THW Hockey History Substack - Oct. 4, 2023
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, the best of ‘Mr. Goalie’ Glenn Hall, the worst Chicago Blackhawks trades of all time, some strange superstitions, and more.
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Now on to the good stuff…
Today in Hockey History: Oct. 3
The most storied team in NHL history signed one of their most legendary players on this date. Also, the first regular-season game outside of North America was played, an all-time great announced his retirement, and six new captains were named all across the league. The THW time machine is warmed up and ready to take back through the decades to revisit all the best memories from Oct. 3.
The Best of ‘Mr. Goalie’ Glenn Hall
It seems like every season, a new hockey trivia book hits the shelves. Hockey fans love hockey trivia. “Puck-Saving Trivia”, “Super, Unbelievable, Twine-Bulging Trivia” – we can’t get enough. I prefer to call some of it all “hockey history.” To me, great and interesting accomplishments of the past are not merely trivial. Although, some of the stuff you get is marginally significant. Like how many times Glenn Hall vomited in his career.
Estimates range from once in a while, to once before every one of his 1,000+ NHL games. Some even say once for every time he stopped the puck. They kept a vomit pail on the bench. The lore seems to be getting greater with each passing year. Someday, we’ll be reading about how opposing forwards had to swim through waves of goalie puke before they gained the attacking zone. C’mon guys, Hall was a great enough goalie without the exaggerated fish stories. That’s a fact.
Blackhawks’ Worst Trades of All-Time
It is always easy to determine the winner and loser of a trade long after the fact. The Chicago Blackhawks have made some awful trades that looked like mistakes the very moment they made them. Here are the five worst trades in franchise history.
Today in Hockey History: Oct. 4
One of the biggest trades of the 1990s went down on this date, altering the path of two NHL franchises. Also, a new team joined the ranks, one of the greatest defensemen in history got his number retired, and a trio of Hockey Hall of Famers all earned their first points on the same night. So, let’s take a trip back in time and relive all the best moments Oct. 4 has given us over the years.
The Strangest Superstitions in NHL History
As professional athletes, NHL hockey players will do whatever it takes to be successful on the ice. On top of their on and off-ice training and preparation, many players throughout NHL history have adopted strange, often disturbing superstitions in order to ensure their on-ice success.
Oddly enough, some of the best players to have played in the NHL are those with the wackiest, most unexpected superstitions. Superstitions aren’t limited strictly to players, as whole teams often follow specific rituals to help their team win.