For these of you who wish to look again on the early days of the Nationwide Hockey League, Dec. 1 is your sort of date. In cornerstone cities like Boston and Toronto, a number of the first stars of the sport had massive moments that laid the muse for future success. Plus, there have been loads of different recollections from more moderen historical past involving some nice gamers.
Early Moments in Boston
Dec. 1, 1924, is among the largest dates in NHL historical past. The Boston Bruins hosted the Montreal Maroons on the Boston Area within the first league sport ever performed in the USA. Chuck Dinsmore struck the opening blow for the visiting Maroons earlier than Smokey Harris and Carson Cooper scored to present the Bruins a 2-1 victory. This was one in all simply six wins throughout the group’s inaugural season.
Tiny Thompson made 28 saves for his 53rd profession shutout on Dec. 1, 1935, in a 2-0 Bruins’ win over the New York Rangers. The was the primary sport performed on a Sunday in franchise historical past as blackout legal guidelines have been lifted.
Three years later, on Dec. 1, 1938, rookie goaltender Frank Brimsek made his NHL debut. The Bruins misplaced 2-0 to the Montreal Canadiens with fellow rookie netminder Claude Bourque incomes his first profession shutout. Brimsek went on to file shutouts in six of his subsequent seven video games to earn the nickname Mr. Zero, which caught with him all through his Corridor of Fame profession.
On Dec. 1, 1940, the Bruins scored seven unanswered objectives within the third interval to beat the New York Individuals 10-3. Invoice Cowley scored two objectives and added 4 assists to develop into the primary participant in franchise historical past to have six factors in a single sport. Three of his 4 assists got here on establishing Eddie Wiseman’s hat trick.
Milt Schmidt scored his one centesimal NHL objective and picked up an help on Dec. 1, 1946, in a 3-3 tie on the Detroit Pink Wings. On the time of his retirement in 1955, his 229 objectives have been tied with Dit Clapper for probably the most in franchise historical past. The duo is now tied for 13th all-time in Boston objectives.
Extra Previous College Reminiscences in Toronto
The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the St. Louis Eagles 4-3 on Dec. 1, 1934, as George Hainsworth turned simply the second goaltender to win 200 video games. The group set an NHL file by successful their first eight video games of the season. The streak was snapped the next night time by the Pink Wings. This remained the league file till the 1993-94 Maple Leafs received their first 10 video games of the season.
Six years later, on Dec. 1, 1940, the Leafs turned the primary group in NHL historical past to win their first six street video games of the season. They achieved this historic feat with a 3-1 win in Detroit. They prolonged their street successful streak to a seventh sport earlier than it was ended two weeks later. This was the NHL file till the Buffalo Sabres received 10 straight street video games to start the 2006-07 season.
Rookie Frank Mahovlich scored his first NHL hat trick on Dec. 1, 1957, because the Maple Leafs picked up a 7-2 street victory on the Chicago Blackhawks. This was the primary of his 14 profession NHL hat tips, the primary six of which got here in Toronto.
George Armstrong turned the fourth participant to attain 200 objectives as a member of the Maple Leafs on Dec. 1, 1963, in a 4-1 win on the Pink Wings. He completed his profession with 269 objectives, that are tied with Mahovlich for the sixth-most in group historical past.
George “Punch” Imlach died on the age of 69 on Dec. 1, 1987. He began his lengthy affiliation with the Maple Leafs when he and King Clancy have been employed as assistant common managers in 1940. After simply 4 months on the job, he took over because the full-time common supervisor and in addition named himself as head coach.
The Maple Leafs received 4 Stanley Cups throughout the Nineteen Sixties with Imlach in cost. He was fired from each jobs in 1969 earlier than changing into the primary head coach and common supervisor of the Sabres, who joined the league in 1970. He returned to Toronto’s entrance workplace in 1979 and remained with the group in some capability till his dying.
Two Extra Milestones for Mr. Hockey
It’s uncommon {that a} day goes by on the hockey calendar that doesn’t have Gordie Howe’s title on it. On Dec. 1, 1954, he scored twice to be the second member of the Pink Wings, and the seventh participant in NHL historical past, to attain 250 objectives. His teammate, Pink Kelly, additionally lit the lamp twice to develop into the primary defenseman in franchise historical past to attain 100 objectives.
Precisely six years later, on Dec. 1, 1960, he handed Maurice Richard for probably the most factors in league historical past, common season and playoffs mixed, with 1,091. He reached this mark by helping on two third-period objectives within the Pink Wings 3-2 loss to the Bruins.
A Household Affair
Lengthy earlier than the Sutter household despatched 5 brothers to the NHL, a sport between the Blackhawks and Rangers, on Dec. 1, 1940, had a household flare to it by no means seen earlier than. When the rivals took to the Chicago Stadium ice, the sport featured 4 units of brothers, two on either side, squaring off. New York had Lynn and Muzz Patrick and Neil and Mac Colville, whereas Chicago dressed Max and Doug Bentley and Bob and Invoice Carse.
