Worsley saved his best for last in 1965 Stanley Cup Final

Gump Worsley had played on enough subpar versions of the New York Rangers in his first 10 NHL seasons that a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup seemed out of the question.
As a member of the Rangers from 1952-53 to 1962-63, he never played in the Stanley Cup Final, and after being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in June 1963 he was either hurt or playing in the minors. The Cup seemed out of the question for The Gumper.

But Worsley's Cup dream returned in the spring of 1965 with the Canadiens, even though such Cup-winning icons like
Maurice Richard
,
Bernie Geoffrion
and
Doug Harvey
no longer were wearing the bleu, blanc et rouge of the Montrealers.
"We had no superstars like the years when we won five straight Cups," Canadiens coach
Toe Blake
said. "But this club was capable of a team effort."

The Canadiens ousted the Toronto Maple Leafs in a six-game semifinal to challenge the Chicago Black Hawks for the championship.
When it came to choosing a goalie, Blake had the luxury of employing either Worsley, 36, or Charlie Hodge, 31, who had carried most of the Canadiens goaltending load that season.
As much as Blake respected Hodge, who played well enough to have a street named after him in Montreal, the coach went with the more experienced Worsley. Blake knew that Montreal-born Gump was super motivated.
"For the first time in my career," said Worsley, "I felt like I had a shot at winning the Cup."

Worsley started Games 1 and 2, winning 3-2 and 2-0 before friendly and enthusiastic Montreal Forum fans who last cheered a Canadiens Cup title in
1960
.
But in Game 3 at Chicago Stadium, a 3-1 loss, Worsley twisted his knee in a collision with Chicago's
Stan Mikita
, and doctors said he would miss the rest of the series. The blow for Gump was beyond bitter.
"My knee was pretty bad," Worsley recalled. "When I got home I couldn't even walk the stairs. Everything pointed to Charlie finishing the series and not me."
With Hodge in net, the Canadiens lost two of the next three games, setting up Game 7 for the Stanley Cup, which surely Hodge would start.
"There was nothing I could do about it," Worsely said, "because I was still hurting. But the Friday before the seventh game, Toe asked me to try to practice and I skated a little.
"Not that I figured to play in Game 7 and hadn't thought too much about it. I didn't expect to put on the pads because Toe had another goalie who could have taken my place on the bench."
Secure in the knowledge that his services would not be needed for Game 7, Worsley took his wife, Doreen, to a restaurant near the Forum for an afternoon meal. Sipping his dessert coffee, he was startled when one of the Canadiens trainers barged in to tell him Blake was putting him in goal.
"You gotta be kidding; I've only been on skates once since I got hurt," Worsley said.

Unmoved by Worsley's rationale, the trainer repeated, "No, Toe said to find you and tell you he wants you to play tonight."
The suddenness of his conscription distracted Worsley from any tension. "Luckily," he said, "I didn't have that much time to think. It didn't hit me until I started getting dressed for the game. By then, I was nervous enough."
Blake knew he had taken a gamble on The Gumper but he had his reason. "I liked the way he looked in practice and I figured he'd be less nervous under pressure than Charlie," Blake said.
If anything, Worsley was the most motivated player on the ice; 13 years without winning the
Stanley Cup
will do that. But Gump's actions said it all.
According to the official NHL history, "The Trail Of The Stanley Cup," by Charles L. Coleman, "Worsley made five great saves in the first period."
Among them were two stops against
Bobby Hull
as well as clutch saves on shots by
Phil Esposito
, Eric Nesterenko and Camille Henry.
Worsley, quoted in Chris McDonnell's "The Game I'll Never Forget," remembered his biggest save -- against Henry -- after
Jean Beliveau
had given Montreal a 1-0 lead.
"All of a sudden I looked up and saw Henry in front of me with the puck, right in front of the net," Worsley said. "It wasn't an easy situation, no matter who was there, but Henry was tougher in front than most. I had played with him in New York with the Rangers and knew how accurate and deadly he was at short range. Cammy got the shot off and I stopped it with my shoulder. The puck then popped over the net and that was my biggest save."
Buoyed by their rotund goaltender's performance, the Canadiens provided Worsley with a four-goal cushion in the first period. From there on, Blake's checking forwards and stout defense defused the Black Hawks.
"After we took the lead," Blake said, "the fellows never stopped skating nor checking. Gump made some big saves when it was 2-0. One Chicago goal might have made a big difference in the game."
At the final buzzer, Worsley's teammates charged to their shutout hero, triumphantly carrying him around the ice. It marked the Canadiens'
11th Cup title
in their long and glorious history.
"I waited a long time for that first Cup," said Gump who would go on to capture three more championships with the Canadiens. "It's hard to put in words how I feel about all this."
Then, a pause between nervous puffs on a cigarette: "In the minors, I wondered if I'd ever get back. I guess I did."
Thinking further about his Cup dream coming true, Gump allowed that he really didn't mind Toe interrupting that afternoon meal with his wife!