Longest NHL Games & Hat Tricks History
Also, some "Today in Hockey History", top 10 hockey celebrations, 2002 Red Wings Hall of Famers, 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 of “Today in Hockey History” posts, the longest NHL games in the post-expansion era, fun facts about hat tricks, Hall of Famers on the 2002 Detroit Red Wings, top 10 celebrations of all time, and more.
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Today in Hockey History: Dec. 13
The greatest player to ever strap on a pair of ice skates had plenty of memories on this date in National Hockey League history. He was far from the only Hockey Hall of Famer to hit a personal milestone. Also, today was a busy day on Broadway and in the U.S. Capital. So, let’s take our daily trip back through the decades!
Longest NHL Games in the Post-Expansion Era
The atmosphere, the do-or-die mentality and, in the end, the reception of the most iconic trophy in sports: there’s nothing quite like playoff hockey. All the way from Game 1 of the first round to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the drama never seems to cease, and nothing heightens that drama like overtime.
The longest such game in history came in 1936 between the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Maroons. After three shutout periods, the two teams entered overtime. Five periods later, the score was still 0-0. After a whopping 116 minutes of overtime, Mud Bruneteau won the game for the Red Wings in the sixth extra period.
However, in the post-expansion era, there have been a number of games that have trickled into the early hours of the following morning. Without further ado, here are the six longest playoff games in the post-expansion era:
NHL Hat Tricks History & Fun Facts
A hat trick is one of the NHL’s rarest achievements with only 96 during the 2022-23 season. That’s rarer than a shutout, with 117 in 2022-23, or a shorthanded goal, of which there were 250 last season. Of the 8,248 goals scored that season, 294 were scored with a hat trick.
But they’re also fun and the potential for one has everyone in the arena watching with intrigue after a player reaches two goals in a game, waiting to toss hats onto the ice, participating in a tradition that dates back to the 1930s or 1950s, depending on who you ask. It’s because of how fun they are that I wrote all about them. There are many ways to look at hat tricks – by team, by player, individual season, career, regular season, and postseason. This post is about all of those and my goal is to show that hat tricks are, in fact, fun.
Today in Hockey History: Dec. 12
This date in National Hockey League history has been quite eventful. Nearly 70 years ago, the league got a new all-time leading scorer. Also, it was a good day to be playing in Boston, and there was a trio of hat tricks scored by the likes we had never seen before. It’s time for our daily trip across hockey history. Let’s get started!
Red Wings’ 10 Hall of Famers on 2002 Stanley Cup Team
The 2001-02 Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings were a sight to behold. Their league-best 116 points were 15 more than any other team that season, and the roster was filled with NHL legends that helped capture the 10th championship in franchise history. Our countdown to Christmas continues by looking at the 10 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees who played on that legendary team.
Top 10 Hockey Celebrations of All Time
The NHL has seen its fair share of evolution when it comes to celebrating goals. If you watch video of Jean Beliveau or Gordie Howe scoring back in the 1960s, you’ll see a very tame couple of glove taps with their teammates, and maybe a hug.
Throughout the years, a number of celebrations have stuck out as memorable. Most only happened once, but they’ll never be forgotten. There are also a few so obscure you’ve probably never seen them. But once you do, you’ll never forget them.
There were so many great options to choose from, it was very difficult to boil it down to just 10. The result is a combination of the most creative, funny, historic, and unique celebrations we’ve seen in hockey.