Hockey Night In Canada

Raoul Duke*

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I believe I've read that the first televised game was from MSG and televised in the NYC area in about 1940. Does this tape still exists today?
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There was a show on CBC "Hockey: A People's History" - and what what happened was CBC broadcast the first sporting event held in MSG - which was a hockey game between the NY Americans and Montreal Canadiens. It was supposed to be some sort of border battle (just by name)...

But they showed play by play of the game in that documentary - so I assume the tapes still exist.

I don't think CBC realizes the money they can make off these games. Hell, they were showing footage of Howie Morenz, and even a rookie Maurice Richard... they have the footage somewhere.
 

ClassicHockey

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May 22, 2005
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I was one of the video consultants on that series and the the early MSG hockey was one of gems that was discovered in the making of the series. There is no actual play by play in that clip - its from a newsreel of the time.

The CBC have no rights to market vintage games.

There was a show on CBC "Hockey: A People's History" - and what what happened was CBC broadcast the first sporting event held in MSG - which was a hockey game between the NY Americans and Montreal Canadiens. It was supposed to be some sort of border battle (just by name)...

But they showed play by play of the game in that documentary - so I assume the tapes still exist.

I don't think CBC realizes the money they can make off these games. Hell, they were showing footage of Howie Morenz, and even a rookie Maurice Richard... they have the footage somewhere.
 

Nalyd Psycho

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I was one of the video consultants on that series and the the early MSG hockey was one of gems that was discovered in the making of the series. There is no actual play by play in that clip - its from a newsreel of the time.

The CBC have no rights to market vintage games.

Would it be the NHL or the individual teams that do? No matter how you slice it, it would be a treat to get some DVDs of classic games.
 

ClassicHockey

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May 22, 2005
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You are so right when you said that the librarians prior to the 80's didn't think there would be any interest in older games. So many great games were lost.

The earliest partial telecast of a HNIC Stanley Cup game is from 1953 in french, the first season of HNIC. The earliest hockey footage anywhere is from 1898 when Thomas Edison filmed railway workers playing hockey on a frozen pond.

It was thought that the telecast in New York in 1940 was the earliest on TV but there was also an experimental televised game in England of all places around that time. No tape has been found of either event.

The NHL is starting to license complete games on DVD - you will find Rangers games from 1994, Red Wing and Philadelphia Flyer games on dvd sets.

Only the overtime of the final game in 1970 when Orr scored the overtime goal seems to have survived.

I've always wished classic old games were more available to the general public. There's tons of games you read about and wish you could see even just highlights from but can't because they're locked in a vault or just plain don't exist. It's crazy to think that tapes of games were just erased, but I guess back then they didn't think people decades into the future would be interested. I've heard that the footage of the first two Super Bowls was erased :shakehead

I'm curious, how far back does video footage of complete games, or at least segments of games go? Which is the most recent Stanley Cup deciding game that there isn't film of? Which is the earliest that there is? I believe I've read that the first televised game was from MSG and televised in the NYC area in about 1940. Does this tape still exists today?

With the advent of DVDs and digital remastering with computers, etc. I hope will we eventually see more games released as DVDs to the public. It seems that a lot of the classic games that get shown on CBC or other networks are stuff that you've already seen because they're commonly shown. CBC's airing some classic games throughout the playoffs over the next month, but I've already seen Bruins-Habs '79 and Leafs-Kings '93 for example, and so have lots of other people. I'm not saying they shouldn't be re-shown, but I'd like some less common games as well. Say, Bruins-Blues '70. We've all seen Orr soaring through the air, but I've never seen one second of any other part of that game.
 

ClassicHockey

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May 22, 2005
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If your friend knows of a complete televised game from MSG (other than the partial in 1962), then he has a scoop. You should contact him and tell him he can make some money by saying where it is. I'll anxiously wait for that info.

If you called Molstar in 1986 or up until the mid-90's, then you weren't lied to. They didn't have any playoff games from the Olympia at that time.

Most of the existing complete Leaf-Detroit playoff games from the 60's have been aired including games where Detroit won. There would be no point in choosing to buy regular season games played at MLG with Detroit winning just to suit Detroit fans like yourself. Now, if you (and other Detroit fans) actually paid the subscription fees for the Leafs TV digital station, then that's another story. But it is 'Leafs TV' and they don't exist to provide games so that they could be bought off EBAY or from other collectors.






