NHL Approves Four Expansion Teams

On June 27, 1997, the National Hockey League (NHL) officially approved expansion to 30 teams by the year 2000 with the announcement of new teams in Atlanta, Columbus, Minnesota and Nashville.

The history of the National Hockey League begins with the end of its predecessor league, the National Hockey Association (NHA), in 1917.
 

The NHL's first quarter-century saw the league compete against two rival major leagues—the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and Western Canada Hockey League—for players and the Stanley Cup.

The NHL first expanded into the United States in 1924 with the founding of the Boston Bruins, and by 1926 consisted of ten teams in Ontario, Quebec, the Great Lakes region, and the Northeastern United States.

At the same time, the NHL emerged as the only major league and the sole competitor for the Stanley Cup; in 1947, the NHL completed a deal with the Stanley Cup trustees to gain full control of the Cup.

The NHL's footprint spread across Canada as Foster Hewitt's radio broadcasts were heard coast-to-coast starting in 1933.

The Great Depression and World War II reduced the league to six teams, later known as the "Original Six", by 1942.

The Original Six era ended in 1967 when the NHL doubled in size by adding six new expansion teams. The six existing teams were formed into the newly created East Division, while the expansion teams were formed into the West Division.

The NHL continued to expand, adding another six teams, to total 18 by 1974. This continued expansion was partially brought about by the NHL's attempts to compete with the World Hockey Association, which operated from 1972 until 1979 and sought to compete with the NHL for markets and players.

The NHL became involved in international play in the mid-1970s, starting with the Summit Series in 1972 which pitted the top Canadian players of the NHL against the top players in the Soviet Union, which was won by Canada with four wins, three losses, and a tie. Eventually, Soviet-Bloc players streamed into the NHL with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989.

When the WHA ceased operations in 1979, the NHL absorbed four of the league's teams, which brought the NHL to 21 teams, a figure that remained constant until the San Jose Sharks were added as an expansion franchise in 1991. Since then, the league has grown from 22 teams in 1992 to 30 today as the NHL spread its footprint across the United States. The league has withstood major labor conflicts in 1994–95 and 2004–05, the latter of which saw the entire 2004–05 NHL season canceled, the first time in North American history that a league has canceled an entire season in a labor dispute.

There was again another conflict in the NHL, a dispute between the players and owners and the season was cut almost in half, with 526 games being cancelled, approximately 43 percent of the season.

Just after 5 am on January 6, 2013, after approximately 16 continuous hours of negotiating, the NHL and the player's union reached a tentative deal on a new collective bargaining agreement to end the lockout. The first games of the season were held on January 19.

The expansion had it's own problems too. In under 20 years the Atlanta franchise was folding, and being moved back to Winnipeg, and would be renamed to the Jets in 2013, the franchises original namesake. The Jets still play in Winnipeg to this day.

Detroit Red Wings Win 60 Games

On April 11, 1996, the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings become second NHL team to win 60 games in a season.

The Red Wings are members of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL), and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.

They play home games in the 20,066 capacity Joe Louis Arena after having spent over 40 years playing in Olympia Stadium. The Red Wings are one of the most popular franchises in the NHL, and fans and commentators refer to Detroit and its surrounding areas as "Hockeytown".

Between the 1933–34 and 1965–66 seasons, the Red Wings missed the playoffs only four times. More recently, the Red Wings have made the playoffs in 27 of the last 29 seasons, including the last 22 in a row (1991–2013). This is the longest current streak of post-season appearances in all of North American professional sports.

The Red Wings have won the most Stanley Cup championships (11) of any NHL franchise based in the United States, and are third overall in total NHL championships, behind the Montreal Canadiens (24) and Toronto Maple Leafs (13). 

The 2007-2008 Detroit Red Wings squad, the last of which won the Lord Stanley Cup.

The Red Wings have won six Conference Championships including back-to-back in 2007-2008, 2008-2009. They have won six Presidents Trophies and 19 Division Championships including three consecutive from 1993-1994 to 1995-1996. They have won six Clarence S. Campbell Bowls, 11 Prince of Wales Trophies, and five O’Brien Trophies.

