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Overview
Hit the ice in the NHL for the first time with over 300 hockey stars
From Hall of Famers to lesser-known players, every one of the more than 7,700 NHLers skated in a first game. Many of these debuts are noteworthy because of a record that is plain amazing (Al Hill’s five points), a record most dubious (David Koci’s 42 penalty minutes), or an achievement never likely to be replicated (Larry Hillman gets his name on the Stanley Cup after just one shift). Prolific sports writer Andrew Podnieks’s comprehensive new book features more than 300 spectacular debuts, from 1917 to 2019, and hones in on great achievements and amazing exploits culled from each player’s first night of NHL stardom.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781773054346 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | ECW Press |
| Publication date: | 10/08/2019 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 200 |
| File size: | 74 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
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Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Day One Debuts
The First Skaters, 1917 — 18
The National Hockey Association was founded in 1909 and was the preeminent professional league in Canada. Pro hockey of any sort had started only in 1904, but the NHA had the best teams and attracted most of the top players. In fact, NHA teams won the Stanley Cup every year of its existence except 1915 and 1917 But a dispute with Toronto owner Eddie Livingstone incited the other owners to start a new league from which he would be excluded. Thus was born the National Hockey League, on November 26, 1917.
Most of the teams were ostensibly the same during this transition, so although every player who appeared in the NHL during the 1917 — 18 season was a "rookie" — i.e., a player in his first year in the NHL — most were not rookies in the spirit of the word as we know it (new to the professional game after playing junior hockey or some significantly lower level).
Of the 45 players to skate in the NHL during its inaugural season, only four players were playing pro for the first time — Jack Adams, Morley Bruce, Gerry Geran, and Raymie Skilton. Interestingly, none of these players recorded a point in their first games.
As well, most of the players who scored in their 1917–18 debuts were in their late twenties or older and had several years of pro experience upon which to rely. Probably the most impressive debut during this year was Reg Noble. He scored four times and was only 22 years old, but even still he had played a full season in the NHA the previous year. In fact, he was the only player to score who had started his pro career as late as 1916.
The upshot is quite simple. Given that the NHL was basically the same league as the NHA, but with a different name, it is more correct to consider a player's debut as his first NHA game (not NHL), if that was the league he started in prior to playing in the NHL.
The First Goalies, 1917–18
Although the first NHL season can clearly be marked as 1917–18, it came during a time of change and evolution in the game. It was only in 1910 that games went from two 30-minute halves to three periods of 20 minutes; in 1911, the rover was eliminated, reducing on-ice manpower from seven to six players; in 1917, goalies were only now allowed to fall to the ice to make a save.
But in 1917–18, there was still only one centre red line, dividing the rink into two equal zones. Penalties were three minutes and had to be served in full, and the league consisted of only three teams (Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators) after the Montreal Wanderers' arena burned down and the team decided to withdraw from play after only four games.
In all, there were only 24 games played that season, and goalscoring averaged 9.83 a game, almost double what it is today. The Canadiens averaged 5.79 goals a game while the Senators surrendered an average of 5.64 goals a game, both exaggerated totals by today's standards.
Only six goalies played in 1917–18, producing a wide range of crazy and historic results. The first game ever played featured Toronto in Montreal to play the Wanderers. It was memorable for many reasons: it featured the first goal in NHL history, scored by Dave Ritchie of the Wanderers, and it proved to be the Wanderers' only win ever. The team lost the next three before its arena burned down.
Each other goalie who made his NHL debut had also had significant experience in the NHA. Georges Vezina was in the middle of perhaps the most special career in hockey history. Clint Benedict, another Hockey Hall of Famer, was just as magical in the goal. Sammy Hebert, Hap Holmes, and Art Brooks all played for Toronto in 1917 but had very limited careers.
The First NHL Game
Two games were on the NHL's schedule for Wednesday, December 19, 1917: one in Ottawa, with the Sens facing the visiting Montreal Canadiens, and the other at the Westmount Arena in Montreal, where the host Wanderers played the Toronto Arenas.
The Wanderers game started at 8:15 p.m. and as such represents the first game in league history. It was also one of the wildest. The first period alone featured eight goals. After Dave Ritchie opened the scoring, Jack McDonald made it 2 — 0 for Montreal, but Toronto tied the game 2 — 2 before the game was six minutes old. Harry Hyland made more history by scoring three goals, the NHL's first hat trick, in the first period and two more in the second to bring his total to five on the night.
Toronto fell behind 10 — 6 in the third but scored three in a row, two by Noble who counted four in the game, to make it close. In the end, the hometown Wanderers won, 10 — 9, before a sparse crowd of about 700.
Interestingly, all the penalties occurred in the first period. Ken Randall had three minors and a major; Art Ross had three minors; and Reg Noble had two minors.
What is amazing about this game is that although it was the first NHL game ever played, it is also to this day one of the highest scoring. Indeed, only four games of the more than 60,000 played from that date to the present have featured more goals than the 19 goals in this one.
Bert Lindsay was the winning goaltender despite giving up nine goals. Even today that represents the most goals surrendered by a winning goalie. Lindsay was the father of the even greater Ted Lindsay and, ironically, signed with Toronto the next year, the final season of his NHL career.
CHAPTER 2The One and Only
Four Special Players
One of the magical aspects of a player's NHL debut is imagining the postgame phone call between player and parents. Just as with the call leading up to the game — "Mom, I got called up!" — there is that special moment when a young man shares and celebrates such a momentous event with the two people who most closely can be credited with the player's first success.
But in all the century's-worth of NHL games, only four players can be known to have had the right to call their parents and declare, "I got the only goal of the game!"
That quartet of heroes includes Bill Cook, Stan Brown, Connie Brown, and Daniel Corso. Each of their debut games ended in a 1 — 0 score, and in each case the newbie scored the goal. More interestingly, while the first three were achieved in the game's early years, Corso scored his lone goal in 2000.
// Bill Cook, New York Rangers November 16, 1926
Sometimes the bare facts obscure a greater reality, and in the case of Bill Cook that obfuscation is easily cleared up. However, it is but a very small number of players who can say that they played their first NHL game as team captain.
Bill Cook is one such player, but it's not as wild a stretch as it might first sound. The 1926 — 27 season was the inaugural one for the New York Rangers, and general manager Conn Smythe wanted to build a winner right away. He travelled to Winnipeg to meet Bill and Bun Cook, two brothers who had been playing pro with the Saskatoon Crescents of the Western Canada Hockey League. Smythe signed them on the spot and named Bill, 31 years old, team captain.
The Montreal Maroons, reigning Stanley Cup champions, travelled to Madison Square Garden for both teams' first game of 1926 — 27. It was a battle from the get-go, and referee Lou Marsh doled out a total of 18 penalties (11 to the Maroons), but it was the Cook brothers, with linemate Frank Boucher, who accounted for the only goal of the game late in the second period.
Bun saw Bill in front of the Maroons goal and got his brother the puck, and Bill made no mistake in beating Clint Benedict at 18:37, much to the delight of the 13,000 fans. Benedict fell awkwardly on the play, hitting his head on the goalpost and cutting his ear. He had to leave the game for a few minutes for medical attention, during which time play was stopped.
// Stan Brown, New York Rangers January 6, 1927
Some 9,000 fans at Madison Square Garden witnessed history on this night, when newcomer Stan Brown scored late in the game to give the home side New York Rangers a 1 — 0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Lorne Chabot (called Chabotsky by the New York Times) was brilliant in goal for the Blueshirts, stoning the whirlwind play of Howie Morenz and Aurele Joliat from start to finish.
Ironically, it was while Joliat was serving a penalty for roughing that Brown scored, his power-play marker coming with only 1:57 left in the game. It was an unassisted effort, and a sensational one at that. He rushed up ice with the puck, split the defence with great speed, and beat goalie George Hainsworth with a hard drive Brown was substituting for the great Ching Johnson when he scored.
// Connie Brown, Detroit Red Wings January 26, 1939
The Detroit Free Press made a banner headline of Brown's heroics: "Rookie's One-Night Stand Brings Wings 1 — 0 Victory."
The actual events were somewhat less exemplary, but a goal is a goal.
Brown, a centre, was called up from the farm team in Pittsburgh because the Red Wings' lineup had been decimated by injuries. He ended up playing on a line with veterans Syd Howe and Charlie Conacher, and it was those two stars who created the play that led to Brown's goal at 18:48 of the second period.
The trio moved the puck up ice when Brown found himself going down the left boards. When he got near the end red line he simply fired the puck across ice. Goalie Mike Karakas tried to play the puck, but it hit his stick at an odd angle and caromed into the net for what would be the only goal of the game.
The other hero of the night was Detroit goalie Tiny Thompson. He was spectacular in the third period in keeping Chicago, the Stanley Cup champions, at bay and ensuring Brown was the hero on the scoresheet.
