National Hockey League lore

Updated on Dec 23, 2023

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National Hockey League lore is a collection of information regarding the league that fans and personalities retain and share as memorable or otherwise notable during its history.

The NHL was formed on November 17, 1917 after several team owners in the National Hockey Association had a falling out with Toronto Blueshirts owner Eddie Livingstone due to certain business practices. Being unable to kick him out of the league due to NHA rules forbidding such practice, they formed the NHL instead, leaving Livingstone and his Blueshirts in a one-team league. At the time, the Stanley Cup was contended by league champions across several leagues. The NHL, the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, and the Western Canada Hockey League among them. Once the PCHA and WCHL merged and ultimately folded in 1926, the NHL adopted the Stanley Cup as the de facto league championship. Over the next decade, a handful of teams would fold, leaving six teams, colloquially termed the Original Six: Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks. The NHL would remain a six-team league until their first major expansion in 1967, which doubled the size of the league. From there, more teams would slowly trickle into the league, especially after the merger with the World Hockey Association in 1979. With a couple of more minor expansions in the 1990s, the NHL operates with 30 teams today.

During its history, the NHL has had many notable games, players, teams, goals, dynasties, and various other events which have become memorable and/or notable to fans. These have effectively established a culture of lore shared among them.

NHL Lore

The following is a list of events deemed notable or memorable to the history of the National Hockey League:

1910s

December 19, 1917: The First NHL Game: One and Done (Montreal Wanderers 10, Toronto Arenas 9)

April 1–5, 1919: Stanley Cup Finals Cancelled, Joe Hall Dies (Seattle Metropolitans vs. Montreal Canadiens) The Montreal Canadiens and Seattle Metropolitans were the league champions of the NHL and PCHA respectively. They met in the 1919 Stanley Cup Finals, where the Metropolitans were defending Cup champions. The series started on March 22, after five games was tied 2–2. Game 4 ended in a tie, which ultimately led to agreements to play later games until a winner was determined.

1920s

January 10, 1920: "14–7" (Montreal Canadiens 14, Toronto St. Patricks 7) The Montreal Canadiens met the Toronto St. Patricks in a game which would ultimately become the highest scoring NHL game in history. The final score was 14–7 in favor of Montreal, with 21 goals being scored between the two teams.

January 31, 1920: Joe Malone's 7 Goal Game (Quebec Bulldogs 10, Toronto St. Patricks 6) Early NHL superstar Joe Malone helped the Quebec Bulldogs to a 10–6 win over the Toronto St. Patricks by scoring an unprecedented 7 goals in the game. Malone was a prolific scorer, having already set the NHL record for most goals in a season during the 1917–18 season (44), and this was in fact not even his highest scoring career game. He scored 9 goals in game 1 of the 1913 Stanley Cup Finals against the Sydney Millionaires, which predated the NHL by five years. Nonetheless, his 7-goal mark on January 31 remains an NHL record to this day. He was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1950.

March 3, 1920: "16–3" (Montreal Canadiens 16, Quebec Bulldogs 3) A few months after their marathon game against Toronto, the Montreal Canadiens would then set the record for most goals scored by a single team in a game. They defeated the Quebec Bulldogs by a final score of 16–3, setting a 13-goal differential between the winning and losing teams. This remains the most goals scored by a single team during a game in NHL history, though the margin-of-victory was surpassed in 1944.

1930s

April 10, 1934: Mush March's Overtime Stanley Cup Winner (Chicago Black Hawks 1, Detroit Red Wings 0, Game 4, 2OT, Stanley Cup Finals)

March 24–25, 1936: The Longest Game in NHL History (Detroit Red Wings 1, Montreal Maroons 0, Game 1, 6OT, Stanley Cup Semi-Finals) Three years after the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs played the longest game in NHL history at the time, the Red Wings and Maroons surpassed that mark. The two teams met each other during the best-of-five Semi-Finals. Game 1 was played at the Montreal Forum with a start time of March 24, 8:30 PM, and regulation ended in a 0–0 tie. It would go on to six overtimes before a winner was declared, the second game in NHL history after the Bruins-Leafs game in 1933 to do so. Finally, at the 16:30 mark of the sixth overtime period, Red Wings forward Mud Bruneteau scored on Montreal goalie Lorne Chabot to end the game and take a 1–0 series lead for Detroit. The local time was March 25, 2:25 AM. The two teams played for 176:30, with 116:30 of that in overtime, almost three consecutive hockey games back-to-back-to-back. Lorne Chabot became notable for playing in the two longest NHL games ever played (he was in goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs during their 1933 6OT win), with a 1–1 record between them. He made 66 saves in the game. Detroit goalie Normie Smith's 92 saves are still an NHL record. Detroit would sweep the series 3–0, and go on to win their first franchise Stanley Cup. No NHL game has gone to six overtimes since.

1940s

April 18, 1942: Toronto Completes the Ultimate Comeback (Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Detroit Red Wings 1, Game 7, Stanley Cup Finals) The Maple Leafs and the Red Wings met in the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in 1942, with Detroit having won the 1936 matchup. The series began on April 4 in Toronto, where Detroit would win game one 3–2. They would then take game 2 by a 4–2 score, then would head back to Detroit and win game 3 at Olympia Stadium 5–2. Detroit was firmly in control of the series 3–0 at this point.

