Best Undrafted Goalies & Cool Things About Iginla
Also, some "Today in Hockey History", revisiting the Jordan Eberle trade, thoughts on removing the Maple Leafs from the Cup, 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, the 10 best undrafted goalies of all time, cool things about Jarome Iginla, a look back at the trade that sent Jordan Eberle to the New York Islanders, and more.
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Today in Hockey History: Dec. 27
On this date, one of the greatest players in National Hockey League history made his triumphant return after nearly four years away from the game. Dec. 27 saw plenty of action in Detroit and New York City, while the number 13 was not unlucky after all. So, let’s begin our daily trip through the decades.
Top 10 Best Undrafted NHL Goalies
The NHL Entry Draft has long been the NHL’s pipeline for talent. While teams draft players in the hope that they will one day be in their NHL lineup, there are a number of players that are passed over in the NHL Draft only to be signed as free agents down the line. This article considers the best undrafted goaltenders.
Despite the fact that many drafted goalies have somewhat of a route paved for them when it comes to ascending the ranks to the NHL level, a number of undrafted goalies have made a name for themselves over the years. Though they never had the joy of hearing their name called during the draft, their dreams of playing in the NHL never died.
There have been a number of undrafted goalies who have had successful NHL careers.
7 Cool Things About Jarome Iginla: Calgary Flames Hall of Famer
Former Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla was both a great hockey player and a class act. Now, he’s in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In this post, I want to help fans get to know the former Flame a little better. Here are 7 Cool Things about Iginla.
Today in Hockey History: Dec. 26
Dec. 26 has proven to be an extremely busy day in National Hockey League history. A handful of Hockey Hall of Famers had huge performances on this date as we had to say goodbye to two others. Some goaltending greats showed exactly why they are held in high regard, while fans in Pittsburgh and Vancouver had plenty to cheer about. Let’s strap in for our daily trip through the decades.
Revisiting the Oilers’ Jordan Eberle Trade to the Islanders
The 2017 trade of Jordan Eberle by the Edmonton Oilers to the New York Islanders for Ryan Strome sent shockwaves throughout the hockey world. At the time, Eberle was a highly-skilled former 30-goal scorer who was coming off a respectable 20-goal, 50-point campaign in 2016-17. However, the playoffs proved to be one of the more lackluster debuts by a player of his caliber, due to a zero-goal and two-assist performance, as the Oilers were bounced in Game 7 of the second round to the Anaheim Ducks.
Many discussions have been had over the years regarding the Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson trade, but the Eberle deal seems to often get overlooked. However, this trade also had significant implications that have continued to impact the Oilers and their inability to win a playoff series since.
Removing the Maple Leafs From the Cup – Some Personal Thoughts
When I was a young boy – I am thinking about eight or nine – my father took me to visit Maple Leaf Gardens. He was usually a quiet man, but I recall that this day he was unusually excited. Walking down the street outside the Gardens, he told me about the Toronto Maple Leafs and the great hockey played there. He was excited to show me this iconic Canadian building.
But, the most memorable thing about that day to me was that Maple Leaf Gardens was locked. We couldn’t get in. We tried several doors – all locked. My father knocked loudly on the front door until a janitor came and opened the door to see what he wanted. “Why isn’t Maple Leafs Gardens open?” he asked the man. “It should be open so people can come visit it,” my father implored.
But that wasn’t the end of the story. My father convinced the janitor into letting him give his son – me – a tour of the arena. The space was all ours. And, there we went, dad and son, walking through the vast emptiness of this historic place. I also remember that day being struck by my father’s unusual animation when he talked. Clearly, Maple Leaf Gardens was a something special for him, and hockey was something special for Canada.