This Day in Hockey History – November 25, 1951 – Oldest in Goal

Nov 25, 2018

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The Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings played back-to-back games the weekend of November 24 and 25, 1951. The Red Wings were the Stanley Cup defending champs, and the two teams had recently traded many players between each other. In just short of three weeks, Blackhawks assistant trainer Moe Roberts would turn 46. He became the oldest to man in an NHL net when he took the place of Harry Lumley, about half his age, during the final period of the second matchup.

Roberts had only played in ten NHL games up to that point. His first appearance was five days before his 20th birthday, when he replaced Boston Bruins goalie Doc Stewart. This made him the youngest NHL goalie to that point. Although he won that game, he lost his only other Bruins game and went back to the minors. During the early 1930s, Roberts played for the New York Americans in seven games. He won two, lost four, and did not complete the other. His final game took place on December 5, 1933, just over a week before his 28th birthday. After serving three years during World War II, Roberts played for the Washington Lions of the Eastern Amateur Hockey League until he retired in 1946. About five years later, he began his post as assistant trainer and practice goalie for Chicago.

After the visiting Blackhawks had defeated the Red Wings 6-2 on Saturday, the visiting Red Wings hit back hard on Sunday. The largest Chicago crowd of the season, 12,208, “beheld one of the most interesting games of recent recollection.” Three minutes into the first period came the first fight followed quickly by the first goal for the Blackhawks. The first goal by the Red Wings came later in the first period. During the second period, the Blackhawks scored again, but that was followed in quick succession by goals from Red Kelly, Glen Skov, Ted Lindsay, and Gordie Howe for the Red Wings. At that point, Chicago pulled Lumley, who had suffered a bruised knee after being hit with a puck during the first period.

To replace the injured Lumley, the Blackhawks sent in Roberts to play the third period. The Chicago Tribune called this “the greatest novelty” of the game while the Detroit Free Press claimed, “The Wings treated him kindly and added no further goals to their total.” Although, as the Free Press reported, “Roberts parried a half dozen shots as the third period opened peacefully.” The Blackhawks could not score again. The game ended 5-2.

Additional Sources:

Edward Burns, “Fists Fly as Wings Beat Hawks, 5-2,” Chicago Tribune, 26 Nov. 1951, p. 1F.
“Wings Even Score with Chicago, 5-2,” Detroit Free Press, 26 Nov. 1951, p. 26.
Mike Commito, Hockey 365: Daily Stories from the Ice (Toronto: Dundurn, 2018), 369.