January 23, 1944: "15–0" (Detroit Red Wings 15, New York Rangers 0) World War II left many NHL teams depleted of talent, and the 1943–44 New York Rangers especially felt the effects. They started the season going 0-11, and didn't win their first game until December 12, where they had compiled a 1–14–1 record by that point. When they met the Red Wings for their sixth meeting of the season, the regular season series was 4–1 in Detroit's favor. New York had just come off of their sixth and what would be their final win of the season over the Toronto Maple Leafs 5–3 at Maple Leaf Gardens the night before. The game, played on January 23, 1944 in Detroit, would go on to make history. Detroit scored 15 goals in the game, and had blanked the Rangers 15–0. The final score remains the largest margin of victory for an NHL game in history. Detroit had scored five goals in the final six minutes of the game, running up the score after already having 10–0 lead. They had in fact almost ended the game 16–0, (which would have matched the 1920 Montreal Canadiens single-game tally), but the final shot had entered the Rangers net just after the final second ran off the clock. Red Wings forward Syd Howe had scored a hat trick in the final six minutes of the third period, and he continued to taunt the Rangers a week later on February 3, scoring another six goals in a 12–2 drubbing. The Rangers finished the season 6–35–5 with only 17 points, which was also an NHL record for fewest points by a team in a season under the scheduling of the era.

March 18, 1945: Rocket Richard's 50 Goals in 50 Games (Montreal Canadiens 4, Boston Bruins 2) Maurice Richard emerged as an NHL superstar in the 1940s. He had an especially noteworthy campaign in the 1944–45 NHL season. Richard first broke Joe Malone's record for most goals in a season (44), which he set during the inaugural NHL season in 1917–18. Richard netted his 45th goal on February 25, 1945 in a 5–2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Malone was present at the game, and symbolically presented Richard with the record-breaking puck.

1950s

April 23, 1950: Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals Goes to Overtime (Detroit Red Wings 4, New York Rangers 3, Game 7, 2OT, Stanley Cup Finals) Detroit and New York met in the 1950 Stanley Cup Finals, both teams seeking their respective franchise fourth Cup victory. The series started on April 11 in Detroit, and the teams would exchange lopsided victories with one another. Detroit won game one 4–1, New York won game two 3–1, Detroit won game three 4–0, New York won games 4 and 5 in overtime, 4–3 and 2–1 respectively on goals by Don Raleigh. Game 6 was a 5–4 Detroit win, and game 7 would take place at Olympia Stadium in Detroit.

April 8, 1952: Rocket Richard: "The Most Beautiful Goal in the World" (Montreal Canadiens 3, Boston Bruins 1, Game 7, Stanley Cup Semi-Finals) The Bruins-Canadiens rivalry is one of the biggest in North American sports history. The Habs had won 4 out of 6 playoff matchups between Boston from their first postseason meeting in 1929 to the 1952 semi-final. The series started on March 25 in Montreal, with the Canadiens winning the first two games lopsidedly. Boston then came back and won the next three games in the series, before Montreal took a double-overtime win in game 6 to even the series and send it back to Montreal.

April 15, 1952: Legend of the Octopus-Detroit's Perfect Playoff Run (Detroit Red Wings 3, Montreal Canadiens 0, Game 4, Stanley Cup Finals) The 1950s Detroit Red Wings were an NHL dynasty, winning the Stanley Cup 4 times in 6 seasons. The 1952 Stanley Cup Playoffs became a famous example of the team's notoriety. They first swept the defending Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs in four games, marking the first time that defending Stanley Cup champions were swept in the first round. They then took on a Montreal Canadiens team coming off of a seven-game series against their rival Boston Bruins. The series began on April 10 and ended on April 15, with Detroit sweeping the series in four games. Terry Sawchuk only gave up two goals in the series (one a piece in games 1 and 2), blanking the Canadiens in both games at Detroit's Olympia Stadium. Detroit became the first team to go undefeated in the playoffs since the 1935 Montreal Maroons. They remain the only team to do so in a strictly "best of-N" playoff format (as opposed to a two-game total goals series like the 1935 Maroons had played in the first two rounds).

February 2, 1954: The Prison Game (Detroit Red Wings vs. Marquette Prison Pirates) The idea for this game was derived in the summer of 1953 during a visit to Marquette Branch Prison in Marquette, Michigan. The trip was sponsored by Stroh Brewing Company, and attended by Red Wings general manager Jack Adams and team captain Ted Lindsay. Adams was then approached by incarcerated Purple Gang members Harry Keywell and Ray Bernstein (both Red Wings fans), who asked him about bringing the team in for an exhibition scrimmage. Adams and prison warden Emery Jacques accepted the idea. The inmates then organized a team, set up an outdoor rink, and Adams donated equipment for the inmates to use. The prison hired Leonard Brumm of the championship 1948 University of Michigan Wolverines ice hockey team as athletic director. The game was played on February 2, in what was reported as a good-hearted affair by all parties. The Red Wings jumped out to an 18–0 lead in the first period, and the subsequent score was not kept for the duration of the game. In the remaining two periods, the teams were split up, with Red Wings players playing on the Pirates, and vice versa. The game was the first Red Wings game to be played outdoors. The Pirates also proved to be a mainstay under Brumm, playing in organized hockey seasons afterward. After the game, the Red Wings received hand-made gifts from the inmates, and then played a later exhibition game against the Marquette Sentinels of the United States Hockey League before heading back home.

March 17, 1955: Richard Riot St. Patrick's Day in 1955 saw a notable riot in protest of Montreal Canadiens star Maurice Richard being suspended for the season by NHL president Clarence Campbell.

November 1, 1959: Plante Covers His Face (Montreal Canadiens 3, New York Rangers 1) Jacques Plante was a future hall of fame goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, who were in the midst of a dynasty. Plante had occasionally worn a mask during practice because of sinusitis, but had never worn one during a game.

1970s

May 10, 1970: The Flying Bobby Orr and the Most Famous Goal in NHL History (Boston Bruins 4, St. Louis Blues 3, Game 4, OT, Stanley Cup Finals)

April 26, 1975: New York Completes the Ultimate Comeback (New York Islanders 1, Pittsburgh Penguins 0, Game 7, Quarterfinals) The New York Islanders were competing in their first Stanley Cup playoffs since their inception in 1972. They defeated their in-state rivals the New York Rangers in the best-of-three preliminary round 2–1, then went on to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the best-of-seven conference quarterfinals.

May 20, 1975: The Fog Game (Buffalo Sabres 5, Philadelphia Flyers 4, Game 3, OT, Stanley Cup Finals)

January 11, 1976: Flyers vs. Red Army (Philadelphia Flyers 4, Red Army 1) Part of the Super Series '76, in which Soviet hockey teams from the Soviet Championship League traveled to North America to play National Hockey League teams. The Flyers were the NHL's defending Stanley Cup Champions, having won their second consecutive Cup in 1975. They faced off against HC CSKA Moscow, also known as the "Red Army Team". Relations between the Soviets and the West were strained, as this was the height of the Cold War. The Soviet team was aware of the Flyers' reputation as a ferocious, hard-hitting team, and their nickname the "Broad Street Bullies". Negotiations to kick the series off were also contentious, adding to the air of uneasiness which ruled over the series as a whole.

May 10, 1979: Too Many Men (Montreal Canadiens 5, Boston Bruins 4, Game 7, OT, Semi-Finals) In the height of a bitter rivalry, these two teams met each other for the 18th time in Stanley Cup playoff history in the 1979 Semi-Finals, with Montreal having won the previous 13 matchups for a 15–3 head-to-head series record all-time. The Canadiens were in the middle of a dynasty, working on their fourth Stanley Cup in as many years. The Bruins were perennial playoff contenders under coach Don Cherry, his so-called "Lunch Pail Gang". But they fell just short in recent years behind teams like the Flyers and Canadiens, who between them, had won every Cup since 1974.

1980s

February 26, 1981: Bruins–North Stars Brawl (Boston Bruins 5, Minnesota North Stars 1) Inspired by coach Glen Sonmor to become more physical despite never having won at Boston Garden, the North Stars set off a record-breaking violent game. The first fight had started just seven seconds after the opening faceoff, with Boston's Steve Kasper and Minnesota's Bobby Smith coming to blows. Fights continued to break out throughout the period, which eventually led to a major brawl at 8:58 of the first period. The scrum was actually started in the runway up to the Bruins bench. Here, several ejected North Stars players started fighting with the Bruins, and a bench-clearing brawl began on ice as well. The period lasted for one and a half hours due to the melee. After the game, Sonmor and Bruins coach Gerry Cheevers got into a heated verbal altercation over the aggressive play as well. Sonmor acknowledged that he had told the team to play tough, but because he considered the Bruins as dirty players in previous games, and that the North Stars had to prove that they could stand up for themselves. A total of 406 penalty minutes were assessed, and twelve players were ejected. The total penalty minutes broke the record set by the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings on March 11, 1979, and would stand until the Flyers–Senators Brawl in 2004. Minnesota set a single-team record in PIM with 209, breaking the Flyers record of 188 in that game. The 81 penalties assessed broke the record set by the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks on February 22, 1980. And the 61 penalties in the first period broke the single-period record set in the Flyers–Canucks game as well. This game caused the NHL to change how runways in the arena were set up, so that players would not walk up to the opposing team's bench between the ice and the locker room.

April 10, 1982: Miracle on Manchester (Los Angeles Kings 6, Edmonton Oilers 5, Game 3, OT, Smythe Division Semifinals) The pre-dynasty Oilers met the struggling Kings in the 1982 semifinals. Game 1 was a high-scoring affair, with the underdog Kings coming away with a 10–8 win in Edmonton, despite a weak road record throughout the season. Game 2 was much lower scoring, and the Oilers evened the series with a 3–2 overtime victory.

April 20, 1984: Good Friday Massacre (Montreal Canadiens 5, Quebec Nordiques 3, Game 6, Adams Division Finals) These provincial rivals met each other in the 1984 playoffs. By the time of the infamous game 6 on Good Friday, Montreal led the series 3–2, and looked to close out the Nordiques on home ice in Montreal. The game's first fight took place 23 seconds after the opening face-off, setting the tone for the night. Quebec started off the scoring in the first period 1–0, and that score carried on into the third period. Things began to really intensify towards the end of the second period, culminating in a bench-clearing brawl. This delayed the start of the third period, with officials needing to sort out penalties. The third period didn't see a cooling, as another major brawl broke out. This even involving players ejected during the second-period scrum, but referee Bruce Hood had been backed up, and had not yet notified them. This period saw the Canadiens take control, scoring five goals, and winning the game 5–3 to take the series. Fourteen fights had taken place, 252 total penalty minutes were issued, and 10 players were ejected from the game. Hood was criticized for his handling of the game, and many speculate that it led to his decision to retire in the following offseason.

