This Day in Hockey History – January 29, 1946 – Pratt Falls

Everyone seemed to like the big guy and hated to bust him, but an example had to be made to prevent further wrong-doing in the future. Evidence was found that Walter “Babe” Pratt, star defenseman of the Toronto Maple Leafs, had gambled on NHL games. On January 29, 1946, NHL president Mervyn “Red” Dutton announced that Pratt was expelled.

Pratt had joined the NHL playing for the New York Rangers from 1935 until he was traded to Toronto for the 1941-42 season. Two seasons later, he was selected for the All-Star team and became the first Leaf to receive the Hart Trophy as MVP. In 1945, he helped lead the Leafs in winning the Stanley Cup championship. The 1945-46 season was his 11th in the NHL. Conn Smythe proclaimed, “He was the best all-around defenseman we ever had on the Leafs.”

Although Pratt was enjoying a great career, he worked as a railway switchman on the side and spent time with known gamblers. The NHL had a rule that gambling was not allowed. Despite Toronto officials warning their team a year prior and again a month prior, Pratt continued to keep up suspicious activities. While in New York, Dutton caught wind of the activities and went to Toronto to investigate (with the full support of the Maple Leafs officials). There, he “uncovered evidence to prove that Pratt had been gambling,” and when “confronted with this evidence, Pratt admitted he had been gambling.” He signed a statement for Dutton that was not disclosed to the press. Dutton clarified, “I want to emphasize the fact that there is no scandal in connection with this case. Pratt is being disciplined for violating rules against gambling, but, in fairness to the Toronto player, it should be kept in mind there is no evidence he was betting against his own team.”

This was not a witch hunt. Dutton explained, “If a player refuses to conform to the rules of the league, there is only one thing to do and that’s to discipline him.” From his Montreal office, Dutton announced that Pratt was being expelled for “conduct prejudicial to the welfare of hockey” by gambling on the results of games and for “failure to report an unsuccessful attempt to bribe him to throw a game.” Officials of the NHL and the Maple Leafs stressed that absolutely no evidence indicated that Pratt had made bets against his own team. Still, said Dutton, “The good name of professional hockey can’t be jeopardized to protect one player.”

The announcement came as a surprise for most. Pratt himself was not officially notified of the expulsion beforehand. A Rangers official said, “That’s a surprise to us. We know of no similar activities during the six and one-half years he was with us.” Pratt declined to comment. This was the first ruling of this kind in organized professional hockey.

As Dutton had made clear, Pratt had the right to appeal the ruling. His opportunity would come at the league governors’ next meeting, held at New York on February 15. Dutton encouraged Pratt to appeal but commented that they were “determined to keep our game clean and if Pratt’s appeal fails, it may serve to impress other players that we intend to enforce the anti-gambling rule.” When the appeal date came, Dutton actually pushed for leniency. After a 16-game suspension, Pratt was reinstated.

During the suspension, Selke announced that rookie Doug Baldwin would take Pratt’s place and that Pratt was not allowed to practice with the team. At the end of the season, having missed the playoffs, the Maple Leafs traded Pratt to the Boston Bruins. After only one season with Boston, they traded him to an AHL team. He bounced around the AHL and PCHL until 1952. In their first season without Pratt, the Leafs won the Stanley Cup again, and they proceeded to win the next two seasons to become the first NHL team to win three consecutive championships.

 Additional Sources:

• Brian McFarlane, Brian McFarlane’s History of Hockey (Champaign, Ill.: Sports Publishing Inc., c1997), 57.
• Dink Carroll, “Babe Pratt, Toronto Defenceman Expelled by N.H.L. for Gambling,” Montreal Gazette, 30 Jan. 1946, p. 1 and 14.
• Fraser MacDougall, “Babe Pratt Expelled From NHL For Conduct Prejudicial To The Welfare Of Hockey,” Ottawa Evening Citizen, 30 Jan. 1946, p. 10.