Today In NHL History - Schoenfeld's Yellow Sunday

On May 8th in 1988, replacement referees dressed in New Jersey Devils Cooperalls and yellow jerseys took the ice at Brendan Byrne Arena for Game 4 of the 1988 Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins when NHL officials exited in protest of a court-order injunction staying John Ziegler's suspension of Jim Schoenfeld.

The one game suspension emanated from a post-game altercation between Devils head coach Schoenfeld and Game 3 referee Don Koharski where incidental contact between with the two caused the referee to slip and remark "you're done" to which the bench boss retorted "you fell you fat pig, have another doughnut".

The incident was famously parodied four years later in Saturday Night Live star and renowned hockey fan Mike Myers' movie Wayne's World in which Frederick Coffin played Officer Koharski, a character who frequented the film's fictional coffee shop named Stan Mikita's Donuts.

The Devils beat the Bruins that night by a score of 3-1 but eventually lost the series in Game 7. Shoenfeld was suspended for Game 5 and received a $1,000 fine while the Devils were docked $10,000. Koho and Schony later became good friends despite the doughnut diet indignity.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Ference Fingers Montreal

On April 21st in 2011, Boston Bruins blueliner Andrew Ference celebrated his first playoff goal in a decade, tying the game 2-2 in the opening period, with a one finger salute for the Montreal Canadiens fans at the Bell Center.
Afterwards, a straight-faced Ference assured anyone who would listen that the unpenalized gesture was inadvertent, noting that his glove "got caught up" as he was pumping his fist in the air.
The NHL didn't buy it either, electing to fine Ference $2,500, the maximum allowable amount under Rule 75.5(ii) for unsportsmanlike conduct, representing 1/900th of his $2.25m annual salary.

Fourteen months later Ference came clean admitting he intentionally flipped-off Habs fans and cowardly lied to cover his tracks:

"Accountability is lacking in our world. Just look at nuisance lawsuits, or the finger-pointing of politicians around the globe. I am guilty myself of trying to blame a middle-fingered celebration after a goal in Montreal on a glove malfunction. In round one of the playoffs between two of the fiercest rivals in our sport, I scored a tying goal in the enemys building, only to have my fist pump turn into a sign language that crosses all borders. Facing the media and a possible suspension after the fact proved to be too much for my self-accountability. Self-preservation is a powerful thing it is easier to place blame elsewhere and overlook your own responsibilities."

Boston went on to beat Montreal that night in overtime by a score of 5-4, knotting their first round best-of-seven series at 2-2.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Winnipeg Jets White Out

On April 11th in 1987, the Winnipeg Jets introduced the "White Out" in response to the Calgary Flames "C of Red" employed by fans during the first two games of the first round playoff series at the Saddledome.

Winnipeg went on to beat Calgary in six games only to be swept by the Edmonton Oilers in the next round. The playoff attire tradition continued as the club encouraged everyone to "wear white tonight" in a parody of Wang Chung's tune "Everybody Have Fun Tonight".

Amazingly, Winnipeg never won another playoff series after their inaugural White Out against Calgary, a streak that lasted 25 years counting their present incarnation as the Phoenix Coyotes, leading some to dub the custom the "White Curse".

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Buble Colors Canucks

On February 7th in 2009, Burnaby-born crooner and Vancouver Canucks fan Michael Buble took part in his most famous duet to date taking a turn in Tom Larscheid's shoes to color John Shorthouse's call.

Buble delivered a healthy dose of hometown bias to the play-by-play broadcast including a cover of Paul Leka's anthem midway through the match en route to the Canucks 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Humbled by the experience, the part owner of the Vancouver Giants praised Larschied acknowledging the difficulty of the job, and invited Shorthouse onstage to sing "Feeling Good" when he next plays in town.

Eighteen months later the pair reunited in song for a tweaked rendition of "Thanks for the Memory" to honor the recently retired Tom Larscheid in front of a sold-out hometown audience at Rogers Arena.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - John Shorthouse

On January 31st in 1970, broadcaster John Shorthouse was born in Vancouver, BC. Best known as the voice of the Vancouver Canucks and for leading the charge to the in-flight buffet, Shorty collected his first play-by-play payday calling a Canucks game in March 1998.