April 30, 1986: Steve Smith: The Own Goal (Calgary Flames 3, Edmonton Oilers 2, Game 7, Smythe Division Finals) The Edmonton Oilers were approaching dynasty status, attempting their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship in 1986. They maintained a heated rivalry with their provincial rivals the Calgary Flames, defeating them in the two playoff series the teams played against each other in 1983 and 1984. The 1986 series went to seven games, with the Oilers hosting the Flames in Edmonton. Calgary got on the board first with two consecutive goals in the second period. However, Edmonton came back and scored twice before the period was over to tie the game.

May 12, 1986: The Monday Night Miracle (St. Louis Blues 6, Calgary Flames 5, Game 6, OT, Campbell Conference Finals) The second-seeded Flames met the third-seeded Blues after their upset win over the Edmonton Oilers in the previous round. The Flames led the series 3–2 before game 6 in St. Louis. The Flames were in control throughout most of the game, leading by a 5–2 margin around the 8-minute mark of the third period. St. Louis began to rally, starting with a Brian Sutter goal off of a deflection. Greg Paslawski then narrowed the gap further around the 12-minute mark of the period, making the score 5–4. Time winded down even further, until suddenly, there was just over a minute left. With 1:14 remaining, Paslawski stealthy intercepted the puck from Flames defensemen Jamie Macoun, caught goalie Mike Vernon on a bad angle, and scored. This tied the game 5–5, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

April 18–19, 1987: Easter Epic (New York Islanders 3, Washington Capitals 2, Game 7, 4OT, Patrick Division Semifinals) The Capitals and Islanders finished in second and third place in the Wales Conference respectively. The 1987 playoffs marked the fifth consecutive time that the teams met in the playoffs, marking the height of a deep rivalry. New York fell behind 3–1 in the series, before coming back to win games 5 and 6, setting up for the seventh game in Washington.

December 8, 1987: Ron Hextall Scores a Goal (Philadelphia Flyers 5, Boston Bruins 2) Billy Smith was the first NHL goaltender to be credited with a goal. However, this was due to an own goal committed by Rob Ramage, and Smith was the last member of the opposing team to touch the puck. Hextall had openly talked about wanting to become the first goalie to score a goal before this, and he saw his wish come true a year after making the suggestion. In a game against the Boston Bruins in December 1987, the Bruins were trailing 4–2 late in the third period. They pulled goalie Reggie Lemelin for an extra attacker. Hextall picked up a dump-in while alone in the Flyers zone, and shot the puck down the length of the ice, where it rolled into the open Boston net. With this, he became the first goaltender in NHL history to score a goal in a game. Hextall remarked after the game "I don't mean to sound cocky, but I knew it was just a matter of time before I flipped one in."

April 16, 1988: Dale Hunter's Overtime Epic (Washington Capitals 5, Philadelphia Flyers 4, Game 7, OT, Patrick Division Semifinals) The Capitals were perennial playoff contenders during the 1980s, although they had become known for struggling in the postseason. Even with a three-game sweep against the New York Islanders in 1986, They dropped two playoff series to them after leading by two games (1985 and the 1987 Easter Epic finale) within two years. In 1988 against Philadelphia, they squandered a 4–1 lead in an overtime loss in game 4 that set them down in the series 3–1. From here, the Capitals began to rally, winning games 5 and 6 in lopsided fashion. Game 7 in Washington however, saw the Caps again fall behind 3–0. Dale Hunter preceded to rally the team, setting up the Caps' first goal by a feed to Gary Galley. Hunter later contributed a goal, helping the team to rally back and see them tie the game 4–4 by the end of regulation. For the second consecutive playoff series, the Capitals were going to overtime in game 7. Hunter then scored what is often considered the "Biggest Goal in Capitals History". He took a pass from Larry Murphy. and proceeded in on a breakaway towards Flyers goalie Ron Hextall. He deked Hextall out, slipping the puck past his right blocker at 5:57 of overtime. The Capitals had won the series, and the Washington crowd erupted in cheers, which would not calm even throughout the handshake line.

May 6, 1988: "Have Another Donut!" (Boston Bruins vs. New Jersey Devils, Wales Conference Finals) After the Devils suffered a 6–1 blowout loss at the hands of the Bruins in game 3, Devils coach Jim Schoenfeld proceeded to go after referee Don Koharski, being very displeased with Koharski's performance during the game. Schoenfeld confronted Koharski as he walked off of the ice, and the two quickly proceeded to get into a shouting match. Koharski seemed to fall, where he then accused Schoenfeld of tripping him, and the following exchange took place:

May 24, 1988: The night the lights went out in Massachusetts (Boston Bruins 3, Edmonton Oilers 3, Game 4, Stanley Cup Finals) During the game, a fog interrupted play, and eventually a power failure caused a blackout in the Boston Garden, midway through the second period with the score tied 3–3. The game was immediately suspended and subsequently replayed from the start two days later (May 26) in Edmonton. As the Oilers were scheduled to host Game five, if necessary, on that date anyway, the replayed Game four was reclassified as Game five. The Oilers won that game, sweeping the series and winning their fourth Stanley Cup in five years.

August 9, 1988: The Trade Wayne Gretzky was captain of the Edmonton Oilers during the 1980s, and had won four Stanley Cup championships over the course of five seasons with the team. He had also developed into an NHL superstar, and became a cultural icon in Canada.

December 31, 1988: Mario Lemieux: 5 Goals in 5 Different Ways (Pittsburgh Penguins 8, New Jersey Devils 6) Mario Lemieux was an emerging NHL superstar. On New Year's Eve in 1988, he scored five goals in a single game in five different ways.

March 22, 1989: Clint Malarchuk's Throat Slashing (Buffalo Sabres vs. St. Louis Blues) The Sabres played the Blues in Buffalo, Malarchuk was in goal. While chasing the puck, Blues forward Steve Tuttle and Sabres defensemen Uwe Krupp collided and flew speedily towards Malarchuk, bowling in to him. Tuttle's skate caught Malarchuk in the neck, severing his carotid artery. Malarchuk started spraying blood rapidly on the ice from the wound. Athletic trainer Jim Pizzutelli helped him into the dressing room. Pizzutelli used his experience as an Army medic in Vietnam, and pinched the severed artery, hold it long enough for doctors to assist him, and then employed methods to reduce Malarchuk's cardiac output and his blood flow. Malarchuk was saved at the hospital, coming very close to becoming the second NHL player (after Bill Masterton) to die due to injury sustained in-game. Doctors gave him 300 stitches to close the wound. The game only resumed once NHL officials received words that he was in stable condition. Many in attendance were reported having gotten ill from the sight of Malarchuk's rapid bleeding.

April 15, 1989: Mike Vernon Saves the Series (Calgary Flames 4, Vancouver Canucks 3, Game 7, OT, Smythe Division Semifinals)

1990s

March 17, 1991: St. Patrick's Day Massacre (Chicago Blackhawks 6, St. Louis Blues 4) The Campbell Conference's Norris Division was especially noted for its violent rivalries throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The Blues and Blackhawks played in such a game in March 1991 at Chicago Stadium. A brawl erupted when Glen Featherstone retaliated against Jeremy Roenick for an earlier hit on Harold Snepsts. Keith Brown then shoved Featherstone, and the two teams proceeded to get into a brawl. Things only continued from there, with another brawl midway in the second period. Players spilled out from the bench onto the ice, a notable scrap taking place between Scott Stevens and Dave Manson. 278 penalty minutes were issued in this game, with 12 total players ejected. Blues players Scott Stevens and Kelly Chase were suspended for two and ten games respectively, and Mike Peluso of the Hawks for ten games. Both teams were fined $10,000. The Blackhawks went on to win the high-scoring game 6–4.

September 23, 1992: Manon Rheaume Breaks the Gender Barrier (St. Louis Blues 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 2) For the 1992–93 NHL season, the Tampa Bay Lightning were an expansion team. Co-founder Phil Esposito saw a tape of goaltender Manon Rheaume while scouting for prospects to invite to training camp. At that point, Rheaume had also become the first woman to play in men's junior A hockey. He found her performances solid enough to extend an invite, and once realizing that she was a woman, garnered the idea of a publicity stunt. Rheaume agreed to try out for the Lightning, and ultimately signed a contract to appear in a preseason game. Both Rheaume and Esposito were challenged by the media for the signing, but nonetheless the NHL did not forbid it. She appeared in goal in the first period of a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues on September 23. Ultimately, she made seven saves, and allowed two goals. She then appeared in one period in a preseason game against the Boston Bruins in 1993, making eight saves on eleven shots in a 4–2 loss. NHL stars like Patrick Roy and Brendan Shanahan (who scored the first goal of her NHL career) nonetheless commended her signing, saying that she had earned a chance to play at that level. She remains the first and only woman to have played in an NHL game, and the first woman to play in any of the major North American professional sports leagues.

March 2, 1993: Mario Lemieux Returns From Cancer (Philadelphia Flyers 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3) On January 12, Mario Lemieux announced that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which left his future in ice hockey in question. He began undergoing radiation treatment, ultimately missing two months of the season. On his last day of radiation on March 2, he then flew to Philadelphia to return to the lineup and play that night against the Flyers. Before the game, Lemieux was greeted by a standing ovation from the Philadelphia crowd. This gesture transcended the intense in-state divisional rivalry between the Flyers and Penguins, as the crowd showed the utmost respect for Lemieux's perseverance during the last two months. He scored a goal and got an assist in the game, and his return is widely regarded as one of the most uplifting sports stories of all-time. His return also helped to ignite a 17-game winning streak for the Penguins, which remains an NHL record.

April 24, 1993: "May Day!" (Buffalo Sabres 6, Boston Bruins 5, Game 4, OT, Adams Division Semifinals) The Sabres faced the Bruins for the second consecutive postseason, having lost to Boston in seven games in round 1 in 1992. Their matchup in 1993 was ultimately closer than it looked on paper. Buffalo came out to a 3–0 series lead thanks in part to overtime victories in games 1 and 3. Game 4 at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium was the highest-scoring affair in the short series. Boston led 4–2 by the end of the first period, and then 5–3 by the end of the second. From that point on, Buffalo took control of the game. Sabres forward Alexander Mogilny pulled to within 1 at 10:43 of the third period. Less than one minute later, Yuri Khmylev scored the equalizer at the 11:36 mark. The game was deadlocked at 5–5 going into overtime. It wouldn't last long in the extra period thanks to the efforts of Brad May. Less than fives minutes in, May caught a feed from Pat Lafontaine and proceeded into Boston's defensive zone. He deked around two Boston defenders (one of them being future hall of famer Ray Bourque), then faked out Bruins goalie Andy Moog for a swift goal at 4:48 of overtime to end the series. The Buffalo crowd cheered in a frenzy, and Sabres announcer Rick Jeanneret immortalized the play with the following call:

