On This Day October 1st.

October 1: On this day in 1933, Leaf goaltender Lorne Chabot was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for future Hall-of-Fame goalie, George Hainsworth. Chabot and Hainsworth became the first two goaltenders to play for both storied franchises. Lorne Chabot backstopped Toronto to its first Stanley Cup under the Maple Leafs banner in 1932.


Lorne Chabot Bio:
It was in northwestern Ontario that Chabot first gained widespread fame. His relatively large 6-foot 1-inch frame and quick reflexes made him hard to beat. His stellar play contributed to Port Arthur's consecutive Allan Cup triumphs in 1925 and 1926. After the second of these, Conn Smythe signed Chabot to play for the New York Rangers.

As a rookie, "Sad Eyes" won 22 games, recorded 10 shutouts and took the starting netminder's job away from Hal Winkler. In 1927-28 he played all 44 regular-season matches and helped New York reach the Stanley Cup finals. In the second game of the championship series against the Montreal Maroons, an injury to Chabot precipitated one of the most famous maneuvers in Stanley Cup playoff history. Teams didn't carry a backup goalie, so Rangers manager Lester Patrick was forced to make an emergency appearance between the pipes. The "Silver Fox" backstopped the Blueshirts to an overtime win that shifted the momentum of the series and helped New York win its first Stanley Cup. More...

George Hainsworth Bio:
George Hainsworth was one of hockey's dominant goaltenders of the 1920s and 1930s and his netminding heroics became a legacy that lasted many years after he retired. He appeared relaxed while performing between the pipes, as though giving a minimum of effort. His laid-back approach and exceptional puck-stopping ability continually frustrated opposing players.

The Toronto native enjoyed a strong amateur career in Berlin (later Kitchener), Ontario. It began with a solid season with the Berlin Union Jacks junior outfit in 1911-12, leading the league in victories. This was followed by four years with the city's senior club. In the second year he backstopped the team to the OHA championship. In all four seasons, Hainsworth led the OHA in wins while developing a reputation as one of the top amateur goaltending prospects in Canada. The emerging star spent the 1916-17 season with the Kew Beach team, based in the east end of Toronto. Hainsworth next moved on to play six seasons with the Kitchener Greenshirts senior OHA team and he added another honour to his portfolio with an Allan Cup triumph in 1918. More...

October 1: On this day in 1997, the Leafs opened their 1997-98 season with a 4-1 loss at home to the Washington Capitals. Evidently, it was an early indication of the fate of the teams for that season. The Leafs finished with a 30-43-9 record and out of the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Meanwhile, the Capitals finished with a 40-30-12 record and made it right through to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in their history.

October 1: On this day in 1999, the Leafs traded left winger Fredrik Modin to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Cory Cross. Modin went on to win a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004. Cross was a solid plus-31 in 162 games as a Leaf over the next 3 seasons.




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