On July 27th in 1995, Hartford Whalers GM Jim Rutherford and St. Louis Blues GM Mike Keenan swapped second overall draft picks in Chris Pronger (1993) and Brendan Shanahan (1987), marking a rare exchange of matched talent.
Pronger's slower than expected development coupled with his rookie season bar room brawling and drunken driving led Hartford to move their baby-faced bruiser for some scoring punch in Shanahan.
Pronger remained in St. Louis for nine seasons, captaining the club for seven. Shanahan, however, left Hartford after one season in a trade sending him and Brian Glynn to the Detroit Red Wings for forward Keith Primeau, defenceman Paul Coffey, and a 1997 first-round draft pick (Nikos Tselios).
After five years working for the NHL as Vice-President of Hockey and Business Development and Chief Disciplinarian, Shanahan was named President of the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 11, 2014. Shanny was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 11, 2013.
Several blows to the head sidelined Pronger in December 2011. He has not skated since, nor does it appear he will ever return to the game, despite being under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers through 2017. On June 27, 2015, the Flyers traded his contract to the Arizona Coyotes for salary cap purposes. Three days later, Pronger was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Despite still technically an active player, Pronger was eligible for the honor owing to his three season absence at the time of induction.
Pronger currently works for the Florida Panthers in hockey operations.
The pair played a combined 39 NHL seasons resulting in over 2,600 games, 2,000 points, 4,000 penalty minutes, and four Stanley Cup wins. Internationally, they won three Olympic Gold Medals and three World Championships for Canada. Both are Triple Gold Club members.
That's today in NHL history.
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Today In NHL History - Pronger Shanahan Trade
Saturday, July 16, 2022
Today In NHL History - Claude Lemieux
Taken 26th in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft the feisty winger fetched four Stanley Cup wins (1986, 1995, 1996, 2000) and a Conn Smythe (1995) becoming 1 of 9 to hoist with three different teams and 1 of 11 to win in consecutive seasons with distinct clubs (NJD 1995, COL 1996). Resting 9th overall with 80 playoff goals, Lemieux thrice lit the lamp more times in the postseason than the regular season (1986, 1995, 1997).
Boasting a resume of biting (Jim Peplinski), boarding (Kris Draper), and pregame fighting (PHI v. MTL), Lemieux's vicious acts have earned him 2nd place in ESPN's Most Hated NHL Players of All Time.
In 1997, the dirty deeds of playoffs past caught up with the cheapshot francophone in a now famous brawl between the Red Wings and Avalanche featuring Darren McCarty pummeling his turtled mass.
Lemieux retired on July 8, 2009 after a one-season stint with the Sharks.
That's today in NHL history.
Saturday, July 9, 2022
Today In NHL History - Clarence Campbell
Moonlighting as an official in the CAHA while lawyering at an Edmonton firm, Campbell whistled his way to the NHL. He lasted three years, witnessing Howie Morenz's career-ending broken leg and even taking a punch from Bruins' bruiser Dit Clapper, before NHL President Frank Calder stole his stripes on the urging of Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe for an allegedly under-penalized incident that bloodied Red Horner.
Calder kept Campbell in the game, however, hiring him to work in the league office though he left shortly thereafter enlisting in the Canadian Armed Forces. With Calder's passing in 1943 a reluctant Red Dutton presided until Campbell's return upon which the presidency was passed.
Major events that occurred during his tenure as NHL President include:
- Extension of NHL regular season from 50 to 80 games;
- Introduction of NHL All-Star Game (1947);
- Expulsion of players Billy Taylor and Don Gallinger for gambling on NHL games (1948);
- Enactment of NHL Pension Fund (1948);
- Suspension of Maurice Richard for punching a linesman (1955);
- Richard Riot at Montreal Forum (1955);
- Limitation of one goal per minor penalty power play (1956);
- Placement of Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto (1958);
- Implementation of NHL Amateur Draft (1963);
- NHL Expansion from 6 to 18 teams (1967-1976);
- Realignment to two conferences and four divisions (1974);
- Renaming of conferences and divisions (1974);
- NHL Relocation of two teams (1976); and
- Protection from rival league WHA (1972-1977).
That's today in NHL history.
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
NHL League Size And Regular Season Length
With this week's release of the regular season schedule for the NHL's 106th season of operation (105th season of actual play), it's a good time to consider this season's offering in the historical context of the number of participating teams and regular season games played since the league's inception 105 years ago.
