This day in NY sports history

THIS DAY IN NY SPORTS HISTORY

Tuesday, March 9, 1948

Billy Taylor gets lifetime suspension

The Rangers' Billy Taylor was handed a lifetime ban from the NHL when an investigation showed he had gambled on hockey games. After Michigan parolee John Tamer testified that Taylor bet $500 on the Chicago Blackhawks in a Feb. 18 game against the Boston Bruins, league president Clarence Campbell determined there was sufficient evidence to banish the center. Taylor's expulsion was the second in the NHL's 31-year history. Hall of Famer Babe Pratt of the Maple Leafs was banned in January 1946 for betting on his own team, but reinstated a month later. Taylor, 28, led the NHL in assists in 1946-47 with the Red Wings, but played just two games for the Rangers after being traded from the Bruins.