Search for your favorite player or team

© The Hockey News. All rights reserved. Any and all material on this website cannot be used, reproduced, or distributed without prior written permission from Roustan Media Ltd. For more information, please see our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.


September 1, 1963

September 1, 1963

The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

IN THIS ISSUE

Monsieur Plante Not In Jeopardy, But Rangers Extend Full Tryout To New York-born Rookie Goaler

NEW YORK, N.Y.— A 22-year-old goaltender, who learned his hockey on the sidewalks—and gutters—of New York is being given a tryout by the Rangers. He’s Sal Messina, a chunky, black-haired native of Astoria, Queens, just mustered out of the U.S. Army. Messina was invited to the Rangers’ Winnipeg training camp along with goaltenders Jacques Plante, Gilles Villemure and Marcel Paille. “You can bet your last dollar he’ll get a good look,” said Emile “Cat” Francis, the Rangers assistant g.m. and himself a former goaltender. Should Messina impress, he’ll likely be farmed out to one of the Ranger minor league affiliates, possibly even the Long Island Ducks of the Eastern League. If so this would cap an extraordinary up-and-down-and-up-again-story. Messina, who learned his hockey on roller skates and didn’t begin to play ice hockey until his late…

IN THIS ISSUE

Hall Of Fame Selectors Overlooked Hooley Smith

(As Seen In The Montreal Gazette) MONTREAL, Que.— Reginald J. “Hooley” Smith, one of the most versatile Canadian athletes of our time, died suddenly here in Aug. 24. “The “Hooler” had been watching a tv baseball game, featuring Casey Stengel’s unpredictable Mets in an unexpected 5-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs in New York when he was hit by a heart seizure. He was rushed to hospital, where his only daughter, Barbara, is one of the heads of the nursing staff. He passed away a couple of hours later. Ironically a distinguished group of celebrated oldtime Canadian athletic figures was gathered at Hall of Fame headquarters at the Toronto C.N.E. and wondering out loud why R. J. “Hooley” Smith had not yet been named for our hockey shrine, at the hour when he was…

IN THIS ISSUE

Blues Going Up, Hubs Do wn—Plante

NEW YORK, N.Y.— When the Rangers open their training camp in Winnipeg on Sept. 15th, they can expect a slimmer, more satisfied goaltender in the nets for them. That man, of course, is Jacques Plante. “When I played for Montreal,” said Jacques the eloquent, “I weighed 183 pounds. But playing in a smaller rink like Madison Square Garden I must be faster, so I’ll trim down to 170.” At that rate, Plante may hardly be visible to Garden patrons who had become used to a round ball of humanity, known as Gump Worsley, guarding the New York net. But Jacques the trim says he aims to please. “If I don’t go good at 170, then I’ll eat a lot and put on the weight. We must wait and see.” Plante remains imperturbably confident the Rangers…

IN THIS ISSUE

Red Wings Plan light Exhibitions Meet leafs in First “Prep” Game

DETROIT. Mich.— The Detroit Red Wings will open training camp for the 1963-64 National Hockey League season Sept. 7 at the Olympia and two weeks later they’ll head into the first of eight pre-season exhibition games. General-manager-coach Sid Abel said practice sessions will last 12 days with the first prep game Sept. 19 in Windsor against Toronto Maple Leafs. The seven remaining exhibitions will be: Sept. 20, against Toronto at Peterborough; Sept. 21, against Chicago at St. Catharines; Sept. 26, against Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Pa.; Sept. 27, against Cleveland at St. Thomas; Sept. 28, against Pittsburgh at Hamilton; and Sept. 29, against Buffalo at Buffalo. Detroit will open its home NHL schedule Oct. 10 against Chicago. The Wings, who usually finish the season with most of their March games on the road because of an…