This date in Nationwide Hockey League historical past has not been probably the most eventful by any means, nevertheless it has nonetheless offered some attention-grabbing tidbits. One veteran participant received traded twice on the identical day, Matthew Tkachuk received dealt to the Florida Panthers, and the start of a Corridor of Fame defenseman are three of the largest July 22 recollections.

Sillinger’s Busy Day

July 22, 2003, is a day that Mike Sillinger will always remember as he was a member of three totally different groups inside a span of a few hours. The veteran began the day on the Columbus Blue Jackets roster, for whom he had scored 38 objectives and 86 factors over the earlier two seasons.

The Blue Jackets traded Sillinger to the Dallas Stars for defenseman Darryl Sydor a second-round draft decide in 2004. That draft decide was ultimately used on Johan Fransson, who by no means performed within the NHL. Sydor solely performed 49 video games in Columbus earlier than he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Sillinger’s time with the Stars was very transient as he was rapidly dealt to the Phoenix Coyotes for defenseman Teppo Numminen and a conditional draft decide. Numminen spent the 2003-04 season in Dallas earlier than signing with the Buffalo Sabres in the summertime of 2004.

Sillinger was on the transfer once more, on the 2004 Commerce Deadline, when he was despatched to the St. Louis Blues in change for goaltender Brent Johnson. He scored eight objectives and 14 factors in 60 video games with the Coyotes and put up 5 objectives and 10 assists throughout his 16 video games in St. Louis.

Altering addresses was nothing new for Sillinger, who performed for 12 totally different groups over 15 seasons. He retired in 2008 after scoring 240 objectives and 548 factors in 1049 video games with the Detroit Crimson Wings, Mighty Geese of Anaheim, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Lightning, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Blue Jackets, Coyotes, Blues, Nashville Predators, and New York Islanders.

Matthew Tkachuk Traded In a Blockbuster

After shedding Johnny Gaudreau to free company when he signed with the Blue Jackets on July 13, 2022, Calgary Flames followers had been greeted with one other bombshell on July 22, 2022, when then-general supervisor Brad Treliving dealt energy ahead Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers. Tkachuk was coming off a career-high 104 factors and had knowledgeable the Flames that he was not going to signal an extension when his contract got here to an finish.

On the time, it appeared the Flames received good worth for the previous sixth-overall decide as they obtained one other 100-point man in Jonathan Huberdeau, underrated defender MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional first-round decide in 2025. However because the 2022-23 season wore on, it grew to become abundantly clear that the Panthers received the higher finish of the deal. Tkachuk completed with a brand new career-high 109 factors and Huberdeau regressed to 55 factors. Tkachuk additionally was a monster within the 2023 Playoffs, main his group to the Stanley Cup Closing with 11 objectives and 24 factors.

Winter Traditional Involves Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks and the Crimson Wings had been in attendance at Wrigley Discipline on July 22, 2008. They had been there to make a joint announcement with the Chicago Cubs and NHL that the 2009 Winter Traditional could be performed on the historic baseball stadium on Jan. 1, 2009. This was the second Winter Traditional and third outside recreation in league historical past.

The 2009 Winter Traditional was an enormous second for the Blackhawks, a forgotten franchise in their very own metropolis. After years of last-place groups and an empty enviornment, this recreation ushered in a brand new period of relevance and, most significantly, sustained success. Sadly for the Blackhawks, the Crimson Wings spoiled the large day with a 6-4 victory after falling behind 3-1 within the first interval.

Odds & Ends

The Blackhawks bought the contract of Crimson Wings star Sid Abel on July 22, 1952. After scoring 183 objectives and 463 factors in 570 video games in Detroit, the long run Corridor of Famer performed in simply 42 video games for the Blackhawks over the following two seasons, the place he served as head coach and performed. He was the final full-time participant/coach in NHL historical past. He coached the Blackhawks by the top of the 1953-54 season earlier than returning to the Crimson Wings, in the identical function, in 1957.

On July 22, 1988, the Washington Capitals traded Greg Adams to the Edmonton Oilers for the rights to Geoff Courtnall. Adams scored 4 objectives and 9 factors in 49 video games earlier than the Oilers traded him to the Canucks, together with Doug Smith, for John LeBlanc and a fifth-round draft decide.

Courtnall signed with the Capitals and scored 77 objectives and 154 factors, in 159 video games, over the following two seasons in Washington. He was traded to the Blues, on July 13, 1990, for Peter Zezel and Mike Lalor.

The Capitals additionally signed free-agent defenseman Phil Housley on July 22, 1996. He performed two seasons with the Capitals, scoring 17 objectives and 71 factors in 141 video games. He was claimed on waivers by the Calgary Flames nearly precisely two years later, on July 21, 1998.

The New York Rangers signed two-time Stanley Cup winner Barclay Goodrow away from the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 22, 2021, as he agreed to a six-year contract. In his first season with the Blueshirts, he scored 13 objectives and 33 factors in 79 video games. Initially an undrafted free agent signed by the San Jose Sharks in 2014, he spent components of six seasons with them earlier than being dealt to the Lightning and changing into a key a part of a checking line with Blake Coleman and Yanni Gourde.

On that very same day, the Carolina Hurricanes traded Calder Trophy finalist Alex Nedeljkovic to the Detroit Crimson Wings for Jonathan Bernier. In his first season with the group, he recorded a mediocre 3.31 goals-against common (GAA) and .901 save share (SV%) after a stellar rookie marketing campaign with the Canes the place he posted a 1.90 GAA and .932 SV%. He’s now taking part in for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pleased Birthday to You

A complete of 23 present and former NHL gamers had been born on this date, together with an early pioneer in officiating.

J. Cooper Smeaton was born on July 22, 1890. He did all of it throughout his life within the recreation, from being a participant to a referee and even a head coach. He joined the Nationwide Hockey Affiliation (NHA) as a referee in 1913. His first recreation was a tilt between the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Wanders. He fined Corridor of Famer Newsy Lalonde $5 for arguing an offside name.

Smeaton joined the Canadian navy in 1914 and fought in World Struggle I in France. When the NHL was fashioned in 1917, they named Smeaton the primary referee in chief. He turned down the prospect to turn out to be the first-ever normal supervisor of the New York Rangers in 1926. He remained as a referee till 1930 when he grew to become the top coach of the Philadelphia Quakers.

The Quakers folded after one season, and Smeaton returned as a referee till he retired in 1937. He was inducted into the Hockey Corridor of Fame as a referee in 1961.

Of the gamers born on this date, Sergei Zubov is by far the perfect of the group. He’s the one Corridor of Famer with a July 22 birthday. He performed in probably the most video games (1068) and had probably the most objectives (152), assists (619), and factors (771). The slick-skating defenseman received a Stanley Cup in his rookie season with the Rangers in 1994, scoring 5 objectives and 19 factors in 22 playoff video games. He received his identify on the Cup a second time with the Stars in 1999.

Different notable gamers born on July 22 embrace Gerry Desjardins (80), Dmitri Kalinin (44), Kevin Fiala (28), and Jason Robertson (25).

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