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| Date | April 9, 1956 | |||||||||||||||
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| Venue | Conception Bay Sports Arena | |||||||||||||||
| City | Bay Roberts,Newfoundland | |||||||||||||||
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The1956 Boston Bruins exhibition game in Newfoundland, played on April 9, was the first outdoorice hockey game played in Canada featuring a team from theNational Hockey League (NHL).
The1955–56 Boston Bruins ended the1955–56 NHL season in fifth place with a record of 23–34–13, missing the final playoff spot, which went to the1955–56 Toronto Maple Leafs with a record of 24–33–13.[1] On March 22, it was reported that the Bruins would play an exhibition series of games "throughout theMaritimes and possiblyNewfoundland."[2] During this era, it was customary for NHL teams that did not make the playoffs to go on a postseason exhibition tour.
Starting in late March 1956, the Bruins played exhibition games inNew Brunswick, including a seven-game series against the Beavers ofSaint John contested at multiple venues.[3][4] The Bruins then played inNewfoundland atCorner Brook (April 7),Bay Roberts (April 9),St. John's (April 10–12),Grand Falls (April 14), andGander (date unclear).[5] These exhibition games were not held under normal rules, as members of the Bruins would sometimes change teams with local players.[6][7]
The April 9 game was played in Bay Roberts, Newfoundland, at theConception Bay Sports Arena, an unfinished outdoor arena with anartificial ice surface that had opened in February 1956. In keeping with the exhibition nature of the game, each of the four local teams from the Conception Bay North Hockey League[8] played a period against the Bruins, and the game wound up with a "free-for-all" where all 23 members of the local teams played at once against the Bruins.[9][10] At some point, local player Gerard Saunders scored a goal against Bruins' goaltenderTerry Sawchuk, one of only three goals that Sawchuk allowed during the Newfoundland exhibition games.[5]
The game was historic as it was only the second ice hockey match played outdoors that featured an NHL team—the first had been the1954 Detroit Red Wings prison game in Michigan. It also had significance as the first outdoor game in Canada featuring an NHL team,[5] and the first to be open to public spectators. The next outdoor game to be held in Canada with NHL participation would be the2003 Heritage Classic inEdmonton.[5]
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