The Time Lester Patrick Had To Suit Up To Play Goal in the Stanley Cup Finals

Published on June 10th, 2025 11:20 am EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


In Game 2 of the 1928 Stanley Cup Final, the New York Rangers lost more than just momentum - they lost their goaltender.

Starter Lorne Chabot was hit in the eye by a puck early in the second period. With no backup goalie on the roster, and with the opposing Montreal Maroons refusing to allow a substitute from the crowd (despite New York's requests), Rangers head coach Lester Patrick made the only call he could.

He put himself in.

Patrick was 44 years old. He hadn't played a game in nearly six years. He was running the bench, not stretching in the tunnel. But in full gear and under playoff pressure, he stepped into the net at Madison Square Garden with the Cup Final tied 0-0.

What followed was one of the most improbable playoff wins in NHL history.

Patrick allowed just one goal the rest of the way. The Rangers won the game 2-1 in overtime, tying the series 1-1 and sending the Garden into chaos. Joe Miller, a minor-league goalie, was rushed in to finish the series - but the moment belonged to Patrick.

The Rangers would go on to win the Stanley Cup in five games, but this game became the headline. It wasn't a tactical decision. It was a last resort - and one no coach in today's NHL would ever be expected to make.

It remains the only time in Stanley Cup Final history that a team's head coach entered the game as a player.

Lester Patrick was already a respected hockey mind. That night, he became a legend.