The Red Wings have retired several numbers including Hall of Famers Terry Sawchuk and his no.1 jersey. Ted Lindsay and his no. 7 jersey. Gordie Howe and his no. 9 jersey. Alex Delvecchio and his no. 10 jersey. Sid Abel and his no. 12 jersey. Steve Yzerman and his no. 19 jersey. Finally Wayne Gretzky’s no. 99 jersey as it has been retired league wide in the NHL as of 2000.

The no. 6 jersey formerly worn by Larry Aurie a right wing from 1927-1939, has not been officially retired but has not been issued since 1939. From 1975-2000 it was listed as retired, but has been changed back to being unofficially retired.

The no. 16 jersey of Vladimir Konstantinov, a defender on the Red Wings teams from 1991-1997 had his jersey retired in 1997 followed a career-ending car accident.

Ottawa Senators Snap 38-Game Losing Streak

On April 10, 1993, the NHL's expansion team the Ottawa Senators snap a 38-game road losing streak. The 38-game losing streak was the longest of all-time in the NHL, last from October 10, 1992, to April 3, 1993.

The Ottawa Senators on Opening Night in 1992.

The Senators set three records including the longest losing streak on the road, fewest road wins in a season, with just one. As well the Senators has the longest home streak of eleven.

The Senators would only go on to win nine games in the 1992-1993 season despite winning the first game of the year.

On top of all that the expansion Senators had flopped in the draft earlier that year too. Making three draft picks that were all inelligible to play, and to top it off, first round pick Alexei Yashin, chosen second overall by the Senators opted to play in Moscow versus in the NHL.

That 1992-1993 Senators teams put up the worst record of all-time in the NHL.

Despite that the Senators sold out every game that year and finished with a season attendance of 429,645 in 41 games at home. An average attendance of 10,479 a game.

Anaheim Ducks Clinch Playoffs

On April 4, 1997, the Anaheim Ducks clinch their first-ever playoff berth.

The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). Since their inception, the Ducks have played their home games at the Honda Center.

Teemu Selanne of the Anaheim Ducks.

The club was founded in 1993 by The Walt Disney Company as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, a name based on the 1992 film The Mighty Ducks. Disney sold the franchise in 2005 to Henry and Susan Samueli, who along with GM Brian Burke changed the name of the team to the Anaheim Ducks before the 2006–07 season. In their 20-year existence, the Ducks have made the playoffs eight times, winning one Pacific Division title (2007), two Western Conference Championships (2003 and 2007), and one Stanley Cup Championship (2007).

The official mascot for the Anaheim Ducks is an anthropomorphized duck by the name of Wild Wing. He has been the team's mascot since its inaugural season, and his name was chosen through fan voting. He wears a Ducks jersey with the number 93 on the back; referring to the year the Ducks became an NHL team.

He regularly descends from the rafters of the arena when making his in-game entrances. In one such descent the rigging that lowered Wild Wing from the rafters malfunctioned leaving the mascot trapped fifty feet above the ice for several minutes. Another well-known blunder occurred in October 1995 when Wild Wing, attempting to jump through a "wall of fire", accidentally tripped causing the mascot to land on the fire and set his costume ablaze.

His physical appearance is similar to the duck mask in the original Mighty Ducks logo. A bronze statue of Wild Wing is also located outside the team's arena (located at the West side of the South Doors), Honda Center.

The mascot's name was also used for the leader of the Ducks, Wildwing Flashblade; in Disney's Mighty Ducks cartoon series.

During the same time in which the team announced a name change as well as change in jersey designs, there was an attempt by the team's owners to change or replace the mascot, Wild Wing, but was halted after a highly successful petition by fans.

The Mighty Ducks also used a secondary "mascot," a person (with no particular costume) called "The Iceman," during the team's first game in 1993. "The Iceman" appeared occasionally in the stands, played an electric guitar, and attempted to liven up the crowd. However, "The Iceman" was poorly received by fans and was quickly eliminated.

