Danny Wild-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f92bfcae-3a46-456f-acc1-10aae4ba91e3.jpeg] Danny Wild-Imagn Images As founder, president, manager and coach of the Rangers from 1926 through 1939, Lester Patrick was the National Hockey League's most meaningful power broker in America. "Lester especially had a knack with the little people," wrote Eric Whitehead in his book "The Patricks – Hockey's Royal Family." In the book Whitehead explains that one of those "little people" was a young goalie from Boston who came to New York for a job and Lester eventually took Gerry Cosby under his wing. From that first encounter with Patrick, Cosby – slowly but surely – would build the premier hockey equipment company in the United States. How those two diverse individuals met and united has been a virtually untold story in hockey annals; and a most compelling one at that. Matter of fact, The Maven will tell it right now: It begins in the 1930's after Patrick's Rangers had won their second Stanley Cup in 1933. Meanwhile, Cosby, a Bostonian who played goal for the Bruins' minor league team, decided to emigrate from Beantown to The Big Apple. In an interview with The Maven, Cosby explained how he got into the Rangers sphere. "I got a job on Wall Street and joined the New York Athletic Club because it had a hockey team," Cosby explained. "Then I decided to go a step further and called up Lester Patrick and offered him my services as a practice goalie for the Rangers. "Lester said, 'Fine. Come on down, we need somebody. We're practicing tomorrow at 11 a.m.'" As expected Gerry showed up at the Blueshirts' clubhouse suitably uncertain. "I was a little guy, a nobody buried by my own goalie equipment and stunned by all the Ranger heroes there. There were the Cook Brothers, Bill and Bun, Frank Boucher, Murray Murdoch and Ching Johnson. Guys who already have won two Stanley Cups." Cosby didn't know whether to run down to Wall Street or see what would happen on the ice. That's when Lester broke the news. "Fellows, he said to his team, 'I want to introduce you to Gerry Cosby. He called me up yesterday and he wants to try out for our team." Cosby was stunned to the very core by Patrick's slight exaggeration.. Gerry Cosby: "I couldn't believe my ears. I had no intention of trying out for the Rangers. All I wanted to do was be the practice goalie as I'd been back in Boston with the Bruins and their farm team. "When I heard Lester say that I felt like going through the floor!"
