Timers' Games but neither would talk to the other. "I'd have loved to use my left and right hands on him and I think I could have handled him." Gardner recalled, "but I never talked to him." Then, a pause; "And never will!"
After the Rangers traded Gardner to the Maple Leafs in the summer of 1948, Cal scored the Cup-winning goal for Toronto in the spring of 1949. In the 1951 Cup Final, Gardner's line led to defenseman Bill Barilko's Cup-winner!
After their retirements, Gardner became a Maple Leafs sportscaster while Reardon moved into the Canadiens' front office as an executive.
Never did the twain meet again – and a good thing, too.