The Golden Jet & Remembering the Triple Crown Line
Also, some "Today in Hockey History", background on NHL owners, top-10 Pittsburgh Penguins in franchise history, 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, revisiting Bobby Hull, aka “The Golden Jet’s” career, remembering the legendary “Triple Crown Line”, the top 10 Pittsburgh Penguins in franchise history, and more.
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Today in Hockey History: Jan. 3
The players who had big days on Jan. 3 read like a list of who’s who in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Some of the greatest names in the history of the National Hockey League set new records, reached personal milestones, and added to their impressive resumes. Let’s buckle in for our daily trip through the decades.
Bobby Hull – The Golden Jet
He dominated two different professional leagues for more than two decades. He won three Art Ross Trophies, two Hart Memorial Trophies, two Avco Cups, a Lady Byng Trophy, and a Stanley Cup. He was an NHL first All-Star 10 times and a World Hockey Association All-Star thrice.
He was Bobby Hull, “The Golden Jet,” and without a doubt, one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
NHL Owners: Who Are They?
NHL players are extremely well known to fans. Even many coaches and general managers are recognized by those who watch the game. But what about the owners? The people who finance your favourite team aren’t as easily recognizable despite having huge impacts on the team and the league as a whole.
To better understand the owners of the 32 NHL organizations, this piece will look at their business ventures outside of the hockey clubs, how they came to acquire the teams and how the teams have performed under their leadership.
Today in Hockey History: Jan. 2
Jan. 2 has been a unique date in National Hockey League history. It has seen two legends of the game do their thing in five different decades. A pair of goaltenders accomplished an extremely rare feat, and there were even a couple of outdoor games for good measure. So, let’s fire up our hockey time machine for our daily trip through the decades.
Remembering the Los Angeles Kings’ Triple Crown Line
Growing up in the 1970s as a hockey fan in Los Angeles, I was intimately familiar with three things very few Angelenos had even a remote grasp upon: 1) Los Angeles had an NHL hockey team, 2) said hockey team was named the Kings, and 3) the Triple Crown Line was bitchin’, man.
Thirty years later, after having been swept up by an exhilarating Cup run, the nouveau-riche of belated La-La Land hockey fans finally understands the city indeed has a team and its moniker is in fact the Kings. However, being 45 years late to the party, they remain largely clueless about the team’s history, especially that of events that occurred pre-Gretzky. The Triple Crown Line might as well be a railway route or a designer drug, as they know virtually nothing about the players or the accomplishments of one of history’s signature scoring lines.
10 Greatest Pittsburgh Penguins in Franchise History
Since their inaugural 1967 season, fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins have witnessed some of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. Not just the players on the ice, but the stories that have stemmed off as well. From multiple bankruptcies to the threat of relocation on a couple of occasions, it was certain players that kept the team in Pittsburgh and brought storied success.
It’s difficult coming up with a top 10 list for anything; Most of the time the No. 1 choice won’t be contested, but it’s everything beforehand that can show struggles. For the Penguins and their history of players, there are some phenomenal names.
Surely, a great name or two will be left off the list, but here it is; The top 10 players in Pittsburgh Penguins history.