Chuck Rayner

Claude Earl "Chuck" Rayner (August 11, 1920 – October 6, 2002), nicknamed "Bonnie Prince Charlie", was a Canadian professional hockey goaltender who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Americans and New York Rangers. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Early life Rayner was born August 11, 1920, in Sutherland, Saskatoon.

Playing career Playing his junior career for the Kenora Thistles of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Rayner showed his skill early, backstopping the team to the Abbott Cup to advance to the Memorial Cup championship in 1940. The next season, he turned professional for the New York Americans, spending most of the year with their minor league affiliate, the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League (AHL). With the Indians, Rayner led the league in shutouts and goals against average and was named to the Second All-Star Team.

The following season Rayner was the leading goalie for the Americans' final season before the team folded. World War II interrupted Rayner's career, however, and he spent the next three years in the Royal Canadian Navy, where he played two seasons for naval teams based out of Victoria, British Columbia.

After the war, he signed as a free agent in 1945 with the New York Rangers. Rayner was the starting goaltender for New York six of the next seven seasons, earning accolades for his play even though the Rangers' teams of the era were weak, and Rayner never had a winning record. He was noted as a puckhandling goalie, attempting several times throughout his career to score a goal.

Even though he played on poor teams throughout his career and never won a Stanley Cup, "Bonnie Prince Charlie" was one of the best goalies of his era. The three years between 1948 and 1951 were his best, and he won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1950, after leading the Rangers to overtime in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals.

Post-NHL career In 1953, Rayner suffered a knee injury and lost his job as Rangers' starter to Gump Worsley. He played one more season in the minors for the Saskatoon Quakers of the Western Hockey League and a couple of brief stints in the senior leagues the two seasons thereafter before hanging up his skates for good. Rayner was the last active NHL player who played for the New York Americans before their name change to the Brooklyn Americans.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973, the second goaltender in history to be inducted with a losing record.

Although his hometown of Sutherland became annexed into Saskatoon, Rayner Avenue in the city's Sutherland neighbourhood is named in his honor.

Rayner died on October 6, 2002, of a heart attack.

Awards and achievements Turnbull Cup MJHL Championship (1940) AHL Second All-Star Team (1941) NHL Second All-Star Team (1949, 1950, & 1951) Hart Memorial Trophy Winner (1950) Played in the NHL All-Star Game (1949, 1950, & 1951) Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973 Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame In the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, was ranked No. 16 all-time of the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP W L T Min GA SO GAA GP W L Min GA SO GAA 1936–37 Saskatoon Wesleys SJHL — — — — — — — — 3 3 0 180 4 0 1.33 1936–37 Saskatoon Wesleys M-Cup — — — — — — — — 9 7 2 550 20 2 2.18 1937–38 Kenora Thistles MJHL 22 — — — 1350 103 0 4.58 — — — — — — — 1938–39 Kenora Thistles MJHL 22 — — — 1350 64 0 2.84 — — — — — — — 1939–40 Kenora Thistles MJHL 24 15 5 4 1480 66 1 2.68 9 — — 540 18 0 2.00 1940–41 New York Americans NHL 12 2 7 3 773 44 0 3.42 — — — — — — — 1940–41 Springfield Indians AHL 37 17 13 6 2280 87 6 2.29 — — — — — — — 1941–42 Brooklyn Americans NHL 36 13 21 2 2230 129 1 3.47 — — — — — — — 1941–42 Springfield Indians AHL 1 1 0 0 60 4 0 4.00 — — — — — — — 1942–43 Victoria Navy NNDHL 12 — — — 720 39 1 3.25 6 2 4 370 29 0 4.70 1943–44 Victoria Navy PCHL 18 — — — 1080 52 1 2.89 2 1 1 130 6 0 2.77 1943–44 Halifax RCAF HCHL — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1943–44 Halifax RCAF Al-Cup — — — — — — — — 2 1 1 130 6 0 2.77 1945–46 New York Rangers NHL 40 12 21 7 2377 149 1 3.76 — — — — — — — 1946–47 New York Rangers NHL 58 22 30 6 3480 177 5 3.05 — — — — — — — 1947–48 New York Rangers NHL 12 4 7 0 691 42 0 3.65 6 2 4 360 17 0 2.83 1947–48 New Haven Ramblers AHL 15 7 6 2 900 40 0 2.67 — — — — — — — 1948–49 New York Rangers NHL 58 16 31 11 3480 168 7 2.90 — — — — — — — 1949–50 New York Rangers NHL 69 28 30 11 4140 181 6 2.62 12 7 5 775 29 1 2.25 1950–51 New York Rangers NHL 66 19 28 19 3940 187 2 2.85 — — — — — — — 1951–52 New York Rangers NHL 53 18 25 10 3180 159 2 3.00 — — — — — — — 1952–53 New York Rangers NHL 20 4 8 8 1200 58 1 2.90 — — — — — — — 1953–54 Saskatoon Quakers WHL 68 31 28 9 4045 204 6 3.03 6 2 4 360 23 1 3.83 1954–55 Nelson Maple Leafs WIHL 2 — — — 120 4 0 2.00 1 1 0 60 2 0 2.00 1955–56 Nelson Maple Leafs WIHL 6 — — — 360 18 0 3.00 — — — — — — — NHL totals 424 138 208 77 25,491 1294 25 3.05 18 9 9 1135 46 1 2.43