As far as the playoff game from the old MSG i talked to the person on the phone one time and was told that there was a complete game from the old MSG and was also told that there was a partial game from the old MSG.as far as Brian McFarlane i was told that he had someone store those games for him for a few years.and the person i talked to on the phone told me that there was always a chance down the road that the game from the old MSG could be shown on the Leaf channel.
I can remmber back in 1986 i called Molstar or what ever they were called at that time and asked them if they had any playoff games from the old olympia stadium in detroit. the person i talked to on the phone lied to me just to get me off of the phone and said that the only game they had was the game 7 from 1978 when toronto beat the new york islanders with Lanny McDonald s goal.
Now in later years i have acquired copys of games from the olympia stadium in detroit from the 1963, 1964 stanley cup finals and some playoff games with chicago playing detroit at the olympia stadium in the 1965 playoffs
It would be nice to see more detroit vs toronto games from the 1960s that detroit won.
 

ClassicHockey

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May 22, 2005
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It's the NHL who owns all the rights and make all the decisions. I would say that they are aware of the interest of old games on DVD. But it has to be commercially advantageous to them of course.

Would it be the NHL or the individual teams that do? No matter how you slice it, it would be a treat to get some DVDs of classic games.
 

Kyle McMahon

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May 10, 2006
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You are so right when you said that the librarians prior to the 80's didn't think there would be any interest in older games. So many great games were lost.

The earliest partial telecast of a HNIC Stanley Cup game is from 1953 in french, the first season of HNIC. The earliest hockey footage anywhere is from 1898 when Thomas Edison filmed railway workers playing hockey on a frozen pond.

It was thought that the telecast in New York in 1940 was the earliest on TV but there was also an experimental televised game in England of all places around that time. No tape has been found of either event.

The NHL is starting to license complete games on DVD - you will find Rangers games from 1994, Red Wing and Philadelphia Flyer games on dvd sets.

Only the overtime of the final game in 1970 when Orr scored the overtime goal seems to have survived.

Thanks for all the information.

Back in the 80's when the Oilers were in their glory my old man had the foresight to tape segments of most games in the playoffs, Oilers as well as anyone else who was on TV that night. Based on the NHL and the networks that own the rights to games being so stingy with availability, people like him who recorded games are really the only source for a lot of great footage.
 

OLYMPIA STADIUM

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Apr 20, 2007
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Hnic

.

Most of the existing complete Leaf-Detroit playoff games from the 60's have been aired including games where Detroit won. There would be no point in choosing to buy regular season games played at MLG with Detroit winning just to suit Detroit fans like yourself. Now, if you (and other Detroit fans) actually paid the subscription fees for the Leafs TV digital station, then that's another story. .

Well the last time that i looked at my cable service or asked people here in detroit who have a dish we dont get leaf tv here in detroit michigan.i have got games from people who live in ontario or people here in the states who have them.and there alot of people that would buy them from the League or HNIC or The leaf channel.
 

ClassicHockey

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May 22, 2005
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Geez, you seem so misinformed about a lot of things.

First of all, instead of complaining that Leafs TV doesn't show games where the Leafs lost (your claim makes no sense at all), you should be thanking them. In the last few years, Leafs TV aired about 170 Classic game shows that include about 200 classic games from the past. That's quite a large number at a large expense.

Secondly, ESPN Classic Canada regularly show classic games not involving the Leafs.

Thirdly, the NHL Network show multiple classic games every day and night.

The NHL is about to launch the NHL Network in the States which will undoubtedly air many classic games.

The NHL also has made deals with Production companies like Warner to produce DVD sets of classic games - Gretzky, Detroit, Philly and a lot more to come.

All of the above with the blessing and encouragement from the NHL.

Also, the NHL spent tons of money and I mean a lot of $$$ to buy the collections from various parties and spent much money transferring the footage from 16, cleaning them up and digitizing them for the purpose of airing them for the public.

You seem to have no idea about the actual collection of games that have survived and the condition and completeness of the footage.


Yes all they want to do is keep those games on a shelf somewhere in a vault collecting dust.
 

ClassicHockey

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May 22, 2005
595
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Good think your Dad was taping the games. In some cases, vhs copies off TV are the only copies of some games.

Thanks for all the information.

Back in the 80's when the Oilers were in their glory my old man had the foresight to tape segments of most games in the playoffs, Oilers as well as anyone else who was on TV that night. Based on the NHL and the networks that own the rights to games being so stingy with availability, people like him who recorded games are really the only source for a lot of great footage.
 

OLYMPIA STADIUM

Registered User
Apr 20, 2007
368
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DETROIT MICHIGAN
groups.yahoo.com
Hnic

Geez, you seem so misinformed about a lot of things.

First of all, instead of complaining that Leafs TV doesn't show games where the Leafs lost (your claim makes no sense at all), you should be thanking them. In the last few years, Leafs TV aired about 170 Classic game shows that include about 200 classic games from the past. That's quite a large number at a large expense.

Secondly, ESPN Classic Canada regularly show classic games not involving the Leafs.

Thirdly, the NHL Network show multiple classic games every day and night.

The NHL is about to launch the NHL Network in the States which will undoubtedly air many classic games.

The NHL also has made deals with Production companies like Warner to produce DVD sets of classic games - Gretzky, Detroit, Philly and a lot more to come.

All of the above with the blessing and encouragement from the NHL.

Also, the NHL spent tons of money and I mean a lot of $$$ to buy the collections from various parties and spent much money transferring the footage from 16, cleaning them up and digitizing them for the purpose of airing them for the public.

You seem to have no idea about the actual collection of games that have survived and the condition and completeness of the footage.

Listen i never said that i worked for the CBC or Leaf channel but i do know and have talked to someone that works at the leaf channel or worked at the leaf channel. and i will not mention the persons name out in a forum to just have him get into trouble for leaking info out into the public.and i do believe the info that the man told me was true.
 

ClassicHockey

Registered User
May 22, 2005
595
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This is what you said in a previous post:

==================================
My friend knows someone in ontario canada that worked with the leaf channel and i guess he got a copy of the list of games from him.
==================================

Now you say you talked to him personally and there is no friend. Please see my response to your private message.


Listen i never said that i worked for the CBC or Leaf channel but i do know and have talked to someone that works at the leaf channel or worked at the leaf channel. and i will not mention the persons name out in a forum to just have him get into trouble for leaking info out into the public.and i do believe the info that the man told me was true.
 

OLYMPIA STADIUM

Registered User
Apr 20, 2007
368
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DETROIT MICHIGAN
groups.yahoo.com
Hnic

This is what you said in a previous post:

==================================
My friend knows someone in ontario canada that worked with the leaf channel and i guess he got a copy of the list of games from him.
==================================

Now you say you talked to him personally and there is no friend. Please see my response to your private message.

I am not going to mention anyones name out in a public forum.and as far as the leaf channel i have been told that you have to live in ontario to get that channel.So since this is the case i am assuming that the person who i mentioned earlier must have lived in ontario since the channel is only shown there.
 
Last edited:

Injektilo

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Feb 3, 2005
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Taiwan
The earliest partial telecast of a HNIC Stanley Cup game is from 1953 in french, the first season of HNIC. The earliest hockey footage anywhere is from 1898 when Thomas Edison filmed railway workers playing hockey on a frozen pond.

It was thought that the telecast in New York in 1940 was the earliest on TV but there was also an experimental televised game in England of all places around that time. No tape has been found of either event.


Thought you might find this interesting :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9w8lzmHbcg

I wonder if more footage from that exists? Probably not.

Anyway, it's the earliest hockey footage i've seen, any idea of it's the earliest available anywhere?


side note : youtube commentary MUST be the lowest point of human thought.
 

ClassicHockey

Registered User
May 22, 2005
595
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Thanks for the link, I haven't seen that clip before and its pretty rare and historic. That probably came from a footage house in France that have the old Pathe newsreels with a lot of hockey from prior to 1930. A company in England also has a lot of vintage hockey from the 20's and 30's - also from Pathe. There are a number of clips of hockey being played outdoors both in North America and Europe from the 1920's and from the previous decade as well.

One thing we haven't found is footage from the old NHA.

Thought you might find this interesting :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9w8lzmHbcg

I wonder if more footage from that exists? Probably not.

Anyway, it's the earliest hockey footage i've seen, any idea of it's the earliest available anywhere?


side note : youtube commentary MUST be the lowest point of human thought.
 

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