Gretzky, Ovechkin and the Goalies They Scored On (A Lot) & Rangers Haunted By Sakic
Welcome to the THW Hockey History Substack newsletter, with all the best from our extensive archives.
In today’s edition, we have a couple of “Today in Hockey History” posts, the goalies that Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin scored on (a lot), how the New York Rangers continue to be haunted by Joe Sakic, and more.
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Today in Hockey History: Nov. 29
One of the most important buildings in the history of the National Hockey League hosted its first-ever game on this date. Also, Los Angeles and St. Louis saw their fair share of memorable moments. In addition, a handful of goaltenders had their time in the spotlight while numerous personal milestones were reached. It is time for our daily trip back in time to revisit all the great memories made on Nov. 29.
Gretzky, Ovechkin and the Goalies They Scored On (A Lot)
by Ryan Gagne
The jury is still out on whether The Great Eight will catch The Great One, but he recently signed a five-year contract extension, meaning he’s got more time to continue the chase. There have been hundreds of articles that go into great details about the pursuit, with the majority of them talking about Ovechkin’s pace and when the record could tumble.
When thinking about his new contract extension and his chase of history, I wondered if two of the game’s greatest goal-scorers have ever beaten the same goalie. The first few names that popped into my head were household names of the crease. However, the final number of goalies linked with the game’s greatest goal-scorers was longer than I could have ever imagined.
Rangers Continue to Be Haunted by Joe Sakic
NHL Hall of Famer Joe Sakic never delivered much in the way of on-ice heartbreak to the New York Rangers, the star center spending 13 of his 20 NHL seasons in the Western Conference and thus mostly facing them sparingly during the regular season. In his only playoff matchup with the Blueshirts, Sakic’s top-seeded Quebec Nordiques were stunned in the opening round in six games in 1995 by the defending Stanley Cup champion, Mark Messier-led Rangers.
And while Sakic recorded more than a point per game against the Rangers during the regular season, with 41 in 37 games, his 1.1 average in the matchup was less than his career mark of 1.2.
Yet a closer look at the sublime Sakic’s career reveals some unfortunate intersections with the Rangers that represent a painful reminder of what could have been for the Blueshirts – missed opportunities that continue to haunt them now.
So let’s dive into No. 19’s brushes with Broadway, which began long before he led the Colorado Avalanche to two Stanley Cups and piled up 1,641 points, ninth all-time, on his way to enshrinement in Toronto in 2012.
Today in Hockey History: Nov. 28
The date has been quite eventful during National Hockey League history. One goaltending legend played his final game while there were also numerous NHL firsts. A whole slew of Hockey Hall of Famers hit personal milestones, and this was a good day for coaching changes in Toronto. The THW time machine is gassed up and ready to take us back through the years to relive all the best moments from Nov. 28.
Former Maple Leaf Garry Valk Remembers His 1999 OT Winner
by The Old Prof
Garry Valk is now a real estate agent in North Vancouver. However, he also was an NHL hockey player who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1996-2000. He was primarily a bottom-six forward who played a gritty, physical style of hockey. During his time in Toronto, he was known for being a solid penalty killer and a hard worker on the ice.
But Valk is also remembered by some older Maple Leafs fans because, similar to Alex Kerfoot in Game 4, Valk scored a game-winning overtime goal in a playoff game between the Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins in May 1999. In this post, I’ll share a bit about Valk’s NHL playing history and focus on his time with the Maple Leafs.
Finally, and the genesis of this post, I’ll share what I believe is an engaging recent Sportsnet video where Valk shares what it’s like to score a game-winner playoff goal for the Maple Leafs. As he tells it, playing in Toronto differs from playing anywhere else in the world.