Games
Teams
Games
Teams
1917-1918
1978-1979
1918-1919
1979-1991
1919-1924
1991-1992
1924-1925
1992-1993
1925-1926
1993-1994
1926-1931
1994-1995
1931-1932
1995-1998
1932-1935
1998-2000
1935-1938
2000-2004
1938-1942
2004-2005
1942-1946
2005-2012
1946-1949
2012-2013
1949-1967
2013-2017
1967-1968
2017-2020
1968-1970
2020-2021
1970-1972
2021-2023
1972-1974
1974-1978
Rising from 3 to 32 teams and 18 to 84 games since 1918, the NHL regular season now sits at 32 teams playing a 82 times a piece for a total of 1,312 games. Aside from three work stoppages - abbreviating, canceling and abbreviating the proceedings respectively (1994-1995, 2004-2005, 2012-2013), a fire finishing a team (Montreal Wanderers) part-way through the year (1917-1918), and COVID-19 suspending the 2019-2020 season and abbreviating the 2020-2021 season, most NHL regular season schedules have been played as planned with few, if any, interruptions.
Amidst endless stories of financially troubled clubs, the league has done well to quell rumors of NHL relocation, embracing NHL expansion in Las Vegas (2017-2018) and Seattle (2021-2022) to achieve a 32 team league with division and conference balance.
On the heels of 2013's NHL realignment, expect regular season length to remain at 82 games for the foreseeable future in order to preserve their commitment to extended divisional play, every team visiting every rink each year, and the pursuit of the all-mighty dollar which directly influences player salaries.
* See also Fewest And Most Games Needed to Win Stanley Cup.
* See also NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Length By Days And Games.
* See also History of NHL Expansion.
* See also History of NHL Relocation.
* See also History of NHL Contraction.
* See also History of NHL Team Renaming.
Monday, July 4, 2022
NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Game 7 History
When two teams split the first six games of a best-of-seven playoff series, a 'winner take all' Game 7 is staged. Heroes are born and victors crowned in this high-stakes affair. Not surprisingly, Game 7s have produced some of the most memorable moments in NHL postseason history.
Once reserved solely for the Semifinal and Final rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the best-of-seven format was expanded to include the Quarterfinals in 1968 and Preliminary round in 1987. Of the 741 best-of-seven NHL playoff series played through 2022, 187 (25%) have resulted in a Game 7 with the home team holding a healthy 109-78 (58%) edge. The team that scores first has a 141-46 (75%) edge, including a 5-1 record in the 2022 postseason. 46 of the 187 (24%) Game 7s have gone to overtime, with the home and road teams each winning 24 times (53%).
Of the 187 Game 7s, 34 times a team trailing their series 3-1 won Game 7 and 4 times a team down 3-0 in their series won Game 7. The most Game 7s in single playoff season is seven (1994, 2011, 2014). Only three times has a postseason gone without (1970, 1973, 1977).
Over the past 35 postseasons since the 1987 expansion of all series to best-of-seven, a Game 7 has been played in 143 of the 525 series. Put another way, 27% or approximately every 1 in 3.6 playoff series have gone to seven games. The chart below describes Game 7s by year, noting the number and round in which a seventh game(s) occurred.