Mario Lemieux Breaks Wayne Gretzky's Scoring Record

Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer.

On April 3, 1988, Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins wins the NHL scoring title, stopping Gretzky’s seven-year run of the title.

Lemieux, who won he Art Ross trophy as the National Hockey League’s top scorer in 1988, did the feat with 168 points.

Lemieux also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player, an award that he had snatched away from Gretzky after an amazing eight straight seasons of claiming that title. Lemieux went on to win the scoring title again in 1989, 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997.

Mario Lemieux, one of the greatest NHL players of all time.

Lemieux retired from hockey at the end of the 1996-1997 season, but in 1999 he became the majority owner of the Penguins franchise and then in 2000 he delighted the Penguin faithful by rejoining the team as a player and staged a successful comeback before announcing his permanent retirement from the NHL, at age 40, in January 2006.

Lemieux played 915 regular season games and scored 690 goals, 1,033 assist for 1,723 career points.

Wayne Gretzky Sets NHL Record

On March 23, 1994, NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky scored his record-breaking 802nd career NHL goal.  Gretzky surpassed his childhood hero Gordie Howe, whose record stood for almost 15 years.

The iconic photo from Wayne Gretzky's 802nd goal.

In the second period of a game against the Vancouver Canucks, Gretzky received a cross-ice feed from Marty McSorley and buried it into a yawning cage for the record-breaking goal.  “The Great One” would record an additional 92 goals in his career, finishing with a total of 894 regular season goals.  At the time of his retirement many considered this record to be untouchable.

Gretzky’s 20-year NHL career between the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers would see him play in 1,487 regular season games, scoring 894 goals, 1,963 assists for 2,857 points. He would score 204 power play goals, and 73 shootout goals, 91 of those were game winning goals.

Wayne Gretzky on the Los Angeles Kings in 1994.

Gretzky would make the playoffs in all but four seasons, as he played in 208 games, scoring 122 goals, 260 assists for 382 points.

Gretzky would be a star in International play as well, earning three Gold medals (1984, 1987, 1991) and one Silver (1981) in Canada Cup play. He would earn a Bronze in both 1978 World Junior Championship and the 1982 World Championships, as well Silver in the 1996 World Cup. Gretzky would also play for team Canada in the 1998 Winter Olympics, but would not medal.

Gretzky would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 22, 1999, becoming the tenth player to bypass the three-year waiting period. The Hall of Fame announced he would be the last player to do so. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000.

In addition, Gretzky's jersey number 99 was retired league-wide at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game. Gretzky's jersey number 99 is only the second number ever to be retired league-wide by a major North American sports league, the other being Jackie Robinson's number 42, which was retired by Major League Baseball in 1997.

After his playing career ended Gretzky would go on to coach in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes. He would coach them for four years, never making the playoffs and only once posting more wins than losses in regulation, 2007-2008 season the Coyotes were 38-37-7.

Buffalo Sabers Clint Malarchuk Suffers Near Fatal Injury

On March 22, 1989, Clint Malarchuk of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres suffered a near fatal throat injury in a game against the St. Louis Blues. Malarchuk had his interior carotid artery severed when teamed Uwe Krupp and Blues forward Steve Tuttle crashed into him at high speeds.

Clint Malarchuk of the Buffalo Sabres after having his throat hit with a skate.

Malarchuk came dangerously close to losing his life that night, but the quick thinking of athletic trainer Jim Pizzutelli save his life. Pizzutelli, a former army medic who served in Vietnam, reached into Malarchuk’s neck and pinched off the bleeding until doctors arrived.

It took doctors 90 minutes and over 300 stitches to close the wound. Suprisingly, Malarchuk spent only one night in the hospital and was back at practice just four days later.

