THW Hockey History Substack - Sept. 22, 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, a ranking of the Hart Trophy winners since 2005, an infamous day in the life of the Stanley Cup, and the best goalies of the 1980s.
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Now on to the good stuff…
Today in Hockey History: Sept. 22
A pair of longtime teammates were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame together on this date. Also, the most famous international series ever played resumed in a new setting. Finally, the NHL installed its first-ever salary cap and saw the relocation of one of its early teams.
Ranking Every Hart Trophy Winner From 2005 to 2022
As the NHL equivalent to a Most Valuable Player award, the Hart Memorial Trophy is the league’s most coveted award. Often times it coincides with the league’s top goal-scorer or point producer, but sometimes a surprise winner emerges.
The Day the Stanley Cup was Stolen
There are few objects in sports that inspire such reverence and awe as the Stanley Cup. The simplicity and elegance of the trophy that bears the names of all of its recipients puts championship awards from other sports to shame.
But did you know that on a cold day in December more than 50 years ago, the Stanley Cup was almost lost forever? Let’s take a journey back to December 5, 1970: the day the Stanley Cup was stolen.
Today in Hockey in History: Sept. 21
Sept. 21 has been an intriguing day in NHL history. One of its earliest superstars was born on this date. A goaltending legend made his first of two returns after retirement. The greatest player in league history scored his first goal in his new home, and the first-ever game in China was played. So, let’s begin our daily trip back in time to revisit all the best memories.
Best NHL Goalies of the 1980s
The 1980s made legendary the backstops of perennial powerhouses, such as Billy Smith, Grant Fuhr and Mike Vernon. There was what could have been with Pelle Lindbergh and what was with his successor, Ron Hextall. And, of course, 1985 saw the debut of Patrick Roy, arguably the greatest goaltender to ever play the game.
Nostalgia aside, what do the statistics say? Who was the best when it came to tending goal in the 1980s?