gee, they date back to the 50s, probably around 1953 or 1954.
I'd get out of school (8th grade) and walk about a half a mile
up the hill on palisades avenue to englewood cliffs (to save a nickle)
and take the bus into New York City.  The bus cost a quarter.  I'd get
off the bus on the new york side of the george washington bridge and
walk 1 block to the 181st. street subway station.  There, I'd pay the
dime fare and take the A train down to 59th street where i'd change to
a local (either the AA or the DD as i recall) to get to 50th street
and the old madison square garden.  I'd show my high school activities
card and buy a 3rd level balcony unreserved seat for 40 cents.  At
about 5 PM the doors would open, and there was the mad sprint up the
stairs to get seats.  The old garden was built for boxing, so the
sight lines for hockey from the third balcony were terrible except
from the front row.  We'd pack about 2 to a chair.  After the game, it
was another dime to take the subway up to 168th street and the bus
terminal plus a quarter to take the bus home. Total Cost $1.10 plus
a hot dog and a coke for my evening meal.  That was back when the NHL
had only the 6 original teams, and the rangers were a perennial 5th
place (out of the playoffs) team.  Players included harry howell, andy
bathgate, lou fontinato, and gump worsley in net.  Goalies didn't wear
masks back then and zambonis hadn't been invented yet.  Cleaning the
ice involved 4 guys with shovels to scrape the loose stuff and then
garden cart like devices with 55 gallon drums of waters and a spreader
much like the burlap on the rear of the zamboni.  That was back when
Maurice Richard, Jean Belliveau, Jacques Plante and Bernie (Boom Boom)
Geffrion played for the canadiens, there was the howe-lindsey-ullman
line from detroit,  stan makita played for the black hawks.
Those were the days..
 
charlie shub
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