NHL History: Today in 1966, Toronto Maple Leafs use three goalies in a game for the first time in NHL history

April 3rd, 1966 was a weird night for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The team was facing off against the Detroit Red Wings in their respective regular-season finales, a game that ended in a 3-3 tie.

And many years before there were such things as emergency backup goalies, on that fateful night the Maple Leafs played three goalies in a single game for the first time in league history.

Johnny Bower started the game in net, holding the Red Wings scoreless before Terry Sawchuk stepped in for the second frame giving up a goal to Detroit’s Norm Ullman.

Then, in the third frame, Bruce Gamble came into the game as both Bower and Sawchuk fell ill.

Even stranger, Bower took over running the bench from Punch Imlach in the third period. Imlach, for whatever reason, decided to take on the third period from the stands.

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