From New York to St. Louis and Back: The Rod Seiling Saga

Few hockey stories from the 1960s are as chaotic and entertaining as Rod Seiling’s unbelievable hour during the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. The back of his 1969-70 O-Pee-Chee hockey card hints at the madness: “In 1967, Seiling was dealt from New York to St. Louis to New York in less than 1 hour.” It wasn’t exactly a trade the first time, but the card’s spirit wasn’t wrong, his rights did a full round-trip.

During the expansion draft, the St. Louis Blues selected Seiling from the New York Rangers with the 36th pick. Moments later, before he even had time to think about packing a bag, St. Louis shipped him right back to the Rangers in a multi-player deal involving Tim Ecclestone, Bob Plager, Gary Sabourin, and Gord Kannegiesser. For Seiling, it meant his tenure as a Blues player lasted only minutes, maybe even seconds.

Seiling had originally joined the Rangers in February 1964 as part of a blockbuster Toronto–New York trade that sent him, Arnie Brown, Bill Collins, Dick Duff, and Bob Nevin to Manhattan in exchange for Andy Bathgate and Don McKenney. He became a steady presence on the Rangers blue line until the 1974-75 season, when he was waived four games in and claimed by the Washington Capitals.

That’s where the story takes another twist. Washington traded Seiling almost immediately, after he played just one game, for none other than Tim Ecclestone, one of the very players St. Louis had once moved to reacquire Seiling in 1967. The deal sent Seiling back to his original NHL home, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After two seasons in Toronto, Seiling finally did what the 1967 expansion draft almost made happen: he joined the St. Louis Blues, where he spent two solid seasons and closed the loop on a hockey journey nearly a decade in the making.

About Rod Seiling

Rod Seiling played 979 regular season and 77 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1962-63 and 1978-79 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Flames. The low-scoring defenseman topped out with a nine goal season in 1972-73 with the Rangers.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Rod Seiling

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Rod Seiling was originally drafted by which NHL team?

Toronto Maple Leafs
New York Rangers
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens

2. In the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, which team selected Rod Seiling?

Los Angeles Kings
St. Louis Blues
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins

3. Which team claimed Rod Seiling on waivers early in the 1974-75 season?

Vancouver Canucks
Washington Capitals
Kansas City Scouts
California Golden Seals

4. Which player was involved in BOTH Seiling’s 1967 St. Louis transaction and his later move from the Capitals?

Bob Plager
Gary Sabourin
Tim Ecclestone
Gord Kannegiesser

5. Rod Seiling finally joined and played two seasons with which team late in his career?

St. Louis Blues
Chicago Blackhawks
Buffalo Sabres
Atlanta Flames

Jim Rutherford’s Stunning Shutout Ends Detroit’s Long Drought vs Montreal

For most of the 1970s, one NHL truth felt ironclad: Montreal was dominant, Detroit was not. But on April 9, 1978, Jim Rutherford delivered a rare moment that flipped the script and ended four long years of Red Wings frustration.

Detroit’s previous win against Montreal had come back on March 20, 1974, a wild 7-6 victory with Rutherford newly arrived from Pittsburgh. What followed was pure futility: 0-18-5 against the Canadiens from the start of 1974-75 through early 1978. Then came one unforgettable night at Olympia.

Montreal entered the matchup as a powerhouse at 59-9-11, gearing up for what would become their third straight Stanley Cup. Detroit was a modest 31-34-14, simply trying to build momentum heading into the playoffs. The Habs had their usual lineup, though backup Michel Larocque got the start instead of Ken Dryden. Rutherford seized the opportunity.

He stopped all 28 shots he faced, earning his only shutout of the 1977-78 season and giving Detroit a cathartic 4-0 victory, the franchise’s first against Montreal in four years.

The Red Wings struck quickly. Just 33 seconds in, Dennis Hextall scored the eventual game-winner, assisted by Nick Libett and Vaclav Nedomansky. Before the first period ended, Bill Lochead added two more goals, both set up by Dale McCourt. In the second period, Nedomansky capped the scoring with his 11th of the year, assisted by Hextall and Libett.

Detroit would go on to enjoy a milestone spring: their first playoff appearance since 1969-70 and their first series win since 1965-66, ironically, the year they had fallen to the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Jim Rutherford

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Which team originally drafted Jim Rutherford into the NHL?

Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
Pittsburgh Penguins
Toronto Maple Leafs

2. Rutherford was traded to Detroit in January 1974. Which team dealt him?

Pittsburgh Penguins
Los Angeles Kings
Buffalo Sabres
Washington Capitals

3. Rutherford’s famous 4–0 shutout over Montreal came in which NHL season?

1975–76
1977–78
1979–80
1981–82

4. After retiring as a player, which major NHL award did Rutherford later win as a general manager?

NHL General Manager of the Year Award
Lester Patrick Award
Jennings Trophy
King Clancy Trophy

5. Which teams did Rutherford win the Stanley Cup with as a general manager? (Select all that apply)

Carolina Hurricanes
Pittsburgh Penguins
Detroit Red Wings
St. Louis Blues

NHL All-Stars: Bobby Rousseau’s Brilliant 1965-66 Season

Bobby Rousseau put together the best campaign of his NHL career in 1965-66, delivering a breakout year that helped power the Montreal Canadiens back to the top of the league. Rousseau scored 30 goals and added 48 assists for 78 points, edging out Jean Béliveau for the team scoring lead by a single point. His playmaking touch stood out across the league as well. He led the NHL in assists and finished tied with Stan Mikita for second place in the Art Ross Trophy race.

His strong performance carried straight into the postseason. Rousseau collected eight points in ten games, helping Montreal sweep the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round and defeat the Detroit Red Wings in six games to capture another Stanley Cup championship.

Despite Rousseau’s exceptional production, Gordie Howe earned First Team NHL All-Star honours at right wing. The two stars posted remarkably similar numbers that year, but Howe’s iconic stature and Hart Trophy voting (finishing third) gave him the edge. Rousseau still earned recognition, finishing as the runner-up for the Lady Byng Trophy behind Alex Delvecchio.

By the end of his career, Rousseau had put together an impressive resume:

• 942 regular season games

• 128 playoff games

• Four Stanley Cup championships with Montreal

• 1961-62 Calder Trophy winner

• NHL stops with the Canadiens, Minnesota North Stars, and New York Rangers

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Bobby Rousseau

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Bobby Rousseau won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in which season?

1960-61
1961-62
1962-63

2. Which team did Rousseau lead in scoring during his career-best 1965-66 season?

Montreal Canadiens
Minnesota North Stars
New York Rangers

3. How many Stanley Cup championships did Bobby Rousseau win?

Two
Four
Five

4. Rousseau finished runner-up for which major NHL award in 1965-66?

Lady Byng Trophy
Hart Trophy
Vezina Trophy

5. Across his NHL career, which team did Bobby Rousseau NOT play for?

New York Rangers
Minnesota North Stars
Chicago Blackhawks

Your Score: