THW Hockey History Substack - Sept. 20, 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 look back at the Capitals unfortunate trade of Jaromir Jagr, Gretzky’s time with the LA Kings, and in honour of his birthday, two great archive pieces on the Canadiens’ great Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur.
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Today in Hockey History: Sept. 20
There have been some unique moments in NHL history that have occurred on this date. In California, two heated rivals closed out an old barn with a crazy preseason game while another franchise made its league debut. Plus, an all-time great was born in Quebec and three long-time NHLers hung up their skates.
Guy Lafleur Gave Me a Lifetime of Memories
Guy Lafleur is one of the most renowned Montreal Canadiens players. His name belongs with other Habs legends, such as Jean Beliveau and Maurice Richard, as being named a true legend. They will go down in history as the holy trinity of Canadiens legends, not only because of what they did on the ice but also for how they captivated a fanbase.
With the passing of Lafleur this past week, Canadiens fans lost one of their heroes and an ambassador to not just the Habs, but hockey as well.
One for the Ages: Guy Lafleur’s 1989-90 NHL Season
Guy Lafleur was 38 years old when he signed as a free agent with the Quebec Nordiques on Jul. 14, 1989. The man affectionately known as “The Flower” was already a Hockey Hall of Famer before he ever donned the blue and white fleur-de-lis, having been inducted the year prior.
For Lafleur, the season was a bit of a last hurrah. While he would still play one more go-round with the Nordiques afterward, 1989-90 was the last bit of flash where we saw Lafleur score at a level that was reminiscent of his greatest years in Montreal. On a Nordiques team that finished dead last in the NHL with him, Le Démon Blond was a rare bright spot.
Revisiting the Capitals’ Disastrous Jagr Trade
Just hours after Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin claimed his second consecutive ESPY award for Best NHL Player, a Capitals star of the past took to social media to take “credit”…of sorts…for the Caps’ recent run of success.
“After 18 years we should look the positive way. If I would play very good , you would never had a chance to draft OVI. And you would probably didn’t win the cup last year😀👍…….. you welcome😎”
While Jaromir Jagr was obviously joking, there is a grain of truth in those words. Fact is, the Capitals’ recent run of success wouldn’t have happened were it not for one of the costliest signings in recent NHL history, one which set the franchise back nearly a decade.
Today in Hockey History: Sept. 19
Sept. 19 was a good day for NHL debuts as a former number one overall pick, and a new franchise took to the ice for the first time. Also, the largest crowd to ever gather for an NHL game showed up in Florida for a preseason tilt. Finally, a pair of future Hall of Famers moved on to Toronto, and the Stanley Cup Final kicked off a few months late.
Revisiting Wayne Gretzky’s Time with the LA Kings
Wayne Gretzky, the greatest player in hockey history. When people talk about him, they usually talk about his immense skill, his accomplishments, or how he led the Edmonton Oilers’ 80s dynasty. His time with the LA Kings usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.