Today in NHL History, Dec 19th

1917: The first two games in NHL history were played. Montreal Canadiens beat Ottawa 7-4, and Montreal Wanderers beat Toronto 10-9.....Montreal Wanderers' defenseman Dave Ritchie scored the first goal in NHL history one minute into the NHL's first game, then added another in the third period in a 10-9 opening night win over the visiting Toronto Arenas, before a crowd of 700 fans.

1917: Montreal's Joe Malone scored five goals, including the team's first NHL goal and added an assist as the Canadiens defeated Ottawa 7-4, in their first ever NHL game. The five goals made Malone the NHL's first "all time" leading goal scorer.....Montreal Wanderers' Harry Hyland scored five goals in a 10-9 win over Toronto at Montreal, in the first NHL game for each team

1929: Aurel Joliat scored four goals (including his 4th career hat trick) in the Canadiens' 7-2 win against the visiting New York Rangers.

1933: Boston goalie Tiny Thompson made 34 saves for his 41st career shutout, and Bob Gracie scored at 6:24 of overtime for a 1-0 win over the Montreal Maroons. All proceeds of the game ($6,741 ) were donated to injured player Ace Bailey's wife.

1935: Boston goalie Tiny Thompson and Maple Leafs' George Hainsworth dueled to a 0-0 scoreless tie, in a game played at Toronto. It was the 55th career shutout for Thompson and the 89th for Hainsworth.

1938: Toronto Maple Leafs purchased Bucko McDonald from Detroit, in exhchange for Bill Thomson and $10,000.

1943: Harry Lumley became the youngest goaltender in NHL history, when he made his first appearance with the Red Wings, a 6-2 loss to the Rangers in New York. Lumley made his NHL debut at the age of 17 years and 38 days.

1945: Hank Goldup scored three goals and an assist, as the Rangers lost 8-7 at Boston......Bill Cowley scored two goals and two assists as Boston beat NY Rangers 8-7, in a penalty-free game played in Boston. Herb Cain scored the game winner with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.

1948: Emile Francis played his first game as a Ranger, and led the team to a 3-2 win over Montreal. Rangers called up Francis from New Haven following an injury to their goalie Chuck Rayner.

1950: Montreal Canadiens obtained Bert Olmstead from Detroit, in exchange for Leo Gravelle. Olmstead had been traded to Detroit just one week earlier, from Chicago. Olmstead went on to spend the next seven seasons with Montreal.

1952: Former NHL left winger Mike Polich born in Hibbing, Minn. Polich played in the NHL 1976-77 through 1980-81 with Montreal and Minnesota.

1953: Kenny Mosdell had four assists to lead the Canadiens to a 7-3 win over the Bruins in Montreal.

1964: Chicago rookie Dennis Hull scored the first goal of his NHL career, and older brother Bobby added two goals and two assists. Also in that game, Chicago's Bobby Hull scored twice to give him 27 goals in 27 games, and added two assists, as the Black Hawks beat Montreal 6-3 at the Forum, for their sixth straight win.

1967: Brian Smith scored twice (against his brother Gary, in goal for Oakland) and Bob Wall scored a goal and added two assists to lead the Kings to a 3-1 win over the Oakland Seals, at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles.

1969: Rookie goaltender Tony Esposito recorded his fifth shutout of the season (and the 7th of his career) in the Black Hawks' 4-0 win over the Seals at Oakland. Esposito finished the 1969-70 season with 15 shutouts, an NHL record for rookies.

1970: Toronto goaltender Jacques Plante recorded his 75th NHL career shutout as the Maple Leafs won 2-0 over the visiting Buffalo Sabres.

1971: Rangers' Jean Ratelle became the 5th player in franchise history to score 200 goals. The milestone came when New York tied 1-1 with the visiting Minnesota North Stars.

1974: Boston's Phil Esposito collected three goals and four assists for seven points (a team record) in an 11-3 Bruins' win over the N.Y. Rangers. It was the 23rd hat trick of Esposito's NHL career.

1975: Claude St. Sauveur scored his first career hat trick and added two assists, and Hilliard Graves had a goal and four assists to lead the Flames to an 8-3 win over the New York Rangers in Atlanta.

1979: Charlie Simmer tied a modern NHL record with a goal in his 10th straight game, during a Kings' 4-4 tie at Toronto.

1980: Stan Smyl scored his third career hat trick and added an assist as the Canucks beat Pittsburgh 10-4. Darcy Rota (2-2-4) and Ivan Boldirev (1-3-4) also enjoyed four-point evenings.

1981: Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky became the first player in NHL history to get 9 career hat tricks before age 21, when he scored 3 times (and added 4 assists) in a 9-6 win over the visiting North Stars. Dave Lumley had his 1st career hat trick.....Bernie Federko extended his team-record consecutive game assist streak to 10 in the Blues' 5-0 win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks. Mike Liut recorded the shutout (the 5th of his NHL career).

