Today In NHL History - McSorley's Illegal Stick

On June 3rd in 1993, the Los Angeles Kings were two minutes away from taking a 2-0 series lead against the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Finals when coach Jacques Demers called for a measurement of Marty McSorley's stick. Kerry Fraser described it as one of his easiest calls: "For any player to go into the third period in a Stanley Cup final with an illegal stick was, to my mind, absolutely asinine. The stick was so illegal, I mean, I just looked at it and said holy smokes, we won't need the gauge for this one."

With McSorley in the box and Patrick Roy on the bench, Eric Desjardins scored the tying goal on a two man advantage with 1:13 remaining in regulation. Desjardins completed the hat trick in overtime sending the series to the Great Western Forum tied 1-1. Melrose's Kings lost the next two games in overtime, surrendering the series 4-1 six days later at the Montreal Forum and denying the Great One his California crowning.

McSorley revisited the mishap 19 years later (beginning at the 2:45 mark below) prior to the Kings' first return to the Stanley Cup Final, acknowledging the illegality of his stick and accusing the Canadiens of foul play in measuring visiting players' sticks prior to the game. Amazingly, Marty admits to playing subsequent games in the Final with sticks identical to the illegal one that so dearly cost his team in Game 2.

That's today in NHL history.

* See also Today In NHL History - Jason Spezza's Illegal Stick.
* See also Today In NHL History - Willie Mitchell's Long Stick.

Today In NHL History - Fastest Hat Trick

On March 23rd in 1952, Bill Mosienko of the Chicago Blackhawks scored three third period goals in 21 seconds against New York Rangers netminder Lorne Anderson laying claim to the fastest hat trick ever had in the NHL.

Assisting on each score, linemate Gus Bodnar owns the league's quickest three assists to date. The hat trick came with Chicago trailing 6-2 in the final frame. The Blackhawks ultimately beat the Rangers 7–6.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Mario Lemieux Hat Trick

On March 2nd in 1993, Mario Lemieux coined a hat trick when he started his day in Pittsburgh receiving radiation treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and finished it with a goal and assist in Phildelphia, earning a rare ovation for an opponent in the rival rink during his first game back after a two month absence owing to the deadly disease.

Despite losing 5-4 that night to the Flyers, Mario led his Penguins to a NHL record 17 straight wins en route to their first Presidents’ Trophy with a franchise record 119 points, amassing 51 points (27G, 24A) in 16 games and finishing with 160 points (69G, 91A) in 60 games, taking home the Hart, Art Ross, Pearson, Plus/Minus, and Masterton.

Unlike the Gordie Howe hat trick (fight, goal, assist), of which Howe has two and Brendan Shanahan has 17, nobody has ever duplicated the Mario Lemieux hat trick. And nobody likely ever will.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Owen Nolan's Called Shot

On January 18th in 1997, San Jose Sharks forward Owen Nolan called his shot and scored on a breakaway against Buffalo Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek with 2 minutes left in the 47th NHL All-Star Game in San Jose, completing the hat trick and sending hometown fans into a frenzy.
Hasek's Eastern Team defeated Nolan's Western Squad 11-7 with MVP honors going to Mark Recchi who hat tricked for the winning side.

That's today in NHL history

Today In NHL History - Stalberg's Penalty Shot Miss

On January 5th in 2011, Viktor Stalberg of the Chicago Blackhawks collected a hat trick of iron ringing the puck off both posts and the crossbar on a failed penalty shot attempt against Kari Lehtonen in the second period of a 2-2 match, extending his scoreless streak to 19 games.

In response to the miss the Swede remarked "it's hard to imagine that happening" whilst the Finn backstop conceded "I got real lucky there." Dallas would score twice in the third period to beat Chicago 4-2.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Mario Lemieux's Cycle

On December 31st in 1988, Mario Lemieux collected five goals in a New Year's Eve game against the New Jersey Devils, one in each of the five possible regulation time scoring situations (even strength, shorthanded, powerplay, penalty shot, empty net) in the NHL's pre-shootout era.
Bob Sauvé allowed Mario's first three markers (a hat trick in the opening period) with rookie Chris Terreri surrendering the penalty shot.

The feat, dubbed the Mario Lemieux Cycle, is considered by many to be the greatest individual scoring performance in NHL history.  It has never been duplicated. Adding three assists to his five goals, Mario figured in each of the Penguins eight tallies in their 8-6 win over the Devils.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Béliveau's Hat Trick

On November 5th in 1955, Jean Béliveau scored three powerplay goals in 44 seconds against Boston Bruins netminder Terry Sawchuck collecting the fastest hat trick in Montreal Canadiens club history.

