It was a time when almost no one had a TV set and even the station that showed it didn't have actual call letters.

It was an incredible 86 years ago that experimental station W2XBS (now WNBC-TV) aired a not very clear picture of the Rangers playing the Canadiens in New York. And while it was tough to watch, it was also a sensation at the time, something we now take for granted. Only about 300 people actually saw it. 

"With a single, stationary camera mounted above the ice and primitive equipment that struggled with light and motion, the game flickered onto small black-and-white screens. Shadows and glare from the arena’s lighting sometimes obscured the action, and there were no close-ups or instant replays — just the steady, live feed of players skating and the puck sliding across the ice."

Also no commercial breaks, which was certainly a bonus! And for the record, the Rangers won that first televised contest 6-2.  

NHL Game Televised for the First Time – This Day in History