1950s Eagles Toys NHL Pro Hockey Game

The 1950s Eagles Toys NHL Pro Hockey Table Top Game was a significant development in the history of table hockey, offering a more realistic and engaging playing experience compared to its predecessors.

Historical Context:

• Early Table Hockey: The earliest mechanical table hockey games were invented in the 1930s by Donald H. Munro Sr. in Canada. These “wooden games” featured a sloped playing surface and players that pivoted in a fixed position, similar to pinball flippers.
• Eagle Toys’ Innovation (1954): Eagle Toy Company of Montreal introduced their “National Hockey Game” in 1954, which was a game-changer. It was endorsed by the Montreal Canadiens and brought several key innovations:
  • Colored Tin Cutout Players: Unlike the simpler wooden pegs of earlier games, Eagle’s players were flat tin cutouts printed in color, designed to look like actual hockey players.
  • Realistic Ice Surface: The playing surface was metal and painted white, more closely resembling an ice rink.
  • 360-Degree Pivoting and Sliding Players: A major improvement, Eagle’s game was the first Canadian game to feature metal rods that allowed players to pivot a full 360 degrees. Soon after, they also introduced slots that allowed players to slide up and down the ice surface, a concept adapted from Swedish designs of the 1930s.
  • NHL Endorsement: Eagle’s games had the official endorsement of the NHL, allowing them to replicate team logos and uniforms.