These days, NHL All-Star Weekends are events of an exclusively entertainment nature. Funny contests, loud music, and relaxed players are all great opportunities for teams to take a break and get some rest in the middle of the season. That wasn’t always the case, however. In October 1947, Toronto hosted the first official NHL All-Star Game, and it looked more like a Stanley Cup Final than an exhibition game.
The format for these NHL events has changed many times over the 75 years. The league has assembled North American and European teams, held a mini-tournament among divisions, introduced a three-on-three format and more. In 1947 the rules were less complicated. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Toronto played a team made up of hockey players from five other “Big Six” clubs. The match caused great excitement and drew a crowd of almost 15,000.
“Toronto: Turk Broda, Bob Goldham, Wally Stanowski, Vic Lynn, Gus Mortson, Jimmy Thomson, Bill Barilko, Harry Watson, Don Metz, Bud Poyle, Ted Kennedy, Seal Epps, Bill Yeziniski, Howie Meeker, Gay Stewart, Joe Kluckey, Fleming McKell.
All-Star Team: Bill Dernan, Jack Stewart, Emile Bouchard, Bill Quackenbush, Ken Reardon, Max Bentley, Bill Mosienko, Doug Bentley, Grant Warwick, Maurice Richard, Edgar LaPrade, Ted Lindsay, Woody Dumart, Milt Schmidt, Bobby Bauer, Tony Leswick.
In 1934, the NHL had already held a fundraiser in support of Toronto forward Ace Bailey, who was seriously injured and needed funds to cover medical expenses. Thirteen years later, the league decided to follow a similar path and set up a special fund for the first All-Star Game. One-third of all ticket proceeds went to charity, while the rest was part of a new program to help players who had finished their careers.
Before the game, Toronto forward Howie Meeker was presented with the Calder Trophy from the previous 1946/47 season. The Maple Leafs hockey players were understandably in the spotlight. Local merchants and sponsors showered them with expensive gifts in the form of watches, hats, ties and cigarette cases, and the Ontario government gave the club’s players gold cufflinks. The other team, however, was not forgotten. The stars were treated to dinner at a luxury hotel and a trip to a soccer game together.
Despite the ceremonial part and the observance of etiquette, there was tension between some of the players. Especially Montreal forward Maurice Richard and Detroit forward Ted Lindsay. Sitting across from each other in the locker room, they didn’t even say a word. “Truth be told, Ted tried to talk to me, but I ignored him. I didn’t even like him at the All-Star Game,” Richard recounted.
Maurice channeled his negativity and eclipsed Lindsey in the game, recording a goal and an assist. No one on the ice saw that meeting as a way to have fun. “We were so intent on winning, you could hear the guys gritting their teeth. I haven’t seen a team this energized in my career,” said Montreal defenseman Ken Reardon. The intensity of the game was truly worthy of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final Series, and the penalty box was almost never empty.
Emile Bouchard and Bill Jejiniski decided to settle things on the fists, and their efforts were supported by Milt Schmidt and Gus Mortson. The players didn’t spare each other at all. Chicago forward Bill Mosijenko broke his ankle and left the arena on a stretcher while his wife went into labor at one of the Winnipeg hospitals. Many of the hockey players needed help after the game, and the stitches and abrasions made their faces look like masks from horror movies. The fans were thrilled with the intensity of the fight.
In the end, the All-Star team defeated Toronto 4-3, with Maple Leafs forward Harry Watson scoring the first puck in the history of such games. In many ways, the game was a historic one for North American hockey. In 2000, Canadian author Andrew Podnieks even published a book dedicated to All-Star games and called it “50 Years of a Great Tradition.” These days, many fans ignore such events and don’t find them interesting, but once upon a time such meetings were as much anticipated as the playoffs.
