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New Haven Ramblers (AHL: 1947-48)

 

1947-48 Regular Season:
Ramblers vs. St. Louis Flyers
     Professional hockey has a long history with the city of New Haven, Connecticut, dating back to 1922 with the New Haven Bears. The New Haven Ramblers were an original member of the AHL, joining that league as the New Haven Eagles in 1936. The team made its home at the New Haven Arena, a 4,000-seat arena that existed from 1924-72. The team was a farm club of the New York Rangers from 1946-50.

     Former New York Rangers left wing Lynn Patrick was head coach of the 1947-48 Ramblers. That season would see the Ramblers finish above .500 with a 31-30-7 record. Their 69 points put them in second place in the Eastern Division, six points ahead of third-place Hershey, but 17 behind first-place Providence.

     New Haven was about middle of the pack on offense, scoring 254 goals that year. Ken Davies led the team with 29 goals and 72 points in 67 games. Ken would play one playoff game with the Rangers that season, his only game in the NHL, in a career that would continue until 1961. Right winger Dunc Fisher was next with 25 goals and 59 points. Fisher would play parts of eight seasons in the NHL, mostly with the Rangers. Former Ranger Ott Heller, who won two Stanley Cups in New York, played 67 games in New Haven, scoring 6 goals and 31 points. 

     The Ramblers allowed the fourth-fewest goals in the AHL, surrendering just 242 on the year. Four net minders played in New Haven that year, led by former Black Hawk Doug Stevenson, who played 39 games with a 3.95 GAA. Future Hall of Famer Chuck Rayner played 15 games for the Ramblers, sporting a 2.67 GAA. Fellow Rangers goalie Sugar Jim Henry was in the Rambler net for 13 games with a 3.08 GAA. Hal Gordon played in a single game, then would go on to a long career in senior hockey throughout Canada.

     New Haven dispatched of the Pittsburgh Hornets in two straight games in the first round, outscoring the Hornets 6-3. They would then lose two straight to the Buffalo Bisons, who would in turn get flattened by the Johnny Bower and the Cleveland Barons in four straight in the Calder Cup Finals. 

     This is the fourth-oldest hockey program in my collection, 86 years old. I bought this on eBay several years ago. I like the design of the program, plus the odd price (24¢ instead of 25¢). This is from a game between the Ramblers and the St. Louis Flyers, the western-most city in the American League at the time. HockeyDB has the results for the Ramblers seasons, and the Coming Events are listed on page halfway through the program. They're all December dates and the earliest date is December 9, so this could be from the December 2 game, a 6-8 Flyers win. At the time, Sugar Jim Henry was in net for New Haven. 

     Local advertisements include Jacob Brothers Market, Inc., The Log Cabin, Perry's Jewelers, Mickey Finn Surplus War Goods Outlets, and Gambardella's Oyster House. 

Aftermath: Professional hockey would continue in New Haven, mostly in the AHL, through the 2001-02 season. The New Haven Knights of the United Hockey League were the final professional hockey team in New Haven, Connecticut, going out of business in 2002 when the New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum closed and eventually torn down.


References:

American Hockey League Statistics: 1947-48, from hockeydb.com    

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