Rookie Max Bentley scored his first NHL objective within the Blackhawks’ 4-1 victory that night time. He went on to attain 245 objectives throughout his 12-season NHL profession with the Blackhawks, Maple Leafs and finally one season with the Rangers.
Odds & Ends
Jean Ratelle picked up two assists for 730 profession factors on Dec. 1, 1974, passing Andy Bathgate for second place on the Rangers’ all-time scoring listing. He nonetheless trailed his linemate, Rod Gilbert, who had 774 profession factors on the time. The milestone assists got here throughout a 4-4 draw with the Bruins at Madison Sq. Backyard.
On that very same night, Tony Esposito turned the 14th goaltender in NHL historical past to file 50 profession shutouts within the Blackhawks 3-0 win over the visiting Minnesota North Stars.
Rookie Mike Gartner scored his first profession hat trick on Dec. 1, 1979, within the third interval of the Washington Capitals’ 7-2 blowout of the Quebec Nordiques. Wes Jarvis added a objective and three assists within the win. This was the primary of 18 regular-season hat tips for Gartner, 13 of these coming with the Capitals. He additionally had three throughout the playoffs; two with the Rangers and one for the Maple Leafs.
Associated – The NHL’s Unique 13 x 30 Membership
Stan Smyl turned the primary participant in Vancouver Canucks’ historical past to get 600 profession factors on Dec. 1, 1987, when he scored a objective in a 3-1 win over the Nordiques. Peter Stastny made historical past within the dropping effort as he handed Ivan Boldirev to develop into the second-highest European-born scorer in league historical past with 867 factors.
The Los Angeles Kings beat the Maple Leafs 9-3 on Dec. 1, 1988, as a trio of their stars had large nights. Veteran Dave Taylor scored a hat trick whereas Wayne Gretzky racked up 5 assists. Nonetheless, they have been each overshadowed by Bernie Nicholls, who scored two objectives and set a brand new single-game group file with six assists and eight factors.
Pierre Turgeon scored his first profession NHL hat trick and picked up two assists on Dec. 1, 1989, to steer the Sabres to a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils. This was their tenth consecutive win on the Memorial Auditorium and improved their dwelling file to 11-0-1.
Phil Housley turned the seventh defenseman in NHL historical past to attain 900 profession factors on Dec. 1, 1995, when his objective helped the Flames to an 8-2 win on the Edmonton Oilers. He retired with 1,232 factors, that are the fourth-most all-time amongst blueliners.
Gretzky had a objective and an help on Dec. 1, 1996, to assist the Rangers beat the Canadiens 6-2. Together with his efficiency, he turned the primary and nonetheless the one participant to attain 3,000 factors within the common season and playoffs mixed. His teammate, defenseman Brian Leetch, additionally had a objective and help for his 600th profession level.
On that very same night time, Gretzky’s former teammate in Edmonton, Kevin Lowe, turned the thirtieth participant in NHL historical past to seem in 1,200 video games within the Oilers’ 4-2 loss on the Mighty Geese of Anaheim.
The Canadiens turned the primary NHL group to play 5,000 video games on Dec. 1, 1997, once they hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jaromir Jagr’s third-period objective was the one scoring because the guests left with a 1-0 victory.
Ed Belfour turned the Dallas Stars’ all-time chief in profession victories on Dec. 1, 2001, when he picked up No. 146 in a 6-4 win in Edmonton. He broke the mark of 145 set by Minnesota North Stars goaltender Cesare Maniago. It was additionally his 350th NHL win.
On Dec. 1, 2009, the Blackhawks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in an 11-round shootout. Chicago obtained objectives from Kris Versteeg, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews throughout regulation earlier than defenseman Brent Seabrook ended the sport with the 22nd shot try within the shootout. This was the five hundredth profession win for head coach Joel Quenneville.
Steven Stamkos obtained his 1,000th NHL level for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 4-1 win in opposition to the Flyers on Dec. 1, 2022. He turned the fifth energetic participant to succeed in the milestone in fewer than 1,000 video games, becoming a member of Sidney Crosby (757 video games), Evgeni Malkin (848), Alex Ovechkin (880) and Patrick Kane (953).
On that very same night time, Kirill Kaprizov continued so as to add his title to the Minnesota Wild file books recording his one centesimal and a hundred and first assists in his 158th NHL sport, the fewest variety of video games to succeed in 100 assists amongst gamers to make their debut with the Wild. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury additionally handed Tony Esposito for the fourth-most saves in NHL historical past.
Talking of goaltenders, the Florida Panthers’ Spencer Knight additionally hit a milestone on Dec. 1, 2022. He recorded his thirtieth win in solely his forty ninth sport, which is the fewest to 30 wins in Panthers historical past.
Joyful Birthday to You
An enormous group of 25 present and former NHL gamers share a birthday in the present day. Probably the most profitable of this lot are Jim McKenny (78), Mike Gillis (66), Ryan Malone (45), Michael Raffl (36), Tomas Tatar (34), Noel Acciari (33), Gustav Olofsson (30), and Carl Grundstrom (27).
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