Last Minute Of Play...Or Not

Something extremely unusual happened April 10th, 1952, in the opening game of the Stanley Cup finals.

The Montreal Canadiens were hosting the Detroit Red Wings in the championship showdown. Detroit was holding a slim 2-1 lead late in the third period.

Upon the public address announcer's declaration of the last minute of play, Montreal coach Dick Irvin, pictured, pulled his goalie for an extra attacker in search of the tying goal. Unfortunately for the Habs Ted Lindsay was able to score into the empty net, securing victory for the Red Wings.

That's when Irvin realized what the sheepish announcer must have realized moments earlier. The announcer had mistakenly called the last minute of play a full minute too early. Irvin was said to have been irate, blaming the announcer for costing Montreal the game.

Detroit did hang on to win the game 3-1. They went on to sweep the series and win the Stanley Cup in four games.