From bar stool to Stanley Cup win in a few hours

The Blackhawks have had some terrific goalies in their near century existence. Mike Karakas, Al Rollins, Glen Hall, Tony Esposito, Cory Crawford to name a few.

But no goalie had a greater game than Alphie Moore.

On April 5, 1938, Moore, a minor league goalie living in Toronto, was getting blitzed in his second gin mill of the day when in walked Blackhawk star Johnny Gottselig. Moore, who knew Gottlieb, asked Johnny if he could score him a ticket to that night’s Stanley Cup Finals opening game at the Maple Leaf Garden against the Leafs.

Gottlieb offered him the best seat in the house…standing guard in front of the Chicago net. Seems Hawks star goalie Mike Karakas broke his toe in the previous game and couldn’t play. Back up netminder Paul Goodman was not yet in town. In a daze Moore was poured into a taxi, suited up, dowsed with coffee and sent out for the chance of a lifetime.

When Leafs player Gordie Drillon drilled the Leaf’s first shot past Moore, it looked like a humiliating night in store for Moore and the Hawks. But that was the last shot Moore allowed on way to a 3-1 Chicago victory.

Goodman arrived for game 2 and lost big 5 – 1. A steel boot for Karakas allowed him to resume netminding in games 3 and 4 both won by the Hawks for a 3-1 Stanley Cup Championship, their second. Of the Hawks 3 goalies used, Moore gave up the fewest goals, 1.

For his improbable heroics in game 1, Hawks manager Bill Tobin awarded Moore $300 and a gold watch.

Moore had a peripatetic career, bouncing between a dozen teams, mostly in the minors, over a 15 year career. Besides his astonishing Stanley Cup win April 5, 1938, Moore started only 21 NHL games, winning 14.

And another footnote to the Hawks ’38 Stanley Cup win? Their 14 wins, 25 losses, 9 ties is the worst regular season record for a championship team in all of sports.