Rangers founder and patriarch Lester Patrick was notorious for his frugality. Stories about The Silver Fox as a penny-pincher have been around for years.

Just the other day – while reading “Hockey’s Royal Family” all about the Patricks – I found a cheapskate Lester tale I’d never heard before.

The story is told by Lester’s older son, Lynn Patrick, who – along with Alex Shibicky and the Colville Brothers Neil and Mac – were rookies on a train ride for a game in St.Louis. Here’s how Lynn told it:

“After the train pulled out, the rookies sat down to dinner, checked the menu and Shibicky said, ‘Okay, guys, let’s order a la carte.’ I don’t think Shibicky knew what a la carte was except that it sounded pretty impressive, but we went along. It was of course the most expensive way of ordering but we really tucked it in and just signed the bills afterward.

“The next morning Lester called us into the little compartment he always reserved for the Rangers train trips and said, ‘Boys, you might eventually be with us for a while so there are a few things you should learn. Your meal allowance is five dollars a day.

“Now gentlemen, look at this bill. It’s scandalous. I don’t want to see anything like it again. While you’re with the Rangers I expect you to spend the company’s money the way you spend your own – carefully.”

Some actually did.