Greatest Habs Player of All-Time & Goalies with the Most Saves
Also, some "Today in Hockey History", revisiting the Brent Burns trade, 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 few “Today in Hockey History” posts, the greatest Habs player of all time, the goalies with the most saves in a game, a look back at the Brent Burns trade that sent him from Minnesota to San Jose, and more.
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Now on to the good stuff…
Today in Hockey History: March 11
The rivalry between Boston and Montreal is one of the best in National Hockey League history, and both franchises had numerous memories on this date. The pioneers of the sport started to pave the way for today’s stars, and this was a big date for setting new records as well. It is time for our daily trip through the decades to relive the best moments March 11 has had to offer.
Greatest Habs Player of All-Time
All of THW’s Habs writers voted on a top-three system to declare who is the best Montreal Canadiens player of all-time. At the conclusion of the voting, there was a two-way for most votes, between Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau. Due to having more first-place votes, Richard got the edge. However, we decided to make cases for both players below.
Maple Leafs’ One That Got Away: Tuukka Rask
It seems as if every season in the NHL there is a trade that has a clear winner and loser. Sometimes it can take months or even years to tell who that winner is, and the impact from that deal can be felt for years to come. In the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the decision to trade Tuukka Rask to the Boston Bruins for Andrew Raycroft in 2006 was a clear loss. While it was impossible to predict the way the trade would turn out, the last decade of Maple Leafs hockey might look completely different if that deal hadn’t been made.
Today in Hockey History: March 10
This date in National Hockey League history was pretty eventful in the state of New York. Plus, a whole slew of Hockey Hall of Famers added to their great resumes and some big names were traded, as well. The THW time machine is warmed up and ready to go. Let’s take our daily trip through the decades and relive all the best from March 10.
NHL Goalies with the Most Saves in a Game
According to NHL.com and HockeyReference, the league did not officially keep track of shots on goal until the 1959-60 season. Interestingly, the six teams averaged 31.6 shots a game during that first season, slightly more than the 31.24 from the most recent 2022-23 season. Statistically, these numbers indicate how busy an NHL netminder should expect to be on any given night.
Today in Hockey History: March 9
Mr. Hockey had plenty of reasons to smile on this date in National Hockey League history, including skating with his sons. Some of the best goaltenders to ever man the crease had milestones on this date, and the number 1,000 liked to make an appearance. It’s time for our daily trip back through the decades to relive all the best moments March 9 has given us.
Revisiting the Brent Burns Trade
On June 24, 2011, the Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks made a blockbuster trade on the 2011 NHL Draft floor. The Sharks acquired Brent Burns, who was one of the top offensive defensemen in the league, while the Wild got assets that they hoped would quickly turn around their franchise. It was a gamble for Minnesota however, as they were giving up a developed all-star for still-developing youngsters.