A century later, Manitoba’s Winkler a forgotten NHL trailblazer

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Published Aug 21, 2025 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 3 minute read

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winkler Hal Winkler, pictured in his playing days with the Bruins in the 1920s.Article content

Nearly 100 years after he suited up for the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, Hal Winkler’s name is rarely mentioned in conversations about hockey’s early years.

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But the Gretna-born goaltender, who once posted one of the most remarkable single-season records in NHL history, carved out a career that deserves to be remembered.

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Born March 20, 1894, in the small border community of Gretna — also the hometown of Winnipeg Sun sports columnist Paul Friesen — Winkler was raised in a family rooted in public service. His father, Enoch, was a translator for German-speaking Mennonite immigrants, while also working as a farmer, implement dealer, realtor, insurance agent, provincial MLA and, at one point, mayor of Gretna.

The Winkler family home at 590 Hespeler Ave., stands today. Known as the “Winkler House,” it is a municipally designated historic site.

Winkler moved with his family to Winnipeg as a teenager and began honing his craft in goal. He played junior hockey with the Winnipeg Hockey Club, Monarchs and Ypres before moving on to senior hockey with Brandon, Moose Jaw and Saskatoon.

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At 5-foot-9, Winkler turned pro in 1921 with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Canada Hockey League. He made an immediate impact, earning all-star recognition in his rookie season. Two years later, he was in net for the Eskimos in the 1923 Stanley Cup final, where they lost to the Ottawa Senators in a best-of-three series. Winkler allowed only three goals across two games, a testament to his skill during an era when the WCHL champion met the NHL winner for the Cup.

He later played for the Calgary Tigers before making the leap to the NHL.

At the age of 32, Winkler debuted with the expansion Rangers on Nov. 16, 1926. He made history that night, posting the first shutout in franchise history — and the first by any NHL goalie in his debut — as New York defeated the Montreal Maroons 1-0 in its inaugural game.

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Later that season, Winkler was traded to the Boston Bruins for $5,000, a hefty sum at the time. He quickly became a cornerstone in goal, backstopping the Bruins to the 1927 Stanley Cup final, where they again fell to Ottawa.

The following year, Winkler produced one of the greatest statistical seasons in league history. In 44 games during the 1927-28 campaign, he recorded 15 shutouts and posted a 1.51 goals-against average. Nearly a century later, his single-season shutout total still ranks second in NHL history, even as modern goaltenders play nearly twice as many games.

Despite his dominance, Winkler’s time in the NHL was brief. With age catching up to him, the Bruins promoted future Hall of Famer Tiny Thompson in 1928-29. Winkler soon found himself in the minors, retiring in 1931.

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His NHL record stood at 35-26-14 with 21 shutouts in 75 games. Though he wasn’t on Boston’s roster when the Bruins captured the Stanley Cup in 1929, his name was later added when the trophy was redesigned in 1958.

Winkler was also remembered for his bald head, which made him an easy target for hecklers during his Western League days. In Regina, children seated above the goal were known to pelt visiting players with spit and water bombs. Winkler eventually silenced them by skating onto the ice wearing a wool toque, a gesture that earned their respect.

Like many players of his era, Winkler quietly stepped away from the sport after retirement. He returned to Winnipeg, where he operated a mink ranch in Charleswood, and was rarely seen at the rink again. Reports noted he attended only one game in Winnipeg during his first 15 years away from hockey.

Winkler died at Winnipeg General Hospital on May 30, 1956, at age 62.

Today, his name and accomplishments are little known outside Gretna, where his birthplace stands as a heritage site — a quiet reminder of one of Manitoba’s earliest hockey pioneers.

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A century later, Manitoba’s Winkler a forgotten NHL trailblazer

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