Brett Hull Scores 80

On March 19, 1991, Brett Hull becomes only the second player in NHL history to score 80 goals in a season.  Hull finished the year with 86 goals, the third most all-time, behind only Wayne Gretzky’s 92 in 1981-82 and Gretzky’s 87 in 1983-84. Brett also became only the fifth player to score 50 goals in his teams first 50 games.

Brett Hull in 1991 with the St. Louis Blues.

Hull was the game’s premier goal scorer in the early ’90′s, scoring an incredible 339 goals from 1989-1994 for an average of almost 68 goals per season.  “The Golden Brett” was paired with Adam Oates to make up one of the NHL’s most feared duos. Oates was a great playmaker who consistently setup Hull for his trademark one-time slap shot.

Hull’s NHL career would feature 1,269 games played, in which he scored 741 goals and tallied 650 assists for a total of 1,391 points over 20 seasons. Hull would make the playoffs 20 times with the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings, playing in 202 games. He would score 103 goals and record 87 assists for a total of 190 points in the playoffs.

Known as one of the game's greatest snipers, Hull was an elite scorer at all levels of the game. He played college hockey for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, where he scored 52 goals in 1985–86. He scored 50 the following year with the Moncton Golden Flames of the American Hockey League (AHL) and had five consecutive NHL seasons of at least 50 goals.

Hull would win NHL First Team All-Star nominations from 1989-1992, and would play in the All-Star game from 1989-1994, 1996-1997 and 2001. He would win the NHL All-Star Game MVP in 1992. Hull would win the NHL’s MVP award the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1991 as well the Lester B. Pearson Award the MVP voted on by the players the same year. He would win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1990, a trophy awarded for Sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct. He would win the Stanley Cup in 1999 with the Dallas Stars and in 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings.

Hull would also win a Silver medal with Team USA at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. He would also earn a Silver medal at the 1991 Canada Cup, and a Gold medal at the World Cup of Hockey in Canada in 1996.

Montreal Canadiens Debut Molson Centre

On March 17, 1996, the Montreal Canadiens played the first game in their new area, the Molson Centre. The Canadiens hosted the New York Rangers and beat them by a score of 4-2.

The Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

The arena was named after Molson, Inc a brewing company that owned the team at the time of the arena opening. However, when Molson decided to sell the team they also sold the naming rights to the stadium,

Canadian Telecommunications Company, Bell Canada would buy the team, and purchase the naming rights to the stadium. The Bell Centre still has the largest seating capacity for any NHL stadium with 21,407 seats.

The Bell Centre is known throughout the league for having some of the loudest and largest crowds on hand for any given game.

Gordie Howe Signs With Syracuse Crunch

On March 14, 1997, that a 68-year-old Gordie Howe signed a contract with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.  He was attempting to become the first player to play professional hockey in six consecutive decades.

The Syracuse Crunch of the AHL's jersey.

Unfortunately, Howe’s comeback had to be canceled because the Crunch were in the playoff hunt and could not afford to sacrifice a roster spot for a player that they felt could put them at a disadvantage. 

Later on that year, he would get his chance to accomplish the milestone, stepping onto the ice for one shift as a member of the IHL’s Detroit Vipers.

Godie Howe (right) at 68-years-old became the oldest player to suit up for a professional hockey team, and became the first player to suit up in six consecutive decades.

Strangely enough, the significance of this day for Howe goes beyond just his contract with the Syracuse Crunch.  He also became just the second NHL player to score 500 goals on March 14, 1962. 

It was just another one of the many milestones Howe reached during his incredibly long professional hockey career.

Howe set several marks of longevity in the NHL, playing in a record 1,767 regular season games over 26 years spanning an incredible five decades.

Gordie also held the records for most goals, assists and points in a career until Wayne Gretzky came along and broke them all.

Howe won four Stanley Cups, six Art Ross trophies and six Hart trophies as the league’s MVP.

Howe is often referred to as Mr. Hockey, and is generally regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

Red Wings Retire Howe's Jersey

On March 12, 1972, that Gordie Howe had his no. 9 jersey retired by the Detroit Red Wings. 

