I have insomnia and I cannot get this poem out of my head.  It is a poem about New York Ranger’s great, Lester Patrick, aka The Silver Fox.

Patrick was the coach of the Rangers in 1928. They were playing the Montreal Maroons for the Stanley Cup.  During the series, Rangers goalie Lorne Chabot, was injured. At that time, teams didn’t carry a backup goalie.  They could bring in a reserve goalie from the stands, if needed, but had to have the opposing team’s approval.  There were two reserve goalies in attendance but the Montreal Maroons refused to allow them to play.  To remedy the situation, the 44 year old coach of the Rangers, Lester Patrick, “donned the pads” for the Broadway Blueshirts.

This poem was in a hockey book I read about 40 years ago.  I don’t remember the name of the book, but I still remember the poem.

“Twas in the spring of ’28

A golden Ranger page

That Lester got the summons to guard to the Blueshirt cage

Cabot had stopped a fast one

A bad break for our lads

The cup at stake and no one

To don the Ranger pads

We’re cooked lamented Patrick

This crisis I had feared

He leaned upon his newest crutch

And wept inside his beard

Then suddenly he came to life

No longer halt or lame

Gimme those pads he bellowed

I used to play this game

And how the Rangers shouted

How Patrick was acclaimed

The Maroons stood sneering, gloating, they should have been ashamed

The final score was 2 to 1 Ole Les had met the test

The Rangers finally won the cup but Les has since confessed

I just spoke up to cheer the boys

I must have been delirious 

But now that I’m in reminisence

I’m glad they took me serious.”