1952-53 NHL Season
As originally written by Tim Brulia:
This is where it all began.
On October 11, 1952, the Detroit Red Wings played the Montreal Canadiens at the Forum in Montreal. It was the first network telecast in Canada. It was described in French by Rene Lecavalier.
Three weeks later on November 1st, the first NHL English language telecast handled by CBC was called by Foster Hewitt from his famed gondola at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The combatants were the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
This thread starts the sequence of Network (and later, cable) telecasts of NHL games in Canada and, starting in 1956-57, American network and cable NHL televised games.
Important to note:
No Montreal telecasts will be listed for this season as it appears likely that all the telecasts were provided in French only. As CBFT was Montreal's only television station, programming was done with some shows in French and some in English, but the Habs telecasts were supplied only in French by Rene Lecavalier. This situation would not be fully rectified until mid-January of 1954, when English-speaking CBMT would take to the air, thus allowing CBFT to air 100% French programming.
NOVEMBER
Saturday 11/1:
Bruins-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 11/8:
Red Wings-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 11/15:
Black Hawks-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 11/22:
Canadiens-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 11/29:
Red Wings-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
DECEMBER
Saturday 12/6:
Rangers-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 12/13:
Red Wings-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 12/20:
Black Hawks-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 12/27:
Bruins-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
JANUARY
Saturday 1/3:
Black Hawks-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 1/10:
Bruins-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 1/17:
Rangers-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 1/24:
Red Wings-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 1/31:
Rangers-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
FEBRUARY
Saturday 2/7:
Black Hawks-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 2/14:
Canadiens-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 2/21:
Bruins-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 2/28:
Rangers-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
MARCH
Saturday 3/7:
Red Wings-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 3/14:
Bruins-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt
Saturday 3/21:
Rangers-Maple Leafs, 9:30 (JIP from 8:30), CBC. Foster Hewitt