| When was the first hockey game televised? More | | | | telecasts was the 24-year-old sports editor of an |
| than half a century ago in the winter of 1940. A game | | | | Ottawa newspaper. Gerald Renaud applied for the job |
| played in New York's Madison Square Garden made | | | | and landed it, even though he had never seen |
| history when the Rangers hosted the Canadiens. That | | | | television and had no idea how to produce a game on |
| night, for the first time, hockey fans at home could | | | | TV. He hastily read some library books on the subject, |
| catch the action, on the miraculous new invention called | | | | asked other CBC production people how things |
| television. | | | | worked and eventually did a praiseworthy job. |
| Not many fans, mind you, because television was in its | | | | But televise hockey was not welcome with open arms |
| infancy in 1940. There were only about 300 sets in all | | | | by certain league owners and executives. Many of |
| of New York City. Their screens were a mere 7 | | | | them feared the medium would dramatically hurt ticket |
| inches wide. Incredibly, there was only one camera to | | | | sales leads owner cons might, for example, charged a |
| follow the play. The announcer's name was Skip | | | | mere hundred dollars per game for TV rights to leave |
| Waltz, although he preferred to use the name Bill Allen. | | | | games during hockey night in Canada's initial season. |
| A dozen years later, during the 1952-53 season, the | | | | He wanted to make certain televise hockey would be |
| first hockey games were televised in Canada. The | | | | in his team's best interest before locking himself into a |
| Montreal Canadiens presented their first televised | | | | long-term contract. At the same time, and NHL |
| game from the forum on October 11, 1952, and the | | | | president Clarence Campbell took a jaundiced view of |
| Leafs TV debut took place three weeks later, on | | | | television, calling it "the greatest menace in the |
| November 1, 1952. | | | | entertainment world. |
| Incredibly, the first producer of the Montreal hockey | | | | |