Remembering Lemieux's Greatness & Ranking Red Wings Defensemen
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, what made Mario Lemieux the greatest, a spotlight on workhorse goaltenders, ranking the best Detroit Red Wings defensemen, and more.
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Today in Hockey History: Oct. 5
Oct. 5 is remembered for a lot of firsts in NHL history. There were plenty of first goals by future hockey legends, first games by franchises playing in new cities and even the first-ever shootout. Plus, a pair of Hockey Hall of Famers were born on the same day.
Remembering What Made Mario Lemieux the Greatest
Equal parts exhilarating and devastating, sports are quite simply unpredictable. Ask the city of Pittsburgh. This week 25 years ago, Penguins fans experienced both emotions at the same time. Riding back-to-back Stanley Cup championships and looking like a team destined to three-peat, Mario Lemieux stepped to the podium at a sudden press conference to announce he had been diagnosed with a Nodular Lymphocytic form of Hodgkin’s disease.
Yes, Lemieux, the best player in the world who had tenaciously battled debilitating back pain, missed 50 games in the 1990-91 season with a rare bone disease only to lead the Penguins to their first Stanley Cup, and less than a year prior overcame a broken hand in the playoffs to win his second straight Conn Smythe Trophy, just announced he had cancer.
Today in Hockey History: Oct. 6
This has been a very busy date in the history of the NHL. Its greatest player ever made his debut on a new team, three expansion franchises took to the ice for the first time, and numerous players found the scoresheet for the first time in their careers. Also, the world’s largest crowd for a hockey game gathered in Michigan.
Red Wings’ Top 5 Defensemen of All Time Ranked
The Detroit Red Wings are about as decorated as an NHL franchise can be. While legendary forwards like Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman dominate the team’s record books, the Red Wings have also been home to a vast collection of talented defensemen across the decades.
Throughout this list of players, there are numerous Norris Trophy winners, All-Star selections, Hall-of-Fame inductees, and Stanley Cup champions. Likewise, a few decorated blueliners are missing from the list, but that is the reality of rankings. Without further ado, let us take a look at the player who slots into the fifth spot.
Most Games Played By a Goalie in One NHL Season
Marc Denis can proudly say that he etched his name into the hockey history book somewhere.
He’s earned a spot on this list of most games played by a goalie in one NHL season. As research and skepticism seem to grow on the topic of goalie fatigue, it sure seems like many of the names on this list won’t be bumped off anytime soon.