1982: Washington scored three goals in the final four minutes of the game to win, 3-1 over the Flyers at Philadelphia. Mike Gartner led the way with a goal and an assist, as the Capitals extended their team-record undefeated streak to 13 games (8-0-5).

1984: While playing in his 424th career game, Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky had two goals and four assists to become the fastest player to reach 1,000 career points (breaking Guy Lafleur's record of 720 games). Oilers won 7-3 against the visiting Kings.....Former NHL defenseman Jim Schoenfeld came out of retirement to rejoin the Buffalo Sabres, playing in 34 games during the second half of the season. Buffalo won 6-3 over the Black Hawks at Chicago.

1985: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Larry Robinson scored the only hat trick of his 20 year NHL career, in a 5-4 Canadiens' loss to the Quebec Nordiques.

1986: Mike Gartner scored his seventh goal of the season to become the first player in to amass 600 points in a Capitals' uniform. It came in Washington's 6-4 loss to New Jersey.

1987: Boston's Ken Linseman and St. Louis' Doug Gilmour scored goals just two seconds apart in the third period to set an NHL record for fastest two goals in the Blues' 7-5 win over the Bruins. Gilmour's came off a center-ice faceoff into an empty net.....Buffalo's Lindy Ruff played in his 500th NHL game, and the Sabres ended their 8-game road losing streak in Montreal with a 2-1 win over the Canadiens.

1988: Vancouver goalie Troy Gamble made his second NHL start and earned a 5-1 win over the Minnesota North Stars. Petri Skriko earned three assists.....Toronto coach John Brophy was fired, and replaced by George Armstrong. Armstrong won in his debut as coach, a 4-3 Maple Leafs' win over St. Louis in Toronto.

1989: Hartford's Ron Francis scored two goals and added three assists and rookie Todd Krygier had two goals and two assists as the Whalers won 8-4, at Pittsburgh.

1990: Dimitri Khristich became the youngest hockey player allowed to leave the Soviet Union, when he joined the NHL's Washington Capitals. Khristich had been drafted by Washington in 1988.

1991: Chicago's Jeremy Roenick picked up four assists as the Blackhawks won 6-4 over the Canadiens, at Chicago Stadium.....Goalie Curtis Joseph set a Blues' team record with his fifth assist of the season, and stopped 21 shots to lead the Blues to a 4-0 shutout over San Jose, in St. Louis. It was the first shutout of Joseph's NHL career.

1992: Goaltender Bob Essensa recorded his first shutout of the season (and the 12th of his NHL career) to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 1-0 win over the Blues at St. Louis. It was the Jets' first victory in St. Louis since Dec. 14, 1982.....Detroit defenseman Brad McCrimmon recorded his 300th NHL assist in the Red Wings' 3-3 tie with the North Stars at Minnesota.

1993: Goaltender Mike Richter set a franchise record by extending his unbeaten streak to 20 games (17-0-3) in the Rangers' 6-3 win over the Senators in New York. Richter broke the team record of 19 games (14-0-5) set by Dave Kerr in 1939-40.....Bruins' Ray Bourque became just the third defenseman in NHL history to reach 300 goals, in Boston's 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Bourque joined defensemen Paul Coffey and Denis Potvin in the 300 goal club.

1995: Owen Nolan scored 4 goals, including 3 PPGs in the 2nd (for his first hat trick with San Jose) and added an assist as the Sharks won 7-4, at Anaheim. It was the first 4-goal game of Nolan's career and the first in Shark history.....Calgary Flames traded Joe Nieuwendyk to the Dallas Stars, in exchange for Corey Millen and the rights to 1995 first round draft pick Jarome Iginla.

1996: St. Louis Blues fired G.M./Coach Mike Keenan. Ron Caron was named the new General Manager, and Jimmy Roberts took over as interim head coach.....Mario Lemieux scored his 38th career hat trick (with three straight goals in the second period) and added an assist, and Jaromir Jagr picked up four assists as the Penguins won 4-0 at St. Louis. Ken Wregget got his 8th career shutout.

1997: Michel Petit became the first player in NHL history to score a goal for 9 different teams, when his first goal of the year helped the Phoenix Coyotes to a 6-2 win at Anaheim.

1999: Steve Yzerman wore the captain's "C" for Detroit for the 1,000th regular-season game in the Red Wings 3-1 loss to the Mighty Ducks at Anaheim.....Vancouver Canucks traded goalie Kevin Weekes, Bill Muckalt and Dave Scatchard to the New York Islanders in exchange for goaltender Felix Potvin plus a second and third-round pick in the 2000 NHL draft.

2002: Wade Redden had a goal and an assist in his 500th career game with the Ottawa Senators, and Daniel Alfredsson picked up four assists in a 9-3 win over the visiting San Jose Sharks.


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