Hockey Programs

1936-37 Stanley Cup Playoffs Rangers vs. Montreal Maroons      This is the third-oldest program in my collection, and the oldest hockey program I own. It's two years older than the 1939 Philadelphia Ramblers program I bought a few years ago.       The New York Rangers were one of the stronger franchises in the Depression-era NHL. Since being founded in 1926, the Rangers made four trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, winning in 1927 and 1933. The team was led by Lester Patrick, who came to Madison Square Garden from the Western Hockey League's Victoria Cougars. Patrick took on the dual role of GM/Coach, and the Rangers made the playoffs ever year but one under his watch. Despite being the second team to arrive in New York, the Rangers quickly became the more popular of the two Big Apple NHL teams, leaving the Americans in the dust.      The Rangers had a so-so season in 1936-37, finishing in third place in the American Division with a 19-20-9 record. The top three teams in ea

1993-94 Regular Season      NHL hockey arrived in Miami, Florida, in the spring of 1993, the second NHL franchise to call Florida home. Wayne Huizenga, founder of Waste Management, Inc. and co-owner of Blockbuster Video, purchased the expansion franchise, naming it "Florida Panthers" in honor of the endangered panther population in the state. The team played it's home games at the 14,703-seat Miami Arena, sharing the building with the NBA's Miami Heat.      Huizenga hired wisely for his new franchise, bringing in former Islanders GM Bill Torrey as President and Bobby Clarke as GM. Clarke, in turn, hired former Rangers head coach Roger Nielsen to lead the new franchise behind the bench. The Panthers selected defenseman Rob Niedermayer with their first pick in the NHL Draft, a smart move, as Niedermayer would play for the Panthers for the next eight seasons. In the expansion draft, Florida built a tough, defensive-minded team that was strong in net. Their first two

1987-88 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings      To say the least, the 1980s were the "dark ages" for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The last decade of the Harold Ballard ownership era saw the Leafs fail to advance past the second round of the playoffs and never finish over .500. The team would have talented players here and there (Wendel Clark, Russ Courtnall, Rick Vaive, to name a few) but would have little else throughout the roster, due to front office incompetence. In numerous cases, the Leafs would have a miserable season, but stagger into the postseason due to the NHL's playoff format that saw 16 of the 21 teams qualify.      Case in point, the 1987-88 edition of the "Maple Laughs". After advancing to Game 7 of the second round for two straight seasons, it appeared the Leafs were on the rise. Of course, that did not happen, as the Leafs, led by fiery head coach John Brophy, had a truly awful season. "Brophy's Boys" finishe

1987-88 Regular Season: Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs      The Detroit Red Wings began to emerge from their two-decade long slumber in the late 1980s. Little Caesar's owner Mike Illitch purchased the struggling franchise in 1982 and hired Jim Devellano of the New York Islanders as GM. The team made the playoffs in two of Illitch's first three seasons, despite finishing way below .500. After a disastrous 1985-86 season, the Wings surprised everyone the following season by reaching the Campbell Conference Finals, losing in a competitive five-game series to the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers. Head Coach Jacques Demers was the easy choice for the Jack Adams Trophy as Coach of the Year, for guiding that remarkable turnaround.      Detroit had an excellent season in 1987-88, finishing in first place for the first time since 1964-65 and above .500 for the first time since 1972-73.  The Red Wings, in fact, were the only team to finish above .500 in the Norris Division, cruising to

1980-81 Regular Season: Jets vs. Hartford Whalers      The Winnipeg Jets were in their second season in the NHL, and ninth season overall, after playing seven years in the World Hockey Association. The Jets were a powerhouse in the old WHA, winning 3 Avco Cups and leading the way in signing talented European players. However, the Jets and the other three WHA holdovers were treated like expansion franchises upon entering the NHL. The Jets were forced to give up several top scorers in a "reclamation draft" and could only draft 18th overall in the NHL Entry Draft in 1979.      As a result, the 1979-80 season was brutal for the Jets, as they finished dead last with just 51 points. The team selected Portland Winterhawks defenseman Dave Babych second overall in the draft. 1980-81, however, made the previous year's team look like a contender.      The 1980-81 Winnipeg Jets...sucked. There's really no better way to describe that team. Winnpeg were buried deep in the NHL