Memorable playoff shutouts by Winnipeg goalies

St. James

The Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Red Wings both entered the 1934 NHL playoffs hoping goalies from Winnipeg would lead them to their first Stanley Cup. Chicago’s Charlie Gardiner, a seven-year veteran was considered the best goalie in the NHL at the time. He had already won two Vezina trophies and had twice been runner-up. Detroit’s Wilf Cude, who was on loan from the Montreal Canadiens, had played 29 regular-season games for the Red Wings and was runner-up to Gardiner for the Vezina.

After coming to Winnipeg in 1919, the Cudes lived briefly on William Avenue, while the Gardiners lived nearby on a Langside Street. Gardiner and Cude became friends and Cude, the younger of the two, developed a great admiration for Gardiner.

Six of the nine NHL teams made the 1934 playoffs. Chicago defeated both Montreal teams – the Canadiens and the Maroons – to advance to the final, while Detroit upset the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the semifinals. Cude stopped 15 shots in a 1-0 shutout of Toronto in the fifth and deciding game of that series at the Detroit Olympia. The Black Hawks won two of the first three games in the best-of-five final. On April 10, 1934, at the Chicago Stadium. Chicago clinched the Cup with a 1-0 win in double overtime, outshooting Detroit 53-39.

Cude became the regular goalie for the Montreal Canadiens for the next four seasons. After winning the Cup, Gardiner returned to Winnipeg, where he presented a trophy and gold medals to the Tobans Playground championship team. One of members of the undefeated team of 12-year-olds was Billy Mosienko – the only meeting between the two Black Hawks stars, who both had Winnipeg arenas named for them. Tragically, Gardiner died on June 13, 1934, after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

While preparing this story, I learned of the passing of Ed Chadwick. In 1955-56, at the age of 22, Chadwick, who was born in Fergus, Ont., came to Winnipeg to play for the expansion Winnipeg Warriors of the Western Hockey League. The Warriors finished first overall in regular season play and, during the 1956 playoffs, they defeated the Saskatoon Quakers, Calgary Stampeders, and Vancouver Canucks to win the WHL’s President’s Cup. Game 5 of the series with Vancouver was the key game of the Warriors’ run. With the series tied at two, Chadwick recorded a 23-save shutout in a 4-0 win. The Warriors then defeated the Montreal Royals in six games in a best-of-nine series to win the Edinburgh Cup, a trophy donated by Prince Philip and presented to the winners of a series between the champions of the WHL and the Quebec Hockey League. The final two games of that series were the first May hockey games ever played in the then-new Winnipeg Arena. Chadwick played 88 of Winnipeg’s 90 regular-season and playoff games – the most memorable season of his 16-year career. After he retired, Chadwick won five Stanley Cups as a scout for the Edmonton Oilers.

Isaac Poulter, who was born in Winnipeg, is a goalie for the Adirondack Thunder in the New Jersey Devils system. His great-grandmother, Edith Poulter, was Charlie Gardiner’s older sister. The Thunder and the Maine Mariners split the first four games in their first-round series of the 2024 Kelly Cup East Coast Hockey League playoffs. Isaac posted a 32-save shutout in Game 5 and a 21-save shutout in Game 7 to lead the Thunder to victory. At press time, the team was playing the Norfolk Admirals in the second round.