Trailing 2-0 in the second period, the Montreal unit of Doug Harvey, Tom Johnson, Jean Béliveau, Maurice Richard, and Bert Olmstead dominated Boston with a two-man advantage as sin-binners Cal Gardner and Hal Laycoe looked on. The hat trick remains the second fastest in NHL history behind Bill Mosienko's 21 second effort in 1952. Le Gros Bill added an even strength score en route to a 4-2 win.

The performance resulted in a rule change, passed on a 5-1 vote prior to the 1956-57 season, allowing players serving minor penalties to return after a single power play goal. Naturally, Montreal opposed the proposal.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Nugent-Hopkins Hat Trick

On October 15, 2011, Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was credited with his first NHL hat trick despite video evidence to the contrary, showing the third goal belonging to linemate Taylor Hall.


Too good a story to pass up for the top pick of the 2011 Draft in just his third NHL game, the hometown scoring decision stood. In the end, the oldest player on the ice spoiled it for the youngest with veteran Sami Salo netting the winner and completing his own Nugent-Hopkins hat trick (two goals and an assist), giving Vancouver a 4-3 win over Edmonton.

With the 7th overall pick of the 1995 Draft forward Shane Doan still seeking his first NHL hat trick despite skating in 1,162 games to date and scoring two goals 38 times, it appears the Coyotes captain will have to actually score three times in a single game to earn the honor unlike the 18 year old Nugent-Hopkins who had it gifted to him in his first week.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Gordie Howe Hat Trick

On October 11th in 1953, Gordie Howe recorded his first ever Gordie Howe Hat Trick accumulating a goal, assist, and a fight in the same game. Despite defining the deed, the four-time Cup champ ('50, '52, '54, '55) and six-time Hart ('52, '53, '57, '58, '60, '63) and Art Ross ('51-'54, '57, '63) recipient turned only two such tricks and wasn't the first to do it.

Mr. Hockey's inaugural occurred when he scored, assisted on a Red Kelly goal, and fought Fernie Flaman in a 4-0 Detroit Red Wings win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. His other came in the same season when the teams met again on March 21, 1954, scoring, assisting on a pair of Ted Lindsay tallies, and fisticuffing with Ted Kennedy in a 6-1 victory.

The first ever Gordie Howe Hat Trick is credited to Harry Cameron of the Toronto Arenas who collected the components some 36 years earlier on December 26, 1917 in a 7-5 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Brendan Shanahan is widely believed to lead the category with 17 though uncertainty exists owing to incomplete statistics on the accomplishment.

That's today in NHL history.

Curse of the NHL Overseas Opener

For the past two years, the NHL has launched their regular season on the other side of the Atlantic. And for the past two years, the head coach of each participating team (save Randy Carlyle coaching his defending champion Ducks) has been fired within the year.

After opening the 2007-2008 season in London against Carlyle's Ducks, Marc Crawford led his Kings to a league worst 71 points, clinching the number two overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft with a 31-43-7 record. Sadly, Crawford would never meet the offspring of his efforts as he was junked on June 10, 2008, two weeks before Drew Doughty was crowned.

The following year, Tom Renney's Rangers played Barry Melrose's Lightning in Prague and Craig Hartsburg's Senators met Michel Therrien's Penguins in Stockholm. None lasted past February 23, 2009.

Melrose was the first to go. His November 14, 2008 departure followed a 4-3 loss to the Red Wings. The mulleted one lasted only 16 games behind the bench, posting a 5-7-4 record, before being booted back to the booth and replaced by his assistant Rick Tocchet.

Hartsburg led the February firings, collecting his walking papers on February 2, 2009 after OV unleashed a Sunday afternoon hat trick yielding a 7-4 loss for the Senators. His record to date was 17-24-7.

For Therrien, a 6-2 loss to the lowly Maple Leafs sealed his fate on February 15, 2009. Despite a 94-51-19 record in his first two seasons, an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals eight months earlier, and a respectable 27-25-5 thus far this year, the ill-tempered Therrien was tossed.

Coach Renney made it all the way to February 23, 2009. He started the season 10-3 and finished it 3-10, leaving a record of 31-23-7. For the second week in a row, the Leafs hammered the final nail into a coach's coffin, dealing the Rangers a 3-2 loss in Renney's last game.

Next season, the Red Wings are scheduled to play the Blues in Stockholm, with the Blackhawks and Panthers meeting in Helsinki. Mike Babcock, Andy Murray, Joel Quennville, and Peter DeBoer, you're on notice. If history holds, the ax will fall unless you arrive in Europe wearing a 2009 championship ring.

Bon voyage! Or rather, trevlig resa and hyvää matka!