This Day in Hockey History – December 9, 1953 – Canadiens Rhubarb Leafs

It is no secret that hockey is a physical sport. And there have been plenty of situations in which tempers flare, mitts are dropped, and a couple of players square off. While not seen as often in the current generation of hockey, which tries to stop the fisticuffs before they start, there have been some brawls in the past. Such was the case between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs in a good old-fashioned rivalry that saw the simmer go to a full boil on December 9, 1953 at the Maple Leaf Gardens.

The first two periods saw the traditional calls of any hockey game: holding, interference, a few hookings and trippings. Both teams were assessed five penalties each in the opening 40 minutes of the game.

Through it all, the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to capitalize twice on the man advantage, the first gave George Armstrong his eighth goal of the season, unassisted, at 4:56 of the first, while Montreal’s Bud MacPherson cooled his blades in the bin for holding. The Leafs notched their second goal, this time credited to Ted Kennedy, with an assist from Sid Smith, just 45 seconds into the second period. Smith would go on to give the Leafs a three-goal lead on the power play at 16:36 of the second assisted by Jim Morrison and Kennedy.

Despite having equal opportunities on the man advantage, the Canadiens simply could not solve Harry Lumley, though both Maurice Richard and Bernie Geoffrion did their best, having several opportunities each.

The third period looked like it would be much of the same. Leafs’ Armstrong was whistled for a slashing 37 seconds into the final period. Nine minutes later his teammate Danny Lewicki got called for a holding. At 11:05 fellow Leaf Ron Stewart was sent off for charging and then Montreal took their first penalty of the third when Richard was dinged for tripping at 12:14.

That’s pretty much where the actual playing of hockey became a secondary point to the remainder of the game. It began when Canadiens Eddie Mazur and Toronto’s Armstrong got into a fight at 14:45. They were each given roughings and misconducts and it looked like perhaps referee Frank Udvari thought things would settle back down.

Apparently during the second period Toronto’s Ron Stewart and Canadien’s MacPherson had been involved in a little interaction. One report states that MacPherson broke his stick on the ribs of Stewart—though MacPherson was not sent to the box for this per the official record. However, the two came together in a collision at 18:12 of the third and that was all it took.

“The Toronto game, fairly quiet for the first two periods, broke wide open in the third when the Leaf’s Ron Stewart and Montreal’s Bud MacPherson started trading blows. It was mayhem after that. Tom Johnson of Montreal moved in to separate them and Stewart slugged Johnson on the chin. Players rushed from the benches and sticks and gloves went flying,” reported The Ottawa Citizen.

“At one time, Harry Watson tackled three Montreal players. Bob Solinger and Bert Olmstead punched it out. MacPherson switched to Nesterenko. Fern Flaman and Paul Masnick slugged away,” described The Gazette.

The only player who wasn’t on the ice for the melee was Canadiens’ Doug Harvey who had taken a legitimate holding penalty at 17:08 of the period, so he couldn’t join in.

“The sellout crowd of 13, 426 was going wild. Udvari was frantic. Nobody could tell who was hitting whom,” continued The Ottawa Citizen.

“War of 1812” – Smythe

For Udvari, it was time to “throw the book” which he most certainly did and when it was all said and done, the referee had given major fighting penalties to MacPherson, Johnson, Eric Nesterenko and Stewart. He ordered both coaches to clear their benches. Misconducts were assessed to Montreal’s Dick Gamble, Geoffrion, Calum MacKay, Masnick, Paul Meger, Ken Mosdell, and Richard and to Toronto’s Leo Boivin, Lewicki, Tod Sloan, Smith, Stewart and Harry Watson.

“This left each team with four men on the ice. Toronto was left with Hugh Bolton, Ted Kennedy, Horton and Harry Lumley in the net. Montreal had Bert Olmstead, Butch Bouchard, Johnny McCormack and Gerry McNeil in goal,” stated The Gazette.

Harvey, who had to watch the excitement from the box, returned in the last minute of the game, though the Canadiens couldn’t capitalize on the man advantage. For Lumley it was his fifth shutout of the season, though it was completely eclipsed by the fracas.

The Ottawa Citizen referred to the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs as the “two ‘feudingest’ clubs in the business.” In the end there were a record 36 penalties handed out along with 15 misconducts. The Canadiens were assessed 106 minutes while Toronto came up with 98 minutes in penalties for a record breaking 204.

“The repercussions were expected to come thick and fast today [December 10] after what some say was the roughest game in National Hockey League history. There was no mention of the NHL president Clarence Campbell being asked to investigate the brawl. However some officials said after the game ‘we don’t doubt that he will,’” reported The Ottawa Citizen.

As for Conn Smythe’s take on the game as the Leafs’ managing director? He referred to it as the “war of 1812.” He went on to say “I don’t want to say much. All I want to know is when the Canadiens will be back here.”

Additional Sources:

• “Leafs, Habs In Big Free-For-All,” The Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario), Thursday, December 10, 1953, p. 28.
• “General Melee Touches Off Mass Penalty Third Period,” The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec), Thursday, December 10, 1953, p. 20.