Sedins & 1999 NHL Draft & Hall of Fame-Worthy Blues
Also, some "Today in Hockey History", revisiting the 2015-16 Maple Leafs, Red Wings' Demers era, 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 look back at the 1999 NHL Draft and how Brian Burke drafted Henrik and Daniel Sedin, the 2015-16 Toronto Maple Leafs, aka the “worst” team in franchise history, some Hall of Fame-worthy former St. Louis Blues, and more.
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Today in Hockey History: Feb. 12
Boston and Chicago are two of the charter U.S cities in the National Hockey League, and both of them had plenty of big moments on this date. Plus, the 1980s provided us with some rad performances and milestones. It’s time for our daily trip back through the years and relive all the best Feb. 12 has had to offer.
The Sedin Twins and the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
June 26, 1999, was a day that changed the fortunes of the Vancouver Canucks for more than just the next decade. This, of course, being the day of the NHL Draft that saw Henrik and Daniel Sedin join the Canucks. While there are some cynics who think the team’s success was stunted by the events of this day, most fans will agree that the decisions made by Brian Burke that day triggered a period of the most sustained success the franchise has ever experienced.
The Canucks drafted the Sedins with the second and third picks of the draft. Although it was expected that some team might try to arrange a scenario where the Sedins would end up playing together, the obstacles seemed too great to expect that this was a realistic outcome.
But, Brian Burke recognized that the value of the twins together was exponentially higher than either one of them separately, and he set in motion a series of moves that landed the Canucks the high-scoring pair. It has been 13 years since this fateful day, long enough to warrant a little reminiscing about the day that altered the course of the organization.
Revisiting the Red Wings Era Under Jacques Demers
The Detroit Red Wings’ hiring of Derek Lalonde as head coach in 2022 brought back memories of 1986 when Detroit was also looking for a coach to help restore a proud franchise. The current version of the Red Wings has some eerily similar characteristics to that group in 1986, with both groups featuring talented young players but also mired in stretches of poor finishes in the standings. Here is a look back at the hiring of coach Jacques Demers and his four-year run that would help restore a winning culture in Detroit.
Today Hockey in History: Feb. 11
Feb. 11 has been a numbers day throughout NHL history. The numbers 400, 500, and 1,000 reappeared multiple times over the decades. Also, there were a handful of impressive streaks extended, and some of the earliest stars in the league had big nights. Let’s jump into the THW time machine to take a look at all the best moments this date has had to offer.
3 Former Blues Who Are Hall of Fame Worthy
Induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is the highest honor an NHL player can achieve, but for many, it is elusive. Unlike baseball, which has some clear statistical thresholds that virtually guarantee a trip to Cooperstown, hockey’s standards for induction seem to be much more subjective. Stanley Cups carry significant weight, as do individual trophies. But silverware isn’t the end-all, be-all. Statistics matter, but how much they matter seems to be a sliding scale.
That milieu of hard-to-pin-down factors, plus the limited number (four) of inductions per year, make the Hockey Hall of Fame one of the most difficult honors to achieve in any sport. And that means that over time, quite a few deserving (or at least arguably deserving) players have ended up on the outside looking in. And in this article, we’ll discuss three of those players who spent a significant portion of their career with the St. Louis Blues.
Today in Hockey History: Feb. 10
Boston versus Montreal is one of the greatest rivalries in all professional sports, and both cities had big moments on this date in National Hockey League history. Also, we saw a lot of goals scored in a very short period of time, and a handful of goaltenders had memorable nights. It’s time for our daily trip back in time to take a look at all the best Feb. 10 has had to offer over the years.
2015-16 Maple Leafs: Celebrating the “Worst” Team in Franchise History
It seems like a lifetime ago, but it was only seven years since the Toronto Maple Leafs were one of the worst teams in the NHL. During the 2015-16 season, the Maple Leafs capped off a decade of mediocrity by finishing last in the league. That no longer is the case.
Over the past seven seasons, the present iteration of the Maple Leafs has set numerous franchise records. The 2015-16 team also set a record. It was one of the few Maple Leafs’ teams ever to finish last overall in the NHL since the league expanded beyond six teams in 1968.