In September 1999, Shorthouse inherited the full-time radio role from Gemini Award winner Jim Hughson, working alongside color-man Tom Larscheid. Since September 2007, Shorthouse has split his duties between Rogers Sportsnet, Canucks pay-per-view, and the Team 1040.


The Canucks have played 14 times on Shorty's birthday, 7 of which he called, posting a record of 9-2-3 and collecting points in all but two. This year's celebration takes place during the NHL's all-star break which sees the Canucks off for 10 days, returning to action in New Jersey next week.

Year     Team -   Final
1971:    v. BUF --- 6-1 (L)
1978:    v. WAS --  4-2 (W)
1986:    v. MIN --  10-5 (W)
1989:    v. EDM --  6-2 (W)
1991:    v. NYR --- 3-3 (T)
1994:    v. LAK --- 3-1 (W)
1998:    @EDM --  6-3 (W)
2004:    @WAS --  6-1 (W)
2006:    @PHO --   7-4 (W)
2008:    @TBL --,   4-3 (OTL)
2009:    v. MIN --   4-3 (OTL)
2012:    v. CHI ---   3-2 (OTW)
2014:    @WPG      4-3 (L)     
2022:    @CHI        3-1 (W)

Career highlights include winning $20,000 with Tom Larscheid in the Canucks 50/50 draw (2005), calling a game with superfan Michael Buble (2009), joining the Burnaby crooner onstage for a duet in Vancouver (2010), covering the Stanley Cup Final (2011), and Fartgate (2023).

Shorthouse credits his broadcasting success to following around veteran voice Jim Hughson and taking the jobs he no longer wants.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Longest Road Trip

On January 27th in 2010, the Vancouver Canucks set out on the longest road trip in NHL history. The 46 day sojourn sent them to 13 cities (Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, Tampa, Sunrise, St. Paul, Columbus, Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, Denver, Phoenix) for 14 games.

The hellish trip was required to accommodate the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, marking the first time since NHL players were allowed to compete in the Games that a NHL city hosted the hockey tournament.

Unable to access GM Place during their absence, Canucks equipment managers packed almost 300 sticks and 25 additional bags of gear, including spare gloves and pants to clothe call-ups and any players joining the club at the NHL trade deadline, to endure the unexpected.

The Canucks finished the historic trip with a respectable 8-5-1 record.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Rory's All-Star Game Vote

On January 9th in 2007, the NHL revealed that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick finished 3rd in fan voting behind Western Conference Norris winners Scott Niedermayer and Nicklas Lidstrom, eliminating him from contention for the All-Star Game.

Yearning for an underdog in the asinine exhibition affair, 22 year old Mike Schmid crafted a six-week Vote For Rory write-in campaign complete with spoof smear spots against ballot front-runners to support his cause.



Though on pace to cinch second place with a week remaining, Fitzpatrick finished with 550,117 votes (22,892 shy of a starting spot) ending significant media speculation and even some outrage surrounding the circus. The suspicious result raised eyebrows with Slate who reviewed the data and surmised in Rorygate that the NHL engaged in foul play dumping 100,000 votes in order to yield their desired defensemen.

In the end, the NHL frowned upon fans having the final say, electing to silence the everyday normal fan and bench the blue collar blueliner.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Chicago Stick Up

On January 1st in 2009, the Detroit Red Wings played the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL's outdoor Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. In a city famous for crime and corruption, I suppose it's not surprising that Chicago afternoon ended cloaked in controversy.

Fresh off a 6-4 victory in The Friendly Confines, Henrik Zetterberg handed his game stick to 14 year-old Wings fan Kalan Plew. Moments later, a man posing as a security guard confiscated the souvenir from Kalan explaining he could retrieve the prize from customer relations with his parents. As the imposter led Kalan from the stands, he bolted with the kid's stick.

Meanwhile in Wrigley's upper deck men’s washroom, 45 year-old dentist Robert Pappert was relieving himself when a man uniformed as a security guard walked in with a hockey stick. Upon learning that the stick belonged to his wife’s favorite player Henrik Zetterberg, Pappert offered the man $100 and took it home with him to North Carolina.

When Marc Plew met his son Kalan outside the stadium he knew something was wrong. Instead of celebrating the Red Wings' victory, he was crying. Upon learning of the atrocity, Plew reached out to the Chicago Tribune. The paper's Problem Solvers contacted the Red Wings who vowed to “make it right” by sending Kalan another Zetterberg stick and the story was published in their "What’s Your Problem?" column.