Year: Game 7s (Round)
Year: Game 7s (Round)
1987: 5 (1P, 3Q, F)
2010: 4 (2P, 2Q)
1988: 3 (1P, 1Q, 1S)
2011: 7 (4P, 1Q, 1S, F)
1989: 3 (2P, 1Q)
2012: 4 (3P, 1Q)
1990: 4 (3P, 1Q)
2013: 5 (3P, 2Q)
1991: 4 (3P, 1Q)
2014: 7 (3P, 3Q, 1S)
1992: 6 (6P)
2015: 5 (2P, 1Q, 2S)
1993: 4 (1P, 2Q, 1S)
2016: 5 (2P, 2Q, 1S)
1994: 7 (4P, 1Q, 1S, F)
2017: 3 (2Q, 1S)
1995: 4 (4P)
2018: 3 (1P, 1Q, 1S)
1996: 2 (1Q, 1S)
2019: 6 (3P, 2Q, F)
1997: 3 (3P)
2020: 3 (3Q)
1998: 1 (1Q)
2021: 3 (2P, 1S)
1999: 3 (2P, 1S)
2022: 6 (5P, 1Q)
2000: 3 (1P, 2S)
2001: 4 (3Q, F)
2002: 5 (2P, 2Q, 1S)
2003: 6 (3P, 1Q, 1S, F)
2004: 5 (3P, 1S, F)
2006: 3 (1P, 1S, F)
2007: 1 (1P)
2008: 3 (3P)
2009: 6 (2P, 3Q, F)
(P = Preliminary, Q = Quarterfinal, S = Semifinal, F = Final)
Breaking it down by round, the most Game 7s over the past 35 seasons on a percentage basis have occurred in the Quarterfinal (41/140 = 29%), Preliminary (77/280 = 27%), Semifinal (19/70 = 27%), followed by the Stanley Cup Final (9/35 = 26%) round. Interestingly, 7 of the past 21 Finals and 7 of the past 17 Semifinals have been decided by a seventh game. In sum, the likelihood of a Game 7 in a NHL playoff series since 1987 is 1 in 3.4 for the Quarterfinal with a slight decrease to roughly 1 in 3.7 for the Preliminary round and Semifinal, and 1 in 3.9 for the Final.
The charts below show the total number of Game 7s played by each NHL team along with their win/loss records, with all-time statistics on the lefthand side and data since 1987 on the righthand side.
| NHL Game 7s All-Time | NHL Game 7s Since 1987 |
| Team: Series (Record) | Team: Series (Record) |
| Boston: 29 (15-14) | Boston: 18 (10-8) |
| Toronto: 26 (12-14) | Pittsburgh: 17 (10-7) |
| Detroit: 25 (14-11) | Washington: 16 (4-12) |
| Montreal: 24 (15-9) | New Jersey: 15 (7-8) |
| Pittsburgh: 18 (10-8) | Toronto: 15 (6-9) |
| St. Louis: 18 (10-8) | Detroit: 14 (7-7) |
| New York*: 17 (11-6) | New York*: 13 (11-2) |
| Philadelphia: 17 (9-8) | San Jose: 12 (8-4) |
| Washington: 16 (4-12) | Philadelphia: 12 (6-6) |
| New Jersey: 15 (7-8) | St. Louis: 12 (6-6) |
| Chicago: 14 (7-7) | Colorado: 12 (4-8) |
| Calgary: 13 (6-7) | Montreal: 11 (8-3) |
| San Jose: 12 (8-4) | Vancouver: 11 (6-5) |
| Los Angeles: 12 (7-5) | Tampa Bay: 10 (7-3) |
| Colorado: 12 (4-8) | Edmonton: 9 (6-3) |
| Edmonton: 11 (7-4) | Los Angeles: 9 (6-3) |
| Vancouver: 11 (6-5) | Anaheim: 9 (3-6) |
| Tampa Bay: 10 (7-3) | Calgary: 9 (3-6) |
| New York**: 9 (4-5) | Chicago: 8 (5-3) |
| Anaheim: 9 (3-6) | Dallas: 8 (3-5) |
| Dallas: 8 (3-5) | Carolina: 7 (6-1) |
| Carolina: 7 (6-1) | New York**: 7 (3-4) |
| Minnesota^: 7 (3-4) | Buffalo: 6 (1-5) |
| Buffalo: 7 (1-6) | Ottawa: 6 (0-6) |
| Ottawa: 6 (0-6) | Minnesota^^: 4 (3-1) |
| Minnesota^^: 4 (3-1) | Vegas: 3 (2-1) |
| Vegas: 3 (2-1) | Nashville: 3 (1-2) |
| Quebec: 3 (2-1) | Arizona: 3 (0-3) |
| Nashville: 3 (1-2) | Florida: 2 (1-1) |
| Arizona: 3 (0-3) | Hartford: 2 (0-2) |
| Hartford: 3 (0-3) | Minnesota^: 2 (0-2) |
| Florida: 2 (1-1) | Winnipeg~: 2 (0-2) |
| Winnipeg~: 2 (0-2) | Winnipeg+: 1 (1-0) |
| Winnipeg+: 1 (1-0) | Quebec: 1 (0-1) |
| Oakland: 1 (0-1) | |
* New York Rangers
** New York Islanders
^ Minnesota North Stars
^^ Minnesota Wild
~ Winnipeg Jets (1979-1996)
+ Winnipeg Jets (2011-Present)
Boston has skated in the most Game 7s (29) in NHL history with Boston and Montreal winning the most (15). Over the past 35 seasons, Boston has played more Game 7s (18) than anyone else but the New York Rangers have won the most (11). The Winnipeg Jets (2011-Present) have never lost a Game 7; Ottawa, Arizona, Hartford, Winnipeg (1979-1996) and Oakland have never won a Game 7; and Columbus and Seattle have never skated in one.
