Curtis Lester “The Silver Fox” Patrick (December 31, 1883 – June 1, 1960) spent over 40 years in the game of hockey as an innovator, builder, player, coach, general manager and owner.

He was being credited for constructing Canada’s first artificial ice rink and, along with his brother Frank, established the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, which would later become the Western Hockey League.

Lester began his hockey playing days in the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association.

Patrick was a great rover and defenceman who first came to prominence in 1900 when he played for McGill University. He played with the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association team (1901–02).

In 1904 he was the star for the Brandon team in the Northwestern and Manitoba Hockey Leagues and became the first defenceman known to score a goal. He also established himself as the first rushing defensemen by making it fashionable for defencemen to rush the opposing goal. With Patrick at cover point, Brandon challenged the Ottawa Senators for the Stanley Cup in that season, but were defeated in a two-game, total-goal series.^[2]

He had greater success with the famed Montreal Wanderers in 1906 and 1907. Scoring 41 goals as a rushing defenceman in just 28 scheduled games while serving as captain of the Redbands, Patrick led them to the Stanley Cup in both 1906 and 1907. He followed that up by being signed as a high-priced free agent by the Renfrew Creamery Kings in the National Hockey Association‘s first year of operation, by which time Patrick was recognized as one of hockey’s great stars.^[3]

Patrick enjoyed success throughout his 18 years on the ice, but his true impact on the game came after he turned his focus to the development of the PCHA and spent time in the coaching ranks.

He played 11 seasons in the PCHA scoring 72 goals and 55 assists in 142 games. He also played 18 games in the ECAHA, scoring 28 goals. With the introduction of the PCHA in 1911, National Hockey Association players, (later the NHL) defected to the new league, enjoying the wide-open play that the new league offered.

In 1926, Lester Patrick replaced the legendary Conn Smythe as the head coach of the New York Rangers where he led them to a first place finish in his first year and 1928 Stanley Cup victory in his second.

During Stanley Cup run with the Rangers, Lester famously inserted himself into the net during the game two of the finals, as number netminder Lorne Chabot was injured. The 43-year-old set a still-standing NHL record for the oldest goalie to play in a Stanley Cup Finals game. And, despite playing his career as a defenseman, Patrick allowed only one goal and posted an overtime win in 46 minutes in net while posting a 1.30 goals against average.

Lester Patrick remained with the Rangers until 1939, but stayed with the club as general manager. He would guide the Broadway Blueshirts to the 1933 Stanley Cup championship, but would not hoist the Cup again as head coach.

His name would be etched on the Stanley Cup once more as general manager in 1940 as New York topped the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games.

Lester Patrick was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947. Initially awarded in 1966, the Lester Patrick Trophy is awarded annually to the recipient who “provides outstanding service to ice hockey in the United States”.

Source: Alan Livingstone MacLeod.