 

Gordie Howe in the late 2000s at a Detroit Red Wings press conference.

Howe would return to playing a couple years later for the Houston Aeros of the newly formed WHA.  After the WHA went bust in 1979,  “Mr. Hockey” would return for one more year in the NHL with the Hartford Whalers.

Howe set several marks of longevity in the NHL, playing in a record 1,767 regular season games over 26 years spanning an incredible five decades. 

Gordie also held the records for most goals, assists and points in a career until Wayne Gretzky came along and broke them all. 

Gordie Howe in 1968 with the Detroit Red Wings.

Howe won four Stanley Cups, six Art Ross trophies and six Hart trophies as the league’s MVP. 

Howe is often referred to as Mr. Hockey, and is generally regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

Howe is most famous for his scoring prowess, physical strength, and career longevity. He is the only player to have competed in the NHL in five different decades (1940s through 1980s). A four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings, he won six Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player and six Art Ross Trophies as the leading scorer. He was the inaugural recipient of the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

Howe's name and nickname, "Mr. Hockey," as well as his wife's nickname as "Mrs. Hockey," are registered trademarks.

During his NHL career Howe scored 801 regular season goals and 1048 assists totaling 1850 points 1767 games. In the playoffs Howe would score 68 goals and 92 assists for 160 total points in 157 games. 

In 1998, The Hockey News released their List of Top 100 NHL Players of All Time and listed Howe third overall, ahead of Mario Lemieux, but behind Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. Of the list, Orr was quoted as regarding Howe as the greatest player.

On April 10, 2007, Howe was honored with the unveiling of a new bronze statue in Joe Louis Arena. The statue is 12 feet tall and weighs about 4,500 pounds. The man who was commissioned to create the art was Omri Amrany. The statue contains all of Howe's stats and history. Another statue of Howe was erected in downtown Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on the corner of 20th Street and 1st Ave. He is depicted wearing a Detroit Red Wings sweater. The statue has since been relocated to the Credit Union Centre.

In February 2011, various groups have proposed naming the Detroit River International Crossing bridge, a proposed bridge that will connect Detroit and Windsor by linking Highway 401 in Ontario with Interstate 75 and Interstate 94 in Michigan, in honor of Gordie Howe. Gordie Howe is a prime choice, because he is a native Canadian and his long affiliation with Detroit. This name is backed by Canadian politicians and Michigan governor Rick Snyder.

Bossy Scores 50

On March 5, 1985, New York Islander Mike Bossy becomes the first NHL player to score 50 goals in eight straight seasons. He would finish his career with nine seasons of 50 plus goals, a record tied by only Wayne Gretzky.

 

Mike Bossy with the New York Islanders in 1985.

Bossy enjoyed a great career in the NHL with the New York Islanders. He played from 1977-1987 as a right wing.

Before playing in the NHL he started his junior career with Quebec Major Junior Hockey League at the age of 15. Despite scoring 309 goals in four seasons, Bossy was considered a timid player by NHL scouts.

In the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft, he was passed over by twelve teams, with the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs ignoring him twice. However, the New York Islanders made him their first choice, 15th overall. General manager Bill Torrey was torn at first between taking Bossy and Dwight Foster. Bossy was known as a scorer who could not check, while Foster could check but was inferior offensively. Coach Al Arbour persuaded Torrey to pick Bossy, figuring it was easier to teach a scorer how to check. Bossy was placed on a line with Bryan Trottier and Clark Gillies, a combination that would come to be known as The Trio Grande, or the "LILCO line" (standing for "Long Island Lighting Company", since their prolific scoring kept the goal lamp lit).

Bossy boldly predicted that he would score 50 goals in his rookie season. He made good on his promise, scoring a then-record 53 goals as a rookie in the 1977–78 season, won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year, and was named a Second Team All-Star.