April 25, 1993: Blues Sweep Blackhawks, Belfour Rampages (St. Louis Blues 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3, Game 4, OT, Norris Division Semifinals)

May 27, 1993: Kerry Fraser: The Whistle Choke (Los Angeles Kings 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Game 6, OT, Campbell Conference Finals) The Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs met in the Conference Finals. The Leafs found themselves deep in the playoffs for the first time in two decades, coming out of the futility of the Harold Ballard era. They sought to contend with Montreal for their first Stanley Cup since 1967, whereas the Kings sought their first in franchise history. The Maple Leafs had taken a 3–2 series lead by game six, having won in overtime 3–2 a couple of days earlier. In game six, the score was tied 4–4 at the end of regulation. During overtime, LA's Wayne Gretzky committed an incidental high-sticking infraction on Toronto's Doug Gilmour, drawing blood. This would generally have drawn a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct under the rules of the time. Referee Kerry Fraser failed to call the penalty, citing that he didn't see it, although evidence compiled after the fact seemed to show Fraser in clear line of sight of the infraction as it happened. Fraser conferred with the two linesman (who were able to call such penalties as high-sticking), but no penalty was called. Toronto fans were irate, as moments later, Gretzky scored the game winner, tying the series, and setting up for game 7 in Toronto. The Kings won game 7 by a 5–4 score as well in major part to Gretzky's hat trick and assist performance, and moved on to the Stanley Cup Finals.

June 3, 1993: Curse of Marty McSorley's Stick (Montreal Canadiens 3, Los Angeles Kings 2, Game 2, OT, Stanley Cup Finals) In the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup, The Kings and Canadiens met in the 1993 finals. It was the Kings first Cup Finals in their history. The Canadiens were riding the momentum from 7 overtime victories from the first three rounds helping their trip to the finals.

May 24, 1994: Mark Messier: The Guarantee (New York Rangers 4, New Jersey Devils 2, Game 6, Eastern Conference Finals) Mark Messier came to the Rangers from the Oilers in 1991 with aspirations of guiding the team to a Stanley Cup victory, in which they hadn't won since 1940. In 1994, they were in a fierce battle with their rival New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals for a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals, including two double overtime contests in Games 1 and 3 split between them. The Rangers then found themselves in a 3–2 series hole leading up to Game Six in New Jersey after dropping Game 5 on home ice 4–1. Despite trailing in the series, Mark Messier made a well-publicized statement to the media the day before the game:

May 27, 1994: "MATTEAU!! MATTEAU!! MATTEAU!!" (New York Rangers 2, New Jersey Devils 1, Game 7, 2OT, Eastern Conference Finals) Fresh off of Mark Messier's guarantee, New York tied the Eastern Conference Finals in game six, and hosted New Jersey in game seven at Madison Square Garden. Brian Leetch scored midway through the second period to give New York a 1–0 lead. They would hold this lead until 19:53 of the third period, where Devils forward Valeri Zelepukin tied the game and quieted the crowd, who were seconds away from a Stanley Cup Finals berth.

December 6, 1995: Le Trade Patrick Roy was the starting goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, helping them to two Stanley Cup victories, one in 1986, another in 1993. He was a fan favorite, and was considered the face of the organization during his tenure.

May 16, 1996: Steve Yzerman's Double Overtime Epic (Detroit Red Wings 1, St. Louis Blues 0, Game 7, 2OT, Western Conference Semifinals) The Red Wings had won a record-breaking 62 games during 1995–96 NHL season. Led by their Captain Steve Yzerman, They were looking to win their first Stanley Cup in 41 years, having been upset by the underdog New Jersey Devils in the previous year's Cup Finals. They defeated the Winnipeg Jets in round 1 in six games, and faced their Central division rivals the St. Louis Blues in round 2. Detroit won the first two games at Joe Louis Arena, a 3–2 win in game 1, and an 8–3 blowout in game 2. St. Louis then won game 3 in overtime 5–4. They then shut out the Red Wings in game four 1–0, and won game five 3–2. Facing elimination, the Red Wings then won game six on a 2–0 shutout, and headed to Detroit for game 7.

March 26, 1997: Brawl in Hockeytown (Detroit Red Wings 6, Colorado Avalanche 5, OT) The Heavily-favored Red Wings were upset in six games by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Avalanche in 1996, in a series that would begin the Detroit-Colorado rivalry. Aside from the upset, Claude Lemieux delivered a cross-check to Wings forward Kris Draper in game 6, which broke his jaw and cheekbone, and gave him a concussion. Wings players and fans had hoped for revenge following the incident.

June 20, 1999: No Goal (Dallas Stars 2, Buffalo Sabres 1, Game 6, 3OT, Stanley Cup Finals) Both teams were vying for their franchise first Stanley Cup. The Dallas Stars took a 3–2 series lead into the game, hoping to close out the series in Buffalo. The Buffalo Sabres, backstopped by future hall of fame goalie Dominic Hasek, hoped to extend the series. Jere Lehtinen scored around the 12-minute mark of the 1st period for a 1–0 Dallas lead, and then Stu Barnes scored at the 18:21 mark of the second to tie the game. For the next three periods, there would be no scoring, as June 19 rolled over into the 20th.