// Daniel Corso, St. Louis Blues December 5, 2000
You get the opportunity, you have to do something with it. St. Louis ran into injury problems — Scott Young and Tyson Nash were unable to play — so coach Joel Quenneville called up Daniel Corso and Pascal Rheaume from the Worcester IceCats, the Blues's AHL affiliate. Rheaume had played in the NHL previously, but it was Corso's first game.
Rheaume had made his debut almost four years earlier and scored on his second career shift. He challenged Corso to match that. Corso came up short, but he scored the only goal of the game, which was even more special.
His goal came on the power play at 14:28 of the second period. Michal Handzus took the initial shot, but goalie Guy Hebert couldn't control the rebound and Corso whacked in the loose puck.
"He brings speed and skill," said Quenneville of Corso after the game. "It was a chance for him to play, and for us to get a look at him, too. He took advantage of his chance here tonight."
The Blues played their next game four days later. Young and Nash were back in the lineup — and Corso and Rheaume were back in the minors with Worcester. In all, Corso played 77 regular-season games in the NHL and scored 14 goals, but none bigger or more memorable than his first.
CHAPTER 3Extra, Extra! Read All About It!
Newsy Lalonde
Montreal Canadiens // December 19, 1917
Of the 36 players to make their debuts on the night of the first games in NHL history, December 19, 1917, an incredible 16 were later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame — Clint Benedict, George Boucher, Harry Cameron, Rusty Crawford, Jack Darragh, Cy Denneny, Eddie Gerard, Joe Hall, Harry Hyland, Newsy Lalonde, Jack Laviolette, Joe Malone, Reg Noble, Didier Pitre, Art Ross, Georges Vezina.
But if you had to pick one name from that list as the game's first superstar, it would surely be Lalonde (the name Vezina is perhaps even more famous, but goalies don't hold the same attraction as skaters).
Lalonde was 29 years old by the time the NHL started operations. He had been a star wherever he played, notably in Cornwall and Renfrew, and later Vancouver, but he had been with the Canadiens most of the time since the club's inception in 1909. He even scored the franchise's first goal that year, in the NHA, and led the team to the Stanley Cup in 1916.
Indeed, the Ottawa Citizen started its game report with: "'Newsy' Lalonde and his champion Canadiens opened the hockey season at the Arena last night and made up for some of Quebec's recent disappointments by defeating the Ottawas by a score of 7 to 4." The Habs started the 1917–18 season on the road, in Ottawa. Lalonde, the team captain, scored the team's second goal midway through the opening period to give the Habs a 2–0 lead. It was his first of what would turn out to be 23 goals in just 14 games that season, and it was the first of many that would make him the premier player of the NHL's early days.
CHAPTER 4Did He, or Didn't He?
The Curious Case of Paul Jacobs
Of all the players to have skated in the NHL, there is none more enigmatic than Paul Jacobs because, quite simply, no one can say for certain whether he played in the league or not.
From day one, the NHL made game reports for every game. These reports consisted of three parts: rosters; goals and assists; penalties. Over time, however, the earliest sheets slowly disappeared from the NHL's offices. So in 2019, here's what we know about Jacobs.
First, he was definitely listed in the roster report for five games — January 7, 14, 21, and 31 and February 4, 1919.
However, these references don't make clear whether he played in the game or not. In later years the official scorer at every game would add a check mark beside the name (played) or an x (didn't play). For many game sheets in that year, there are no such marks to confirm participation.
Complicating matters, it was clear from newspaper reports of the day that he neither factored in on a goal nor incurred a penalty, leaving his participation further obfuscated.
There are only two clues that indicate Jacobs played at all. There are two references to Jacobs in the Globe and Mail, one on the day Toronto played its season opener for 1918 — 19, December 23 against the Canadiens, and a second the next day (but not in the game story). The first:
"Randall and Cameron will play defence, with Paul Jacobs, the Indian player, as substitute."
The next day, after the Canadiens rallied to beat the Arenas, 4–3, a second mention of his name was made:
"Paul Jacobs, the Leaside Indian defence player, who has been trying out with the Toronto Arenas, will not be available this season. He is leaving for Montreal tonight and will reside in that city in future." The second possible game Jacobs played was on December 31, 1918, if only because the NHL referenced this date after it had published online the game-by-game stats of every player in league history. But there is no mention of him at any time in the days prior to or after this game.
In all likelihood, the NHL has kept Jacobs in its database, simply figuring if it were to make an error, better to include him than exclude him.
In the end, however, it seems unlikely Jacobs ever did play in the NHL. But the absence of proof that he did play cannot necessarily be taken fully as proof that he didn't play.