In terms of winning more than one Game 7 in a single postseason, 25 teams have done it twice with only two teams winning three best-of-seven series in a Game 7 in a single playoff (Boston 2011, Los Angeles 2014). The chart below lists all NHL teams that have ever won two or more Game 7s in a single postseason, indicating year and rounds in which they turned the trick.
NHL Game 7s Won Same Year
Year: Team (Round)
1950: Detroit (S, F)*
1964: Toronto (S, F)*
1968: St. Louis (Q, S)
1990: Chicago (P, Q)
1993: Toronto (P, Q)
1994: New York^ (S, F)*
2001: Colorado (Q, F)*
2002: Colorado (P, Q), Toronto (P, Q)
2003: Minnesota (P, Q), New Jersey (S, F)*
2004: Tampa Bay (S, F)*
2006: Carolina (S, F)*
2009: Carolina (P, Q), PIT (Q, F)*
2010: Montreal (P, Q)
2011: Boston (P, S, F)*
2012: New York^ (P, Q)
2014: Los Angeles (P, Q, S)*
2015: Tampa Bay (P, S)
2016: St. Louis (P, Q)
2017: Pittsburgh (Q, S)*
2019: San Jose (P, Q), St. Louis (Q, F)*
2022: Carolina (P, Q), New York^ (P, Q)
* Stanley Cup Champion
^ New York Rangers
(P = Preliminary, Q = Quarterfinal, S = Semifinal, F = Final)
The 2022 postseason featured six Game 7s, with the team that scores first going 5-1, home teams holding a 4-2 record, and one recovering from a 3-1 series deficit.
Game 7 ... kill or be killed.
* See also NHL Playoff Comebacks Trailing 3-0.
* See also NHL Playoff Comebacks Trailing 3-1.
* See also NHL Stanley Cup Playoff First Round Upsets.
* See also Canucks Game 7 Overtime & Stanley Cup Finals.
Saturday, July 2, 2022
NHL Playoff Comebacks Trailing 3-1
Four teams took a 3-1 series lead in their best-of-seven series in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Three teams advanced (Edmonton, Colorado [2]) and one went home (Pittsburgh). While a 3-1 lead is always a good thing, it's never a sure thing.
Through 2022, teams have trailed 3-1 in a best-of-seven series 325 times. Only 31 times has the trailing team comeback to win the series. Put another way, the team with a 3-1 series lead wins 90% of the time with the down-and-nearly-out team recovering only 10% of the time.
The chart below describes all 31 comebacks by year, team and round.
Year
Matchup
Round
1942
Toronto over Detroit
Final
1975
New York* over Pittsburgh
Preliminary
1987
New York* over Washington
Preliminary
Detroit over Toronto
Quarterfinal
1988
Washington over Philadelphia
Quarterfinal
1989
Los Angeles over Edmonton
Preliminary
1990
Edmonton over Winnipeg
Preliminary
1991
St. Louis over Detroit
Preliminary
1992
Detroit over Minnesota^
Preliminary
Vancouver over Winnipeg
Preliminary
Pittsburgh over Washington
Preliminary
1994
Vancouver over Calgary
Preliminary
1995
Pittsburgh over Washington
Preliminary
1998
Edmonton over Colorado
Preliminary
1999
St. Louis over Phoenix
Preliminary
2000
New Jersey over Philadelphia
Semifinal
2003
Minnesota^^ over Colorado
Preliminary
Vancouver over St. Louis
Preliminary
Minnesota^^ over Vancouver
Quarterfinal
2004
Montreal over Boston
Preliminary
2009
Washington over New York**
Preliminary
2010
Montreal over Washington
Preliminary
Philadelphia over Boston
Quarterfinal
2011
Tampa Bay over Pittsburgh
Preliminary
2013
Chicago over Detroit
Quarterfinal
2014
Los Angeles over San Jose
Preliminary
New York** over Pittsburgh
Quarterfinal
2015
New York** over Washington
Quarterfinal
2019
San Jose over Vegas
Preliminary
2021
Montreal over Toronto
Preliminary
2022
New York** over Pittsburgh
Preliminary
* New York Islanders
** New York Rangers
^ Minnesota North Stars
^^ Minnesota Wild
In the 35 seasons since all playoff rounds were expanded to best-of-seven series in 1987, 29 teams have comeback from a 3-1 deficit to win their series. In the 17 postseasons since the 2004 NHL Lockout, however, only 11 teams (Washington 2009, Montreal 2010, Philadelphia 2010, Tampa Bay 2011, Chicago 2013, Los Angeles 2014, New York 2014, New York 2015, San Jose 2019, Montreal 2021, New York 2022) have turned the trick.
