The NHL used to play games on Christmas Day until the 1972–73 season. Over the years, from the first Christmas game on December 25, 1919, through the last games in 1971, there were a total of 125 games played on Christmas Day. I wrote about that 1919 game 10 years ago, but I didn’t realize until recently that NHL records showed the game to have been played on December 24. Stuart McComish, Senior Manager, Statistics and Research, for the NHL and I went over this last month.
Though it does appear the original newspaper stories about the 1919–20 schedule showed the first two games being played on December 24, 1919, the actual schedule had Toronto at Ottawa on December 23 and Montreal at Quebec on December 25. (The Canadiens won, 12–5). If you go looking for stories (other than mine!) about the first NHL game on Christmas Day, you’re likely to find the Toronto St. Patricks at the Montreal Canadiens on December 25, 1920 (Toronto 5, Montreal 4) … but the NHL has now updated their records. Here’s an ad for that 1919 Christmas game from The Quebec Chronicle, on Wednesday, December 24:
There were six NHL games on Christmas Day in 1971. The final game that night — the last NHL game ever played on Christmas — was a West Coast affair with the Los Angeles Kings hosting the California Golden Seals. The Seals won 3–1.
An earlier game that night in Toronto — Maple Leafs 5, Red Wings 3 — holds some significance in my family since it was the first game my brother David (a Christmas baby!) ever attended, with our father on his sixth birthday. (There’s no actual date in this image from The Toronto Star, so you’ll have to trust me that it’s from December 24, 1971.) I remember watching the Miami Dolphins beat the Kansas City Chiefs 27–24 in the longest overtime playoff game in NFL history earlier that evening, and then switching to the Leafs game on Hockey Night in Canada. I was looking for David and my Dad in the stands, but I never saw them…
And, well, because I’m Jewish, we’ll conclude with this. It’s not easy to find stories combining hockey and Hanukkah, so this, from The Toronto Star on December 20, 1973, is the best I could do!
No matter what holiday you celebrate at this time of year, I hope you have a happy one. And all the best to everybody for a happy and healthy — and peaceful — new year in 2025.
Delightful, as usual. May you all be blessed with a peaceful and healthy New Year!
Eric’s gift is another wonderful story. From my end, the Rangers believed that Santa was on their payroll. From the club’s inception through the 1940’s the Blueshirts usually won on December 25. What’s amazing is that even during World War II, when the Rangers roster had been decimated with enlistments. Yet even then Santa was good to them. Santa to the Rangers was what the great
“Songbird of the South,” Kate Smith was to the Philly Flyers for the longest time.
Happy Holidays.
Thanks for sharing Eric…another fascinating story, as usual. Enjoy the holiday season and continued success, good luck, and good health in 2025.
Nothing says festive fun like a victory by the California Golden Seals! Thanks for another wonderful article Eric. All the best to you and your family over the holidays. Enjoy a great 2025.
A very timely piece….Incredible that it took until 1971 to forego Christmas Day games…if ever there was a need for a union for non-financial considerations.
All the best of the season with good wishes for a year ahead that will be so much better than it promises to be.
As usual, a very interesting story!
Thanks, Eric! Enjoy the holidays!!!!
As always a story of great interest for hockey fans.
I think Ballard fired someone on Xmas day. He was all heart! Liver not so good.
It seems that this is the last year for the Argos winning the Grey Cup. You can’t have a Canadian Football League if Canada is only a state! Sadly whomever wins the Stanley Cup that team will toddle off to the White House and present the sitting US Pres (that heel spur makes it hard for him to stand) with a team jersey with his name on it. If it’s a Canadian team will they go and kiss his ring?
Enjoy your writing and hope your books really set a record for sales. Everyone of your fans should buy several.
They can present Mr. Trump with several cans of white paint.
LOL!
Happy Holidays, Eric, I always enjoy your stories.
If anyone could find a Hanukkah link to hockey it would be you. But I am left wondering why they stopped having a Christmas game after so many years.
It was basically because, in an era where they hardly made any more money than other people, they were tired of having to be away from their families at the Holidays.