Rayner, Charlie (Chuck)
Date of Death: 2002-10-06Date of Birth: 1920-08-11
* Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
Born in Sutherland, SK, Chuck Rayner showed great promise as a goaltender and by 16 he was playing junior hockey with the Saskatoon Wesleys. He moved on to Kenora in 1937-38 and played 3 seasons in the MJHL with the Thistles. In his last junior campaign in 1939-40 he captained Kenora to the Memorial Cup final. Rayner turned pro in 1940 with Springfield and led the AHL with a 2.42 GAA. He spent time with the NHL Americans before joining the Royal Canadian Navy in 1942. When he returned in 1945 he was a member of the New York Rangers. Chuck's best season came in 1949-50 when the Rangers came within a whisker of winning the Stanley Cup. However, he gained his greatest honour when he was voted the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP.