Thursday, January 28, 2016

THE EARLS' OF HOCKEY

The first Original Six Alumni lunch of 2016 was held in early January. One of the great aspects of this gathering is the opportunity to meet new people. And this was the case to kick-off the new year.







The top photo shows John Brown, who made his first appearance at the lunch. His great grandfather, John Earls, was the founder of the OHA Toronto Marlboros. John is holding a book - 'A Great Game' - written by the former prime minister of Canada Stephen Harper.

Here is a passage from Mr. Harper's work relating to the Earls family and the 1905-06 Toronto Marlboros:

The Marlboros had again lost some key men in the off-season. This time, however, no new crop of regulars stood ready to bridge the gaps. Despite the allegations in Barrie and elsewhere of a capital-city bias, no OHA rulings came to the clubs rescue, either.
The subcommittee's pre-emptive crackdown gave the Marlboros no breaks on amateur declarations or residency certificates. Jack Earls, son of the club founder John Earls and brother of former captain Lal Earls, was denied permission to play after returning from a work stint in Buffalo.

The second photo shows a close-up view of the 1903-04 Toronto Marlboros team picture. John has marked the members of his hockey family in the image.

In 1903-04, the Marlboros lost a best-of-three challenge for the Stanley Cup to the Ottawa Silver Seven.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

RUDY MIGAY: 1928-2016


One of the interesting aspects about Rudy Migay, who passed away on January 16,  is the fact he played his entire NHL career with only one team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After winning the Memorial Cup in 1948 with the Port Arthur West End Bruins, Migay joined the Leafs' farm team (AHL) in Pittsburgh for the 1948-49 campaign. In his first season of pro hockey, Migay collected 52 points in 64 games and included in this total was 21 goals.

When he was called-up in his second season by the Leafs, Migay was on a hot-streak having recorded 7 points in his last 6 outings with the Hornets.

Rudy Migay made his NHL debut on December 1, 1949, when the Maple Leafs hosted the Detroit Red Wings.

During the period from 1949-50 to 1959-60, Rudy Migay skated in 418 contests wearing the Blue & White. In the NHL, he registered 151 points on 59 goals and 92 assists. Also, he spent parts of different seasons in the American Hockey League with Pittsburgh and the Rochester Americans.











The top photo is the game summary from Migay's NHL debut. The bottom picture shows (left to right) Hugh Bolton, Gil Mayer and Rudy Migay. All three were summoned for the Detroit game. This photo appeared in the November 30, 1949, edition of The Telegram.

Besides capturing the Memorial Cup, another highlight from Migay's career came in 1958-59. In addition to participating in 19 games with the Maple Leafs, Migay had an outstanding 51 games with Rochester. His 82 points (24 goals & 58 assists) resulted in him sharing (with Bill Hicke) the Les Cunningham Award as the league MVP.

Migay's final season as a player was in 1964-65 with the Tulsa Oilers (CPHL). He remained in the game as a coach, general manager and scout.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

A FIRST FOR JOHNNY BOWER



On January 14, 1954, Hockey Hall of Fame goalie, Johnny Bower, recorded his first NHL shutout when the New York Rangers defeated Chicago 2-0. He would go on to register a total of 37 regular season shutouts with New York and Toronto.