2000s

February 21, 2000: Marty McSorley High-Sticking Incident The Vancouver Canucks hosted the Boston Bruins in this February game. Marty McSorley and Donald Brashear had already fought once in the game, with Brashear winning easily. McSorley spent the rest of the game attempting to goad Brashear into another fight. In the last minute of a comfortable 5–2 Vancouver win, McSorley and Brashear were following the play towards the Vancouver defensive zone. Just inside the neutral zone, McSorley took a last-ditch attempt to get Brashear to fight, swinging his stick high on him. The stick blade hit the unprepared Brashear in the side of the helmet, and caused him to fall backwards and hit his head on the ice. Brashear remained down, losing consciousness, and ultimately becoming the victim of a grade III major concussion. Fans became irate, littering the ice with garbage, and Vancouver goalie Garth Snow then attacked McSorley on his fallen teammate's behalf.

March 18, 2002: Death of Brittanie Cecil On March 16, Brittanie Cecil had gone to Nationwide Arena to watch the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Calgary Flames. Blue Jackets forward Espen Knutsen took a shot on Calgary's goal, which was deflected off of the stick of the Flames' Derek Morris, and into the crowd. The puck struck Cecil in the temple, causing a gash, and fracturing her skull. Play resumed as normal, as no one on the ice was aware of the severity of her injuries. Cecil even managed to walk to the arena first aid station, before being taken to the hospital. She appeared to be recovering from the incident, but tests performed on her brain did not manage to catch a torn vertebral artery. She severely clotted, lost consciousness, and died on March 18.

May 9, 2002: Miracle at Molson (Carolina Hurricanes 4, Montreal Canadiens 3, Game 3, OT, Eastern Conference Semifinals) The Carolina Hurricanes had a Cinderella run during the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs. They defeated the New Jersey Devils in round one in six games, and ran into the Montreal Canadiens in round 2.

May 29, 2002: Statue of Liberty Goal (Detroit Red Wings 2, Colorado Avalanche 0, Game 6, Western Conference Finals) In the heat of the Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry, Colorado was leading the all-time playoff series among the teams 3–1 leading up to the Western Conference Finals showdown in 2002. Colorado were the defending Stanley Cup champions, and Detroit were President's Trophy champions. Three games went into overtime, with Colorado winning two of them. The Avalanche found themselves up in the series 3–2 leading up to game six at the Pepsi Center in Colorado.

June 7, 2003: "Off The Floor! On The Board!" (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 5, New Jersey Devils 2, Game 6, Stanley Cup Finals)

February 5, 2004: The Flu Game (Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Ottawa Senators 4, OT)

March 5, 2004: Flyers–Senators Brawl (Philadelphia Flyers 5, Ottawa Senators 3) The Philadelphia Flyers and the Ottawa Senators made history at Wachovia Center in Philadelphia on March 5. This brawl was inspired by events that took place a week earlier in Ottawa. In that game, forwards Mark Recchi and Martin Havlat of the Flyers and Senators respectively had a frank exchange, which saw Recchi hook Havlat, and Havlat retaliating by slashing Recchi in the face. Havlat received a 5-minute major penalty, a game misconduct, and eventually a two-game suspension and a fine of $36,000 considering his conduct throughout the season. Both Recchi and Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock made statements alluding to revenge on Havlat.

March 8, 2004: Todd Bertuzzi–Steve Moore Incident The incident was borne out of one that took place in a Vancouver Canucks-Colorado Avalanche game a month previously. In that game, Avalanche forward Steve Moore head checked Vancouver captain Markus Naslund, taking him out for three games. The widely criticized incident did not incur any punishment, as the league determined that it was clean. The Canucks then hosted the Avalanche at Rogers Arena on March 8, and many Canucks players made physical attempts to come at Moore. This led to a first period fight between Moore and Vancouver's Matt Cooke. The game ultimately turned into a 9–2 rout for the Avalanche. Canucks defenseman Todd Bertuzzi, possibly in an attempt to avenge his teammates, went after Moore during a shift late in the third period. Moore continued to ignore Bertuzzi, in which Bertuzzi then grabbed Moore's jersey from behind, punched him in the jaw, and then fell atop him onto the ice. Several other players landed on the two of them, resulting a dog pile that put tremendous force on Moore at the bottom. He suffered three fractured neck vertebrae, was cut in the face, and incurred a concussion, lying prone on the ice for ten minutes. He was ultimately carried off the ice on a stretcher, with Bertuzzi visibly shaken at how the situation had come to play out.

June 5, 2004: Martin Gelinas: The Phantom Goal (Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Calgary Flames 2, Game 6, 2OT, Stanley Cup Finals) The Lightning and Flames met in the Cup Finals, with the Flames going hot in the postseason, and making a cinderella run as the Western Conference 6th playoff seed. The teams exchanged victories all the way up to game six, with Calgary leading the series 3–2. In the second period of game six, both teams broke the 0–0 tie with two Tampa Bay goals by Brad Richards, and two Calgary goals by Chris Clark and Marcus Nilson. The third period saw a very controversial incident which took life in hockey debate for years to come. Flames forward Oleg Saprykin came in on Tampa Bay's goal with the puck, shooting it from goalie Nikolai Khabibulin's left side. Khabibulin made a save with his stick laying horizontal on the ice, where the puck rolled down the length of his stick, popping out to the front of the goal crease to the right of Khabibulin, where it bounced off of the shin of Flames forward Martin Gelinas, redirecting back towards the goal. Khabibulin again made a quick blocker save to push the puck out of the goal, but it was then hotly contested as to whether the puck had crossed the goal line or not. The play was examined at the NHL headquarters, the ABC replays seemed to show the puck having completely crossed the goal line, but play resumed with no call regardless. It would take 33 seconds into the second overtime before Lightning forward Martin St. Louis scored the game winner, sending the series back to Tampa Bay.