Breaking it down by round, such comebacks have happened only once in the Stanley Cup Final (Toronto 1942) and Semifinal (New Jersey 2000), and 7 times in the Quarterfinal (Detroit 1987, Washington 1988, Minnesota 2003, Philadelphia 2010, Chicago 2013, New York 2014, New York 2015), with the remaining 22 comebacks occurring during the Preliminary round.
Of the 31 teams that completed the comeback, six won the Stanley Cup (Toronto 1942, Edmonton 1990, Pittsburgh 1992, New Jersey 2000, Chicago 2013, Los Angeles 2014) and four more made it to the Final but failed to hoist the hardware (Vancouver 1994, Philadelphia 2010, New York 2014, Montreal 2021).
Only one team has ever recovered from a 3-1 deficit twice in the same playoff (Minnesota 2003). Similarly, only one team has ever comeback down 3-1 and blown a 3-1 lead in the same postseason (Vancouver 2003).
The chart below lists all teams involved in such 3-1 series comebacks, showing the total number of series involving such circumstances and their overall win/loss record.
| Team | Series | Record |
| Washington |
7
|
2-5
|
| Pittsburgh | 6
|
2-4
|
| Detroit |
5
|
2-3
|
| New York** |
4
|
3-1
|
| Vancouver | 4
|
3-1
|
| Montreal |
3
|
3-0
|
| Edmonton |
3
|
2-1
|
| St. Louis |
3
|
2-1
|
| Philadelphia | 3
|
1-2
|
| Toronto | 3
|
1-2
|
| Los Angeles |
2
|
2-0
|
| Minnesota^^ |
2
|
2-0
|
| New York* |
2
|
2-0
|
| San Jose |
2
|
1-1
|
| Boston |
2
|
0-2
|
| Colorado |
2
|
0-2
|
| Winnipeg | 2
|
0-2
|
| Chicago |
1
|
1-0
|
| New Jersey |
1
|
1-0
|
| Tampa Bay |
1
|
1-0
|
| Arizona |
1
|
0-1
|
| Calgary |
1
|
0-1
|
| Minnesota^ |
1
|
0-1
|
| Vegas |
1
|
0-1
|
* New York Islanders
** New York Rangers
^ Minnesota North Stars
^^ Minnesota Wild
Only Anaheim, Buffalo, Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Florida, Nashville, Ottawa, Seattle and Winnipeg (formerly the Atlanta Thrashers) have never comeback from a 3-1 series deficit or blown a 3-1 series lead. Montreal, Vancouver and the New York Rangers lead all teams in comebacks trailing a series 3-1 with three series wins. Conversely, Washington has blown more 3-1 series leads than any other team, squandering five such series.
It's worth noting that in the 17 postseasons since the 2004 NHL Lockout, 16 teams have squandered a 3-1 series lead only to stave off elimination by winning Game 7. They are Carolina (2006, 2009), Vancouver (2007, 2011), Montreal (2008), Philadelphia (2008), San Jose (2011), Boston (2013, 2018), Los Angeles (2014), St. Louis (2016), Pittsburgh (2017), Dallas (2020), New York Islanders (2020) and Vegas (2020, 2021). Eight of these games were decided by one goal and six in overtime. In sum, with a 10% chance of recovery for teams trailing their series 3-1, it's statistically likely their season will soon end.
* See also NHL Playoff Comebacks Trailing 3-0.
* See also NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Game 7 History.
* See also NHL Stanley Cup Playoff First Round Upsets.
