King of Hockey 1936

Gabby Dugan [Dick Purcell], a college hockey star, rises to the professional ranks and shares a room with his new teammate Jumbo Mullins [Wayne Morris]. The two meet the O’Rourke sisters, Kathleen O’Rourke Anne Nagel and Peggy O’Rourke Ann Gillis, who bring their family to a game, setting the stage for a season of ambition, competition, and romance.

Before the game, gambler Nick Torga [George E. Stone] offers to pay him to intentionally take penalties that would hurt his team. Gabby refuses the offer but nonetheless proceeds to intentionally take penalties because the O’Rourke sisters sit near the penalty box, and his being sent there allows him to court Kathleen.

Noting Gabby’s excessive penalties but unaware of his true motives, Nick assumes Gabby has decided to help him after all and sends a payment to his residence. Upon seeing the money, Jumbo also concludes that Gabby has agreed to take payment in exchange for intentionally losing games. When Jumbo accuses Gabby directly, they fight and Jumbo clubs Gabby over the head with a stick.

Gabby’s head injury results in a degradation of his eyesight. His doctor advises him to immediately begin wearing glasses to head off further damage, but Gabby refuses, planning to make it through the remainder of the playoff season first. In the meantime, team officials have also noticed his seeming intent upon taking penalties and are now also suspicious that he’s involved in throwing games for gamblers. In the next game, Gabby’s poor eyesight causes him to play poorly, including shooting the puck into his own team’s net. For the coach, this confirms his suspicions and he has Gabby kicked out of the league. Meanwhile, the delay in treating his eyesight causes him to go completely blind.

The only hope for restoring Gabby’s eyesight is an operation that he cannot afford. But he stubbornly refuses to ask for help, especially not from the wealthy Kathleen, and he instead retreats into a life of solitude. When Jumbo comes across Gabby one day, Gabby explains what had really occurred but still angrily demands to be left alone. Jumbo reports the situation to Kathleen, who then visits Gabby herself and convinces him to have the operation. In the end, Gabby’s eyesight is restored and he resumes both his on-ice heroics and his romance with Kathleen.