Bergeron's Journey to "Mr. Selke" & Worst Free Agent Signings
Also, some "Today in Hockey History", revisiting the Brayden Schenn trade to the Blues, and more.
Welcome to the THW Hockey History Substack newsletter, with all the best from our extensive archives.
In today’s edition, we have a couple “Today in Hockey History” posts, Patrice Bergeron’s journey from sitting in the net to “Mr. Selke”, the worst free agent signings of all time, a look back at the Brayden Schenn trade that sent him from the Philadelphia Flyers to the St. Louis Blues, and more.
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Now on to the good stuff…
Today in Hockey History: March 27
One of the greatest defensemen to ever play in the National Hockey League had a handful of big moments on March 27. A legendary run began in Vancouver after a suspension is handed down and the day has been full of NHL and franchise firsts. It is time for our daily trip back through the years to experience all the best moments this date has had to offer.
Patrice Bergeron’s Journey From Sitting in the Net to “Mr. Selke”
July 25th, 2023 is a day that Boston Bruins’ fans will remember for years as captain Patrice Bergeron announced that he was retiring. While the announcement hit fans hard, it had to be expected, as he had contemplated retiring at the end of the 2021-22 season. Unfortunately, the end of the Bergeron era was inevitable.
The Worst Free Agent Signings in NHL History
NHL free agency generates a large amount of excitement throughout the hockey world every year. In some cases, an NHL team will make a great signing, acquiring a player through a low-term, low-paying contract who brings unexpected results and production to his new team. Maybe they lead the club to a Stanley Cup or two.
Today in Hockey History: March 26
Some of the greatest goaltenders to ever play the game had huge moments on this date, including a record that will likely never be broken. A hockey legend won his first and only scoring title and an American-born player scored 100 points for the first time in National Hockey League history. We have the THW time machine fired up, so let’s take our daily journey back through the decades.
Revisiting the Brayden Schenn Trade
Trade analysis can often be one-sided. Usually, the team that reaps the immediate benefit from a trade is viewed as the winner, whereas the team that has to wait for the rewards are considered the loser. That seemed to be the case early on in the aftermath of the 2017 NHL Draft Day trade of Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues. Schenn has made a permanent home in St. Louis and has won a Stanley Cup.
Bill Barilko, the Tragically Hip & the Most Famous Goal in Maple Leafs History
On April 21, 1951, Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Toronto Maple Leafs and their bitter Original Six rival the Montreal Canadiens had gone into overtime. Then-Maple Leafs defenseman Bill Barilko skated down the ice and suddenly dove headfirst towards the Canadiens’ net. As he did, he fired a backhander towards goalie Gerry McNeil.