This Day in Hockey History – January 22, 1966 – Case of the Stolen Sweaters

The scene was the Montreal Forum, and the dates were January 21 and 22, 1966. The victims were the Detroit Red Wings, who were tops in the NHL. Since there would be two sets of Montreal-Detroit games, Detroit trainer Lefty Wilson packed both their home and away uniforms. Upon arrival at the Forum the morning of January 22, the Red Wings found that all 44 of their sweaters had been stolen from the locker room.

The night before, Detroit and Montreal oldtimers had played a game that included the famous Gordie Howe (though he still played for the Red Wings). About 15,000 watched the Quebec team win after Maurice Richard tied up the score. After the game, thieves remained behind and snuck into the locker room to take the sweaters, which then began appearing around Montreal. When first informed of the theft, Detroit manager-coach Sid Abel thought their rivals may have removed the sweaters. “If it’s a joke, we’re not laughing.” However, the same night, many other items were taken, including a black bear from the Garden of Wonders Zoo. Director Andre Champagne of the Montreal Parks Department remarked that he was “not too pleased” about the bear’s kidnapping. Witnesses claimed to have seen the bear wearing Howe’s No. 9 jersey.

Instead of postponing the game, the Red Wings found a solution. Their junior affiliate team, the Hamilton Red Wings, were scheduled to play the junior Canadiens on January 23. The team flew over their uniforms a day early. Although identical in design, naturally the jerseys needed alterations to fit the different players. At least one had to wear a different number than usual, and the captain’s C was on the wrong player.

The Red Wings did not let ill-fitting sweaters slow them down. Paul Henderson, Gordie Howe, and Ron Murphy each scored while Roger Crozier made 31 saves. As Jack Berry wrote for the Detroit Free Press, “Someone stole the Red Wings’ jerseys, so little Roger Crozier returned the favor Saturday night, stealing the Montreal Canadiens blind.” Crozier had only allowed 13 goals over his last ten games, and none of them were that night. The 3-0 game gave Crozier his fifth shutout in those ten and 15th overall. Detroit’s lead in the league increased to three points, and their unbeaten streak increased to eight games. Writing for the Montreal Gazette, Pat Curran bemoaned, “As far as Canadiens were concerned it’s too bad that thieves didn’t take Detroit’s skates.” Fortunately, the Red Wings had another set of red sweaters back in Detroit that they could wear when hosting the New York Rangers the next night.

On January 26, the case was cracked. After the Canadiens lost to the visiting Chicago Blackhawks, 44 students from the Physical Education School of the Universite de Montreal crowded the ice wearing the stolen sweaters. For their winter carnival, there was a contest to steal the most original object. They had not only taken the jerseys (valued at $20 each) but also three paintings from the Forum’s lobbies (valued at $200 each). At least the bear was recaptured and returned to the pen. As one NHL article about the event jested, the bear would “resume its life as it should have. As a bruin.”

At least 33 of the thieves (three women and thirty men) were arrested and brought to Montreal police station Number 10. Canadiens president David Molson firmly stated, “We are going through with the charges of destroying public property and I hope the Detroit Red Wings also press charges so that those responsible will feel the full consequences.” On January 27, all of them were “charged under provisions of Article 296 of the Criminal Code having to do with possession of property obtained by crime,” and a preliminary hearing was set for February 3.

The Canadiens and Red Wings dropped the charges once the sweaters and paintings were returned, but the police pursued the matter. Finally, on January 18, 1967, all 33 were acquitted, adjudged to have not had criminal intent. However, the judge chastised the students saying, “You are all future leaders in physical education. I must ask myself what kind of educators you will turn out to be.”

As for the Red Wings, they may have won the game in their borrowed sweaters, but they lost the Stanley Cup to the Canadiens that year. Case closed.

 Additional Sources:

• Pat Curran, “May Have Last Laugh With Leading Red Wings,” Montreal Gazette, 22 Jan. 1966, p. 7.
• Jack Berry, “Wings Risk Top Spot,” Detroit Free Press, 22 Jan. 1966, p. 1C.
• Jack Berry, “Crozier Keeps Wings in Top Spot,” Detroit Free Press, 23 Jan. 1966, p. 1C-3C
• Pat Curran, “Habs Tie Hawks 3-3, Lose to Wings 3-0,” Montreal Gazette, 24 Jan. 1966, p. 31.
• Hubert Gendron, “Hockey Sweaters Returned, But Students Face Charges,” Montreal Gazette, 27 Jan. 1966, p. 3.
• Russell Gilliece, “33 U of M Students Charged Over Hockey Sweater Hijinks,” Montreal Gazette, 28 Jan. 1966, p. 3.
• https://www.nhl.com/news/red-wings-defeat-canadiens-after-sweaters-stolen/c-285943344
• Kevin Allen, 100 Things Red Wings Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die (Triumph Books, 2014), 206-209.