Many thought it would be impossible to duplicate Maurice Richard's 50 in 50, set thirty-six years earlier. Then, in the 1980–81 season, Bossy became only the second player to score 50 goals in 50 games. The hockey press hyped this as he was in an unofficial competition with Charlie Simmer of the Los Angeles Kings to see who could first accomplish the 50 in 50 milestone since Richard. Both players were involved in their 50th game, with Simmer at 46 and Bossy at 48, with Simmer getting a hat trick to bring his total to 49 goals in 50. Making it particularly dramatic, Bossy was scoreless for much of the game but found the net twice within the last five minutes of his 50th game. Richard was on hand to congratulate Bossy for this achievement. Bossy finished the season with 68 goals in 79 games.

Bossy was known for being able to score goals in remarkable fashion, the most incredible, perhaps, in the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals against the Vancouver Canucks when, up-ended by a check from Tiger Williams and flying several feet in the air, parallel to the ice, Bossy nonetheless managed to hook the puck with his stick and score. Bossy was also noted for his clean play, never resorting to fighting (and being one of the first players to speak out against violence on the ice), and winning the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play three times: 1983, 1984, and 1986.

In 1982, Bossy set a scoring record for right-wingers with 147 points while also winning the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy. However, far more attention was given to Gretzky who not only won the Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy, but also shattered scoring records with an unheard of 212 points and 92 goals. Bossy aspired to be the best player of his era but fell short, as the Hart and Art Ross Trophies were two of the awards that eluded Bossy during his career, going to Lafleur, Trottier, and Gretzky. Although the Islanders swept the Oilers in the 1983 final to win a fourth consecutive championship, Gretzky and his Oilers still received the most attention.

The Islanders made a fifth straight Stanley Cup final in 1984 (The "Drive for Five") but the Oilers who defeated them 4–1, outmatched them. Bossy, who had scored 8 goals after the first three rounds of the playoffs (and 17 goals in the past three consecutive post-seasons), was silenced completely in the finals series.

Afterwards, the Islanders slowly declined, while injuries took their toll on Bossy's back. He was limited to 63 games in the 1986–87 season but still managed to score 38 goals. He decided to take the next season off to rest his back, but officially retired after the 1987-88 season. During his season off, Bill Torrey had offered Bossy to be traded to the Montreal Canadiens, so he could be closer to home, but Bossy declined. Having played his last game at the young age of 30, he scored 573 goals and 553 assists in 752 NHL games, all with the Islanders.

Bossy would go on to set several NHL records including the one above; he would also set the most 60 plus goal seasons with five, again only tied by Gretzky. He would set the highest goals-per-game-average with .762 goals per game. The most power-play goals in one playoff season, nine, tied with Cam Neely. He would record the most consecutive hat trucks with three, tied with Joe Malone, who accomplished the feat twice.

The Islanders retired Bossy's no. 22 jersey on March 3, 1992, the second Islander afforded that honor after longtime teammate Denis Potvin.

Maple Leafs' Sittler Sets NHL Record

On Feb. 7, 1976, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Darryl Sittler set an NHL record by recording ten points in a single game.  He broke the previous record of eight, which was held by both Maurice Richard and Bert Olmstead.

Playing against the Boston Bruins, Sittler scored an amazing six goals and added four assists en route to the 11-4 victory. 

Bruins’ rookie goalie Dave Reece would be on the wrong end of those 11 goals against. 

Sittler’s record still stands to this day, as a total of eight points in a single game has been reached on 12 more occasions, with Mario Lemieux being the last to do so on April 25, 1989.

With teams rarely scoring 10 goals in the current NHL, it is fair to say that Sittler’s record isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Sittler had a solid career in the OHA and later in the NHL, but is widely known for this game on the Leafs.

Sittler finished his career with 98 goals and 154 assists in the OHA for 252 points in three years with the London Nationals and London Knights. Sittler’s NHL career of 15 seasons was just as amazing over a long period of time scoring an impressive 484 goals and 637 assists for 1,121 points.

Sittler was inducted into the NHL’s Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.

