History of Game 7 Overtime Series-Clinching Goals & Paul Kariya - Original Mighty Duck
Also, some "Today in Hockey History", the forgotten piece of the Wayne Gretzky trade, a profile of Mark Messier, and more.
Welcome to the THW Hockey History Substack newsletter, with all the best from our extensive archives.
Today in Hockey History: May 6
There has been a wide range of emotions experienced by the teams and fans of the National Hockey League on this date. One of the biggest offensive nights in playoff history went down on May 6, and a fan base had to say goodbye to their favorite team. Let's begin our daily trip back in time to relive all the biggest moments this date has given us over the years.
NHL’s History of Game 7 Overtime Series-Clinching Goals
There’s no better ending in all sports than sudden-death overtime and the Stanley Cup Playoffs always provide the best, most dramatic endings with some iconic memorable goals. However, a series ending with an overtime-winning goal is rare and when they occur, the moments are special, to say the least. How rare are Game 7 overtime winners? Well historically, they are frequent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs but have only happened a few times in the Stanley Cup Final.
Paul Kariya – The Original Mighty Duck
Paul Kariya was a young phenom, the face of a young franchise. He was given lofty expectations and broke into the league around the same time as two other comparable Hall of Fame players, Pavel Bure and Eric Lindros. He was a solid all-around player and a statesman for the sport of hockey.
Today in Hockey History: May 5
May 5 has seen its fair share of milestones and big moments throughout the history of the National Hockey League. The league’s most successful franchise racked up more postseason victories, while playoff records were broken and some of the game’s all-time great players left their mark. Let’s hop aboard the THW time machine and take a look at all the best moments from this date.
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Nick Stajduhar: The Forgotten Piece of the Wayne Gretzky Trade
There’s a single day in Edmonton Oilers history that remains one of the darkest days in the organization’s history – Aug. 9, 1988. It was the day that fans of the Oilers found out that their hero and NHL great — Wayne Gretzky — had been moved and sold by Peter Pocklington.
Today in Hockey History: May 4
Throughout the years, May 4 has provided more action in National Hockey League playoff history than a lightsaber duel in space. Multiple hat tricks, the crowing of a champion, and broken records are among the big moments on this date. Let’s begin our daily journey to a galaxy not so far, far, away and relive all the best moments from this date.
Mark Messier – NHL Legend and 6-Time Stanley Cup Winner
Mark Messier did it all in a career that spanned 25 NHL seasons over four decades. He’s the only player in NHL history to captain two different professional teams to championships; he won five Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and one with the New York Rangers—all in a span of 10 years. Simply remarkable.