This Day in Hockey History – February 26, 1967 – Habs by Way of Chicago Paddy Wagon

Throughout the years of the National Hockey League there have been the occasional games in which mother nature or other issues have arisen and games have started late and some hockey players have gone on to tell some wild tales of what they had to do to get to a game.

Such was the situation when the Montreal Canadiens were scheduled to play the Chicago Black Hawks at Chicago Stadium, February 26, 1967. The game itself was played before 18,000 fans, who at one point, were sure that their Hawks were going to get the win. They were leading at 4:15 of the third period off the goal of Phil Esposito.

“Phil Esposito, [the Black Hawks] plodding centerman, had just completed a contortion act; he scored a goal while Jacques Laperriere, Montreal defenseman, was climbing on Phil’s back and jamming a stick between the Hawk’s legs,” described Ted Damata of the Chicago Tribune.

The fans were sure that the game was a done deal, and they were looking to add the two points to their 10-point lead over the Rangers at the top of the NHL standings. However, Henri Richard—the “Pocket Rocket”—tied the game up at 15:29 of the third.

In the net for the Canadiens, was Rogatien Vachon, suiting up at the NHL level for just his fourth NHL game. He stopped 23 of the 25 shots the Chicago sent his way. In addition to the bizarre goal from Esposito, he also let in a shot from Doug Mohns in the first, while the Hawks were on the power play.

At the other end Denis De Jordy was back between the pipes for Chicago and he saw 31 shots throughout the game. In addition to Richard’s goal, he also let one in during the opening frame—“a 35-foot drive by J.C. Tremblay at an unusual moment in which two Hawk players and one Canadien were in the penalty box” at 13:10. At 11:13 Dennis Hull had been sent off for Chicago for hooking and then at 13:05 both Doug Jarrett for the Hawks and John Ferguson for the Canadiens were both sent to their respective boxes for high-sticking.

Given how the night began for Montreal perhaps it was an omen as to the just how strange the whole night would be.

It began with the train from Montreal arriving seven minutes early to Chicago—instead of its customary ten minutes late. As such the chartered bus that was to pick up the Canadiens wasn’t at the train station. The Canadiens waited, but the bus didn’t show up. Instead they found out it was waiting for the team at the stadium.

“Finally the Chicago police department came to the rescue. The Montreal players, coaches, press corps, and equipment were transported to the field of battle in a squadrol, two cruisers, and a cab,” wrote Damata in the Chicago Tribune. “

“Maybe it was the effect of riding in a police paddy wagon and the thought that they should have been arrested for Saturday’s pitiful performance against Rangers. Or maybe coach Toe Blake finally got through to the pride of his athletes,” shared Pat Curran in The Gazette on Monday the 28th. “In any case the Canadiens were fighting mad last night and twice came from behind to force a 2-2 tie with the league-leading Black Hawks,”

Additional Sources:

• Ted Damata, “Late Canadien Score Ties Hawks 2-2,” Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), Monday, February 27, 1967, p. 3-1, 3-3
• Pat Curran, “Habs Out-Thump Hawks To Earn 2-2 Tie,” The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec), Monday, February 27, 1967, p. 22