A Forgotten Game on a Day of Infamy

Today is the 75th anniversary of the attack of Pearl Harbor.

It was early afternoon back east when the early morning attack occurred in Hawaii.

There appears to be an obscure hockey story to the day.

The website Television Obscurities had an interesting posting that examined how television–then in its infancy as a commercial medium–covered the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.

On what later became WNBC in New York on the NBC Television Network (It was then called WNBT), two programs were scheduled:

WNBT’s Schedule for Sunday, December 7th, 1941

3:30-4:30PM – Film: Millionaire Playboy

8:40-11:15PM – Hockey: Rangers vs. Boston, at Madison Square Garden

Writes the blog posting, reportedly, WNBT’s announcer Ray Forrest broke into the movie with news of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Although the hockey game between the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers was played as scheduled, WNBT likely didn’t air it, opting instead to continue reporting news of the attack.

That day my Mom was in attendance at the Polo Grounds for a football game between the NY Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers, and she tells me of the announcement for all troops to immediately leave and report for duty.

As for the hockey game that day the home-standing Rangers beat the Bruins 5-4.