Toronto Maple Leafs Waste Bruce Gamble’s Heroics in 1-0 Loss to Rangers

On October 19, 1969, the Toronto Maple Leafs visited Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers in what would be their fourth game of the 1969-70 NHL season. For Leafs fans, the game felt like a one-man show and that man was goaltender Bruce Gamble.

The Rangers won 1-0 on an early goal from Vic Hadfield at the 7:33 mark of the first period, assisted by Jean Ratelle and Brad Park. That lone tally held up the rest of the way, not because the Rangers went into a defensive shell, but because Gamble stood on his head. He turned aside 44 of 45 shots, keeping the Leafs in the game all night long. Hadfield and Ratelle each had seven shots apiece, while former Leaf Ron Stewart chipped in with six.

On the flip side, Ed Giacomin had one of the easiest shutouts of his career. Toronto managed just 17 shots on net, with Paul Henderson and Bob Pulford accounting for nearly half with four shots each.

The lack of offense became a season-long theme. The Leafs finished last in the East Division, a brutal 21 points behind the next-closest team. They scored a division-low 222 goals and allowed a division-high 242, despite Gamble's solid play. Over 52 games, Gamble had five shutouts and a .915 save percentage, remarkable numbers considering the team's struggles.

Bruce Gamble’s career spanned from 1958-59 to 1971-72, playing with the Rangers, Bruins, Leafs, and Flyers. Though solid between the pipes, he’s often remembered for his heart attack during a game in 1972 while playing for the Flyers, a game he finished despite the medical emergency.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Rangers – October 19, 1969 Trivia

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1. Who scored the only goal in the Rangers' 1-0 win over the Maple Leafs on October 19, 1969?

• A) Rod Gilbert
• B) Vic Hadfield ✅
• C) Jean Ratelle
• D) Brad Park

2. How many shots did Bruce Gamble stop in this game?

• A) 35
• B) 40
• C) 44 ✅
• D) 47

3. Which former Leaf had six shots on goal for the Rangers in that game?

• A) Ron Stewart ✅
• B) Dick Duff
• C) Bob Nevin
• D) Phil Goyette

4. What was the Maple Leafs’ shot total in the 1-0 loss?

• A) 14
• B) 17 ✅
• C) 21
• D) 25

5. What serious health event is Bruce Gamble remembered for during a game in 1972?

• A) Concussion
• B) Broken collarbone
• C) Heart attack ✅
• D) Eye injury

1963-64 NHL PIM Leaders

1963-64 in the National Hockey League brought about one of those unique occurrences worthy of bar room discussion. Stan Mikita of the Chicago Black Hawks led the NHL with 89 points, earning the Art Ross Trophy for the first of four times during his career. Mikita, who would go on to win the Lady Byng Trophy twice later in his career, finished third in the NHL for penalty minutes, just a fighting major behind the leader.

Vic Hadfield – New York Rangers

VicHadfield of the New York Rangers led the NHL with 151 PIM. 1963-64 was Hadfield’s third year in the NHL but his first full season. Later in his career, Hadfield proved he could put up big offensive numbers, as well. In 1971-72, he scored 50 goals for the Rangers and totalled 106 points in 78 games. He placed second in the NHL for goals and fourth for points.

Vic played just over 1,000 regular season games in the NHL between 1961-62 and 1976-77 with the Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. In that time, he sat 1,154 minutes in the penalty box.

Terry Harper – Montreal Canadiens

Terry Harper, a rookie with the Montreal Canadiens, finished second, just a minor penalty behind Hadfield. Although technically a rookie, Terry had appeard in 14 games with the Habs in the previous season. Never an offensive threat, the big defenseman scored just 35 goals over 1,066 regular season games while accumulating 1,362 minutes in penalties. Between 1962-63 and 1980-81, Terry played for the Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Colorado Rockies.

Stan Mikita – Chicago Black Hawks

Then came Mikita. With 146 PIM, Stan finished third in the NHL. Often referred to as one of the greatest turnabouts in pro sports history, within three years, Stan was being awarded consecutive Lady Byng Trophies. After another rough and tumble season in 1964-65, which saw Mikita sit 154 minutes, his box time dropped to just 12 minutes in 1966-67 and 14 the following season.

Mikita played 1,394 regular season games in the NHL from 1958-59 to 1979-80, all with the Chicago Black Hawks. He accumulated 1,270 PIM over that time but it’s his offensive numbers that put him in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He finished his NHL career with 541 goals and 1,467 points. He is the only player to win the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy in consecutive seasons.

Ted Green – Boston Bruins

Tough Boston Bruins defenseman Ted Green finished one minute behind Mikita. 1963-64 was Green’s third season with the Bruins, the only team he would play for during his NHL career. Ted played 620 regular season games with the Bruins between 1961-62 and 1971-72, sitting 1,029 minutes. He jumped to the World Hockey Association for the rebel league’s inaugural season, 1972-73, and remained until the league’s demise after the 1978-79 season.

Reg Fleming – Chicago Black Hawks

Another Chicago player placed fifth with 140 PIM. Reg Fleming was a serious tough guy during his days in the NHL. Fleming played 749 regular season NHL games between 1959-60 and 1970-71 and sat a whopping 1,468 minutes. After just 3 games with the Montreal Canadiens in 1959-60, he went on to play for the Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres before two years in the WHA with the Chicago Cougars.