An Honour for Bill McDonagh

On June 13, 2012, Bill McDonagh will be inducted into the House of Kin Sudbury Sports Hall of Fame - Full Story.

McDonagh's brief period in the National Hockey League came with the 1949-50 New York Rangers. Weighing 150 pounds and standing five-foot-nine, McDonagh played left wing. He became property of the Rangers in a cash transaction, which occurred in the summer of 1949.

The Rangers '49-'50 regular season started with an encounter against Montreal in the Forum on Saturday October 15, 1949. It also marked McDonagh's debut in a Rangers uniform.

Montreal defeated the visitors from Broadway by a score of 3 to 1. In a losing effort, New York goalie Chuck Rayner faced 37 shots, and kept his team in the contest. The game was tied at one-apiece after forty-minutes of action. Third period goals by Elmer Lach and Rocket Richard led to Montreal's win.

Of note, McDonagh made his one and only appearance in an NHL Summary Sheet (other than being listed in the line-up). In the middle frame, McDonagh was assessed a minor-penalty.

The next night, New York was in Boston to help the Bruins kick-off the home portion of their season. With McDonagh in the line-up, the teams skated to a 2 to 2 draw. Scoring for New York were Edgar Laprade and Buddy O'Connor. Hitting the twine for Boston were Paul Ronty and Kenny Smith.

Prior to the opening face-off, NHL President Clarence Campbell, presented the Lady Byng Trophy to Bill Quackenbush. Another Bruin, Ronty, was awarded the Charles F. Adams Memorial Bowl. Voted on by Boston fans, it acknowledged the player deemed most effective during home dates in Boston Garden.

New York continued on the road, with an encounter versus Detroit on October 19, 1949. McDonagh and his teammates were no match for the defending league champs (the Wings finished in first place with 75 points in '48-'49). Detroit goalie Harry Lumley, missed out on a shutout when Buddy O'Connor scored in the final-minute of period three. The Red Wings coasted to a 6 to 1 victory.

After their tilt in the Motor City, the Rangers headed to Toronto for a match at Maple Leaf Gardens. McDonagh was a scratch, and didn't play for New York.

Bill McDonagh's performed in his final NHL game on October 25, 1949, in Chicago Stadium. In a close-knit contest, the Rangers earned their first win of the young season.

Chicago took a first period lead on a goal by Metro Prystai. Over the next forty-minutes, Rayner kept the Black Hawks off the scoreboard. The next two tallies were scored by Alex Kaleta and Edgar Laprade, giving New York a 2 to 1 win.

Former NHL players Cummy Burton and Jimmy Fox will also be entering the Sudbury Sports Hall of Fame in June. Burton, will be featured in an upcoming story.