Back in Charlotte, Pappert learned that the Tribune published an article relating to his souvenir. Realizing the stick belonged to Kalan, he contacted the newspaper and returned the twig to its rightful owner. “If I had any idea that that was a bad dude, I would have beaten him with that stick before I left the bathroom ... I had a wonderful time with it for four or five days, but it has to go back to who really owns it.”

Kalan and Pappert were united for an interview on NPR's "All Things Considered". Touched by Pappert's honesty and generosity, the Blackhawks rewarded him with a Patrick Kane jersey and stick and Zetterberg flew Pappert and his wife to Detroit for a game.

No word as to the wherabouts of the crook who crushed a boy's New Year's Day dreams. But all's well that ends well in the Windy City. That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Buble Skates With Canucks

On December 20th in 2011, Vancouver Canucks aficionado Michael Buble fulfilled a life-long dream of skating with the team during an off-day practice after signing a one-day contract with the club.

Donning the never-worn-before number 88, Buble challenged three-time Vezina nominee Roberto Luongo to a shootout, ringing a wrist shot wide stick-side off the left post before catching an edge and crashing awkwardly into the end boards.

Afterwards, Buble surmised “I should have faked the shot backhand and tried to go upstairs, I just missed it. I thought I'd perhaps be the next Alex Burrows, but it turns out I'm crappy". Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault reserved judgment on Buble.

Buble's "greatest day of my life" follows other superfan moments including coloring a game with Canuck's voice John Shorthouse in 2009, serenading Canucks broadcaster Tom Larscheid in a duet with Shorthouse during a sold-out Vancouver show in 2010, and rescheduling concerts to watch the Canucks during the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.

Buble even wove a Canucks reference into his chart-topping album "Christmas", tweaking a lyric in "Santa Baby" from "I'm filling my stocking with a duplex and checks, sign your X on the line" to "Fill my stocking with Canucks tix for kicks, throw me on the first line".

The three-time Grammy Award winner and two-time Saturday Night Live musical guest will leave puck to the pros and stick with song for now.
Per club policy, the financial terms of Buble's contract were not disclosed.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Red Wings Honor Rucker

On October 21st in 2010, the Detroit Red Wings honored the recent passing of 38 year season ticket holder and super-fan Kenneth Rucker, a retired Chrysler forklift driver who suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 63.

Recognized by the Joe Louis Arena faithful simply as the "Orange Hat Guy", Rucker was often featured on the scoreboard screen during Red Wings home games accompanied by R.E.M. song "Orange Crush".

In honor of Rucker's decades of unwavering support for the club, ownership elected to reupholster his season's seat (section 112, row 7, seat 5) from Red Wing red to Rucker orange for the remainder of the 2011 season.

In addition to setting a new high water mark for fan appreciation, Detroit outclassed the Calgary Flames that night by a score of 4-2.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Anson Carter Snubs Canucks

On September 13th in 2006, Anson Carter rejected a one year $1.7 million offer from the Vancouver Canucks to skate with future Art Ross winning twins Henrik (2010) and Daniel Sedin (2011) on the 'Brothers Line', electing instead to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets for one year at $2.5 million.

Having led the team in goals (33) and earned the club's Most Exciting Player award (2006), Carter was confident he had a home in Vancouver and allegedly demanded a three year contract worth $9 million. The signings of the Sedins, Roberto Luongo and Willie Mitchell, however, depleted the club's resources for Carter.

The top line vacancy was eventually awarded to Alex Burrows who thrived with the Sedins and succeeded Anson as the Canucks Most Exciting Player for three consecutive seasons (2008, 2009, 2010).

Carter's tenure with Columbus lasted 54 games (27 pts) before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2008 5th round pick (Tomas Kubalik). Carter collected just one point in his 10 games with Carolina, skating only 64 games in what would be his final NHL season. Despite earning an invite to the Edmonton Oilers training camp the following season, the right winger failed to crack the roster.

And like that, he's gone.

