In 1950? Arena conflict? Damage?

l think this was the year the Circus was at the Garden so they had to play in Toronto.

The circus was in town, and was more profitable than the Rangers, so they were forced to play in Toronto. That series was also the first time the cup was skated around the rink after victory, by Ted Lindsay.

Arena conflict it is. Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus came to NY every spring & the old Garden (8th Ave & 50th St) could not handle the circus & other sports. Maybe there was an iron clad contract for exclusive circus time.
So the Rangers played all their playoff games away from home through the forties to sixties. Of course that was not very frequently as they stunk, until the current Garden opened in the fall of 1968. So the Rangers played their rare home playoff games on neutral ice in Toronto & probably other sites.
Actually thee were some years the Rangers made the playoffs & played almost all the games at the opponents rink (1940 Stanley Cup Championship team). But 1950 must have been a grudge going from NY against Detroit.

Circus was at the Garden. Funny l read about that recently happening the whole 1928 Cup betwenn the Rangers and Habs

Slightly ahead of my time, Bob, but if memory serves me right, as others said the circus was in town and Toronto was the closest vacant arena that could house the game since the Leafs were out of the playoffs and both Montreal and Boston were in.