Ray Bourque’s Long Road to the Cup & History of Game 7 Overtime Winners
Also, some "Today in Hockey History", how the Maple Leafs stole Terry Sawchuk, Red Wings numbers that should be retired, 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, Ray Bourque’s long road to the Stanley Cup, the history of Game 7 overtime winners, how the Toronto Maple Leafs stole Terry Sawchuk, Detroit Red Wings numbers that should be retired, and more.
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Today in Hockey History: Dec. 29
This date in National Hockey League history has seen a little bit of everything. One of the most successful sets of brothers both had big games. Plenty was going on between the pipes and behind the bench. Heck, even the officials made history on this date. It is time to start your day with our look back at today in hockey history.
Ray Bourque – A Long Way to the Stanley Cup
When talking about all-time greats in hockey, there are a few names that come to mind. Wayne Gretzky. Bobby Orr. Mario Lemieux. Among those greats, one defenseman had arguably the best career an NHL defender has ever had. He collected records, trophies, and ultimately ended up as one player the entire hockey world was cheering for.
Bourque’s is a story that brings chills when you hear it. He’s one of the best stories the NHL has ever had, and, as mentioned, his brilliant career left him as one of the all-time greats. Here’s a look back at one of the most storied careers the hockey world has ever seen.
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.
Today in Hockey History: Dec. 28
This date in National Hockey League history included some big names in Montreal and Pittsburgh having huge nights. Some impressive streaks were stopped and started, the league had a Russian invasion, and a pair of innovative Hall of Famers were born. Let’s fire up the hockey time machine to take our daily trip throughout the years.
Terry Sawchuk – How the Maple Leafs Snagged the Hall of Fame Goalie
The following is one of our many posts written as if it were 1964, as the events unfolded.
It’s a slow hockey news day this 27th of September 1964, so we thought we’d inform you of a little intrigue that took place at the NHL’s Intra-league draft during the annual June shin-dig in Montreal. Some astute maneuvering by Toronto Maple Leafs’ General Manager George (Punch) Imlach resulted in Toronto acquiring not one, but two veterans destined to be members of the Hockey Hall of Fame when their playing days are over – Terry Sawchuk and Dickie Moore. And what isn’t well-known, it might have been three, if NHL prexy Clarence Campbell hadn’t intervened.
7 Detroit Red Wings Numbers That Should Be Retired
As an Original Six franchise, the Detroit Red Wings have had a multitude of Hall-of-Famers don the famous Winged Wheel. And, as of the 2019-20 season, these are the Detroit Red Wings retired numbers:
No. 1 – Terry Sawchuk
No. 4 – Red Kelly
No. 5 – Nicklas Lidstrom
No. 7 – Ted Lindsay
No. 9 – Gordie Howe
No. 10 – Alex Delvecchio
No. 12 – Sid Abel
No. 19 – Steve Yzerman
But are there any other Red Wings deserving of having their number retired? Let’s take a look at seven potential options for the future.