Anson Carter's ten season NHL career spanning eight different teams (Capitals, Bruins, Oilers, Rangers, Kings, Canucks, Blue Jackets, Hurricanes) was over at the age of 32. One can only wonder what might have been if Carter had renewed with the Canucks and skated with the Sedins as they entered their prime playing days. I wonder if player agent Pat Brisson overplayed his hand advising Anson to chase market value when a hometown discount would have been far richer.

That's today in NHL history.

Today In NHL History - Buble and Shorthouse Sing

On August 20th in 2010, Vancouver Canucks superfan Michael Bublé and play-by-play personality John Shorthouse joined the ranks of Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra tweaking Bob Hope's rendition of the 1938 Academy Award winning classic "Thanks for the Memory", this time in a touching tribute to the club's retiring colorman Tom Larscheid during a hometown sold-out stop on Bublé's Crazy Love tour.

Thanks for the memories
The dinners on the plane, all that weight I gained
Wondering when this hockey team would win another game
How lovely it was

Thanks for the memories
Pavel Bure's blazing speed, Henrik's perfect feeds
Bingo Bango Bongo, when Luongo left his feet
How lovely it was

Thanks for the memories
Your leaving is the pits, we'll all miss you to bits
My favorite call of all, was when you called bullshit
Thanks for the memories

The seeds of the performance were sewn when Bublé shared the broadcast booth with Shorthouse coloring a 7-3 drubbing of the Chicago Blackhawks and the Kerrisdale kid accepted the Burnaby crooner's invitation to one day join him onstage. Eighteen months later Shorty made good on his postgame promise producing this dazzling duet.
Clearly more comfortable calling puck than singing standards, Shorthouse sweated through the serenade like a pro. The memorable performance was followed by a succinct video salutation to the 33 year veteran voice, climaxing with an appearance by the living legend himself.

In the end, it was Bublé who found the perfect words to memorialize the man: "you're a beauty Tom, you're a beauty." A fitting farewell to a beloved member of the Canucks family. How lovely it was, indeed.

That's today in NHL history.

NHL League Size And Regular Season Length

With this week's release of the regular season schedule for the NHL's 108th season of operation (107th 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 108 years ago.

Years	Games	Teams		Years	Games	Teams
1917-1918	22	4		1978-1979	80	17
1918-1919	18	3		1979-1991	80	21
1919-1924	24	4		1991-1992	80	22
1924-1925	30	6		1992-1993	84	24
1925-1926	36	7		1993-1994	84	26
1926-1931	44	10		1994-1995	48	26
1931-1932	48	8		1995-1998	82	26
1932-1935	48	9		1998-2000	82	28
1935-1938	48	8		2000-2004	82	30
1938-1942	48	7		2004-2005	0	30
1942-1946	50	6		2005-2012	82	30
1946-1949	60	6		2012-2013	48	30
1949-1967	70	6		2013-2017	82	30
1967-1968	74	12		2017-2020	82	31
1968-1970	76	12		2020-2021	56	31
1970-1972	78	14		2021-2025	82	32
1972-1974	78	16
1974-1978	80	18

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 mitigate 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.

NHL Playoff Comebacks Trailing 3-1

Eight teams took a 3-1 series lead in their best-of-seven series in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Seven teams advanced (Carolina [2], Florida, Toronto, Vegas [3]) and one went home (Boston). While a 3-1 lead is always a good thing, it's never a sure thing.

Through 2023, teams have trailed 3-1 in a best-of-seven series 333 times. Only 32 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 32 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
2023	Florida over Boston	Preliminary

*   New York Islanders
** New York Rangers
^   Minnesota North Stars
^^ Minnesota Wild

In the 36 seasons since all playoff rounds were expanded to best-of-seven series in 1987, 30 teams have comeback from a 3-1 deficit to win their series. In the 18 postseasons since the 2004 NHL Lockout, however, only 12 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, Florida 2023) 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 23 comebacks occurring during the Preliminary round.

Of the 32 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 five more made it to the Final but failed to hoist the hardware (Vancouver 1994, Philadelphia 2010, New York 2014, Montreal 2021, Florida 2023).

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
Boston	3	0-3
Los Angeles	2	2-0
Minnesota^^	2	2-0
New York*	2	2-0
San Jose	2	1-1
Colorado	2	0-2
Winnipeg	2	0-2
Chicago	1	1-0
Florida	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, 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 18 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.