June 6, 2007: Chris Phillips: The Own Goal, Pt. II (Anaheim Ducks 6, Ottawa Senators 2, Game 5, Stanley Cup Finals) The Anaheim Ducks had taken a 3–1 series lead against Ottawa, and were poised to win their franchise's first Stanley Cup in game 5 at the Honda Center. Anaheim scored twice in the first period to jump out to a 2–0 lead on goals by Andy McDonald and Rob Neidermayer. Daniel Alfredsson cut the lead to one halfway through the second period. However, the most infamous moment in the series came roughly 4 minutes later. A dump in by Anaheim's Travis Moen caused Ottawa goalie Ray Emery to leave the crease and play the puck, setting it up for the advancing Chris Phillips to play it out of the zone. As Emery skated back into the crease, Phillips skated forward and mishandled the puck, causing it to fly loose from his stick blade. It then slid between the narrow gap between the goal post and Emery's skates, and into the net. The own goal gave Anaheim a 3–1 lead.

April 13, 2008: The Avery Rule Game (New Jersey Devils 4, New York Rangers 3, Game 3, OT, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals)

April 21, 2009: 0.2 Seconds Left (Carolina Hurricanes 4, New Jersey Devils 3, Game 4, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals)

2010s

March 7, 2010: Matt Cooke's Hit on Marc Savard The Pittsburgh Penguins were hosting the Boston Bruins, and maintaining a 2–1 lead late in the third period. Around the 14:20 mark of the period, Cooke and Savard were following the play into the Boston defensive zone. Cooke then laid a shoulder blow to Savard's head. This knocked him to the ice, and out of the game with a concussion. Cooke was not penalized for the hit, with the officials having deemed it a clean play. However, the incident played a key role in the NHL re-analyzing how it addressed blindside hits, especially with the advent of the controversies surrounding concussions in sport. Ultimately, they decided to assess stricter punishment for such. This hit also served as the first of two concussions that Savard would receive in a 10-month span, the latter of which would result in his unofficial retirement due to post-concussion syndrome.

May 14, 2010: 0–3 and 0–3: Philadelphia Completes the Ultimate Comeback (Philadelphia Flyers 4, Boston Bruins 3, Game 7, Eastern Conference Semi-Finals) Philadelphia and Boston met in the playoffs for the first time since 1978. Boston won the first three games in the series, two close contests in Games 1 and 2 5–4 and 3–2, respectively, and a comfortable 4–1 win in Game 3. Philadelphia came away with a 5–4 overtime win in Game 4, avoiding the sweep in front of their home audience. They then shut out Boston 4–0 in Game 5, narrowing the series gap to one game. Game six was a much closer contest, the Flyers won 2–1, and became the fifth team in NHL history to tie a best-of-seven series after trailing three-games-to-none.

February 11, 2011: Penguins–Islanders Brawl (New York Islanders 9, Pittsburgh Penguins 3) This brawl was borne out of aggression between the two teams throughout the season, with a punctuating moment occurring in the week leading up to the brawl. In a game on February 2, Penguins forward Maxime Talbot gave a legal body check to Islanders forward Blake Comeau, which ultimately induced a concussion, and sidelined him for four games. At the end of this game, Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro then shoved Penguins forward Matt Cooke upon entering the crease, initiating a small-scale brawl with saw a goalie fight between DiPietro and Brent Johnson. DiPietro was then sidelined for four weeks due to injuries sustained from this incident. The Islanders had then hinted at revenge for the February 11 game at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

June 15, 2011: Second Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot The Vancouver Canucks hosted the Boston Bruins for game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. Vancouver had segmented off "fan zones" with large televisions throughout the streets leading up to Rogers Arena for the duration of the Finals. These zones accumulated many fans, with over 100,000 coming out for Game 7. Riots are usually expected after championship games, and Vancouver was notably singled-out in hockey culture for the riot that broke out after their Stanley Cup loss in 1994.

May 13, 2013: Toronto's Game 7 Gut Punch (Boston Bruins 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Game 7, OT, Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals) Boston and Toronto met each other in the playoffs for the first time since 1974. Boston had won the Stanley Cup two years previously, and were considered top contenders for the 2013 Cup. Whereas, the often-struggling Maple Leafs had their first playoff berth in a decade. Boston led the series 3–1 after game 4, but Toronto bounced back and won games five and six by 2–1 scores each. This set up for game 7 in Boston.

June 24, 2013: 17 Seconds (Chicago Blackhawks 3, Boston Bruins 2, Game 6, Stanley Cup Finals)

April 30, 2014: Los Angeles Completes the Ultimate Comeback (Los Angeles Kings 5, San Jose Sharks 1, Game 7, Western Conference Quarterfinals)

December 16, 2014: 20 Rounds: The Marathon Shootout (Florida Panthers 2, Washington Capitals 1, SO)