14. Hornets Win First Calder Cup, 1952
Pittsburgh played a major role in the early years of professional hockey and, by 1925, gained a franchise in the National Hockey League. The Pittsburgh Pirates, playing at an undersized and dilapidated Duquesne Gardens, struggled financially, and at the end of the 1929–1930 season, finally left town and became the Philadelphia Quakers. For the 1935–1936 season, theatre magnate John Harris bought the Detroit Olympics in the minor-league American Hockey League and moved the franchise to Pittsburgh, where they became the Hornets. Affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Hornets sent future Hall-of-Famers, like George Armstrong and Tim Horton, to the NHL. After losing three Calder Cup finals, the franchise won its first championship in 1952 against the Providence Reds. The team was led by Tim Horton, Frank Mather, one of the greatest defensemen in AHL history, and goalie Gil “the Needle” Mayer.
Hornets Win in Sudden Death, 3–2
R. Hannigan Sinks Reds in Cup Final
Clincher Comes at 6:08 Mark in Second Overtime
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND—April 20—Ray Hannigan, Pittsburgh left wing, slapped the puck 15 feet into the Providence net in the second overtime period here tonight. And on that shot rode the first Calder Cup the Hornets ever won in 16 seasons in the American Hockey League.
A screaming crowd of 6,154, largest in three seasons in the Auditorium here, groaned as the shot flashed past Goalie Harvey Bennett to end the game at 6:08 of the “sudden death” period.
The Providence team, a nemesis to the Hornets for several seasons, had rallied twice in the second period to tie the score, and at the end of regulation time the count was 2–2. After a 10-minute overtime period, which was scoreless, an intermission was taken before the sudden death overtime.
Close-Checking Game
After six minutes and eight seconds of milling, in which there were few scoring threats, Hannigan took a pass from Chuck Blair and blasted it past Bennett to wind up the season.
Conspicuous by his absence was league president Maurice Podoloff. Neither Podoloff nor the Calder Cup were present at the playoff game. Just when the cup will be presented still was a mystery after it had been won by the Hornets.
The game was a close-checking affair all the way, with the both clubs having 37 shots on the goal and with Pittsburgh having the advantage of Hannigan’s overtime shot which spelled the difference.
Fourth Overtime Battle
The game followed almost the same pattern as last week’s 3–2 victory on the same ice, in which Rudy Migay, limping on a crippled left knee, slammed the same kind of shot past Bennett at 18:40 of the second overtime period.
The Hornets battled through two overtime games with Hershey in the first playoff series. And this was their second overtime game in the Providence series.
Last season the Hornets battled Cleveland into the seventh game before surrendering hope for the Calder Cup by a 3–1 decision. That was the third time they had come within one game of winning it. They finally made it the fourth time.
Barbe Gets First Goal
The line of Barbe, Migay, and Solinger, which was responsible for more than half of the scoring in the first five games of the title series, came through with the first goal of the game after a minute and nine seconds of play, with Barbe smashing a waist-high shot past Goalie Bennett from 30 feet out.
Providence tied the count after but 16 seconds of play in the second period, when Sullivan’s 20-foot shot bounced over Mayer’s skate and into the net. Boivin, who had drawn a penalty for elbowing just before the end of the first period, was in the bastille at the time.
Horton put the Hornets back in front at 9:07 of the period when he stole the puck from Lund at mid-ice and skated in for an unassisted tally from the left side of the net.
Hassard scored an apparent goal at 14:35 of the period, but referee Frank Udvari ruled that he had kicked the puck in and the goal was disallowed. Ezinicki was banished for 10 minutes on a misconduct penalty in an ensuing argument.
K. Smith, a former Hornet, tied the score again at 18:46 of the period when he took a pass from Toppazzini and skated from mid-ice to beat Mayer with a short shot from the left side.
Hassard, Solinger, and Ezinicki all had good shots stopped by Bennett before they went into overtime for the second time in the series.
After a scoreless 10-minute overtime period, Ray Hannigan ended the series with a 15-foot shot into the left-hand corner of the net, which brought the Hornets their first Calder Cup in their 16 seasons in the American Hockey League. He had taken a pass from Chuck Blair near the blue line and skated on in to catch Goalie Bennett off guard for the clincher.