In 1991, a year after Ballard died, he rejoined the Leafs' organization as a consultant under new general manager Cliff Fletcher.

In 1998, he was ranked number 93 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players and on February 8, 2003, Sittler's number 27 was honored by the Leafs.

Vancouver songwriters Dan Swinimer and Jeff Johnson wrote a country song commemorating Sittler's 60 birthday called "The Darryl Sittler Song".

History of the "Winter Classic"

On Jan. 1 2009, Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill. hosts and outdoor hockey game in part of the “NHL Winter Classic” as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4.

The “Winter Classic” would continue to be played on New Years day through 2012 as the Boston Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in Over time at Fenway Park, the home of the Red Sox in Boston, Mass in 2010. The Washington Capitals would beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 at Heinz Field, the home of the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Penn.

In 2012 the New York Rangers would beat the Phialdelphia Flyers 3-2 at Citizen Banks Park, the home of the Phillies in Philadelphia, Penn.

An official announcement from the NHL was made on February 9, 2012, in Detroit that the game would be played in prime time on the evening of January 1, 2013.

It was to be the first time a Canadian team would be involved in the Winter Classic, as well as the first time two teams from different conferences will play each other during this event. However, the 2012–13 NHL lockout disrupted the season, leading to the game's cancellation on November 2, 2012.

The Winter Classic in 2014, was held at Michigan Stadium (as consolation for the canceled 2013 game) and again feature the Red Wings hosting the Maple Leafs. This time the Maples Leafs beat the Red Wings in the shootout (2-1) after being tied through overtime 2-2.

Hicks Buys Dallas Stars

On Dec. 11, 1995, Thomas Hicks buys the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League for $84 million.

The Dallas Stars were founded in 1967 as the Minnesota North Stars, however the franchise relocated to Dallas for the 1993–94 NHL season.

The Stars played out of Reunion Arena from their relocation until 2001, when the team moved less than 1.5 miles into the American Airlines Center.

In 2000, Neal Broten was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2009, Brett Hull became the first Dallas Stars player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, followed by Ed Belfour and Joe Nieuwendyk in 2011.

In 2010, brothers Derian and Kevin Hatcher were inducted to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Since Hicks took over as owner of the Stars the team has won seven division titles in Dallas, two President's Trophies as the top regular season team in the NHL, the Western Conference championship twice, and in 1998–99, the Stanley Cup. Joe Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs that year.

Dorrington Makes History

On Nov. 15, 1950, Arthur Dorrington made history as the first black player to sign a hockey contract. Dorrington's deal was signed with a minor league team affiliated with the New York Rangers. Unlike most sports, there is still not a big presence of black players in professional hockey. However, he did pave the way for some great players.

Dorrington served with the U.S. Army and after service, signed with one of the New York Rangers farm clubs in 1950.

 He chose instead to play for the Atlantic City Seagulls of the Eastern League, leading them to a league championship in 1951.

After a career-ending injury, he built a second profession as an officer in the Atlantic County Sheriff's Department.

Since Dorrington, several black players have signed with professional hockey teams including two Stanley Cup Winner Pokey Reddick, and Grant Fuhr. Fuhr would be the first black player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the first black player to win the Stanley Cup.

Dirk Graham was the NHL’s first black captain, and first black head coach. He played for the Minnesota Northstars and the Chicago Blackhawks, and coached the Blackhawks in the 1998-1999 season.

Tony McKegney was the first black player to participate in a full season. He played with the Buffalo Sabres, Quebec Nordiques, Minnesota Northstars, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Willie O’Ree was the first black player to be signed by an NHL team, in 1958 he signed with the Boston Bruins.

Alton White, was the first black player to score a major league hat trick, he played for the New York Raiders, Los Angeles Sharks, Michigan Stags and the Baltimore Blades.

Currently 28 black players play in the NHL including two goalies Chris Beckford-Tseu, and Ray Emery. Of the current 28 black players in the NHL, only one, Dustin Byfuglien has won a Stanley Cup, in 2010 with the Chicago Blackhawks.