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.

NHL Cancels Season

On Feb. 16, 2005, that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman officially canceled the 2004-05 season. 

This would mark the first time that a major North American sport would cancel an entire season due to a labor dispute.  It would also be the first year that the Stanley Cup was not awarded since 1919.

Upon their return to action, a number of rule changes were implemented in order to restore offense and make the game more exciting and fast-paced.  The removal of the red line, the shootout to break ties and more obstruction penalties being called led to more offensive chances and more goals being scored.  Offense was lacking in the “old NHL” but the new rules certainly helped create a more thrilling and up-tempo game.

All four major North American sports (NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA)  have had their issues with labor disputes, the NHL had it again this year, but never to this extent. 

Within the past few years we have seen both the NFL and the NBA go through labor disputes of their own, but in both cases the owners and the players were able to come to an agreement and avoid having their seasons cancelled.

Rheaume Plays In NHL

On Sept. 23, 1992, the National Hockey League was never known for being diverse, but on this day in 1992, the sport did something rather dynamic: a girl played in it.

Manon Rheaume, a 20 year-old Canadian woman, played goalie for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues. Rheaume allowed two goals on nine shots and was lifted in the first quarter with score tied at two. She would play in another NHL exhibition game in 1993, again playing for the Lightning. These were her only two game appearances.

Rheaume continued to play in the independent hockey circuit and was the goalie on the Canadian woman's hockey team in 1998, which won a silver medal. She never played in a regular season NHL game however. The Lightning were an expansion team when Rheaume first played for them, and Tampa Bay general manager Phil Espesito readily admitted that her preseason appearance was mostly for publicity.

Although Rheaume never got in a real game, she went further than any woman had ever gone in the four major sports leagues. No woman has ever played in an NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL game.