CHAPTER 5Lightning Unleashed
Howie Morenz
Montreal Canadiens // December 15, 1923
"The Stratford Streak" earned his nickname honestly. Howie Morenz was not only born in Stratford, Ontario, he also was a dominant player on the local junior and senior teams in the late 1910s and early 1920s.
By the time the 21-year-old made the starting lineup for the 1923–24 season with the NHL Canadiens, he had earned a reputation as a great skater and stickhandler, and his debut only further added to his burgeoning legacy.
Commented the Montreal Gazette: "Morenz fitted right into the Canadiens machine, and the manager thinks so well of his ability that he started him at centre in place of Odie Cleghorn."
Morenz played on a line with Aurele Joliat and Billy Boucher and was lightning fast from start to finish, although the team lost 2–1 to the hometown Toronto St. Pats.
The Streak was held off the scoresheet, but that was not to be a trend. He scored 13 goals in 24 games as a rookie in 1923–24 and became one of the greatest hockey players of the pre-WWII era.
CHAPTER 6Naughty, Naughty
Nels Stewart
Montreal Maroons // November 28, 1925
The contrast was pronounced, but it was also representative of the era. The Maroons' Nels Stewart was such a great hockey player that he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1952, among the first players considered legends of the game. Not the smoothest of skaters, he was strong as an ox and had a hard shot and deft touch around the net.
Yet, in his first career NHL game, on November 28, 1925, he did what no player before or since has done — he incurred as many as five minor penalties in one game. These transgressions contributed to the final game summary, which showed that the visiting Montreal Maroons lost to the Ottawa Senators by a 3–2 score.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Greatest, Weirdest, Most Amazing NHL Debuts of All Time"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Andrew Podnieks.
Excerpted by permission of ECW PRESS.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction,
Day One Debuts,
The One and Only,
Extra, Extra! Read All About It!: Newsy Lalonde,
Did He, or Didn't He?,
Lightning Unleashed: Howie Morenz,
Naughty, Naughty: Nels Stewart,
Best Goalie Debut Ever: Tiny Thompson,
Debut Shutouts,
Averaging a Goal a Game ...,
Happy Birthday,
Goalie Playoff Debuts,
Making History: Paul Goodman,
Rocket Launch: Maurice Richard,
Just a Child: Bep Guidolin,
Brothers O' Mine: Max, Doug, and Reg Bentley,
From the Get Go: Gus Bodnar,
Just a Sec: Bernie Ruelle,
Student Earns A+: Jean Marois,
Master Hockey: Gordon Howe,
Needle Skates into the Crease: Gil Mayer,
Doubleheader Dick: Dick Bittner,
The Replacement: Lorne Davis,
Playoff Debut Assists,
Inauspicious Beginning: Jacques Plante,
Dream of Dreams: Wayne Hillman,
Stanley Cup Finals Debuts,
Hall of Famer Playoff Debuts,
Tre Kronor Pioneer: Ulf Sterner,
The Day the Game Changed: Bobby Orr,
Double Debuts in the Crease,
Caught in the Middle: Robbie Irons,
First Shift, First Shot, First Goal,
Czech Date: Jaroslav Jirik,
Butt It Has Its Place in History: Moose Dupont,
Can't Be Beat: Ken Dryden,
The Flower Begins to Bloom: Guy Lafleur,
Oldest Debut — The Great Debate,
Ho, Ho, Ho,
The Pioneer: Borje Salming,
Almost, Gus!: Danny Gare,
Easiest Goals Ever,
The First Lion Roars: Matti Hagman,
Greatest Debut of All Time: Al Hill,
The Sutter Family,
Scoring in a Period,
Share the Glory: Goran Hogosta,
The Penultimate Price: Vaclav Nedomansky,
After 60: Mike Meeker,
The Great One: Wayne Gretzky,
Gretzky Helps Others,
Greatest League Debut Nights,
Miracle Man: Dave Christian,
He Who Helps Others: Peter Stastny,
Relatively Speaking,
Team Record Debuts,
What a Help!: Michel Goulet,
Oh, no!,
Another and Another: Ron Loustel,
Triple Gold Beginnings: Tomas Jonsson,
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E: Jim Playfair,
Greatest Debut Goal Ever: Mario Lemieux,
Never Too Late: Esa Tikkanen,
The Debut That Wasn't (or Was?): Marc D'Amour,
Overshadowed: Risto Jalo,
The Soviet Pioneer: Sergei Pryakhin,
The First Soviet Superstar: Alexander Mogilny,
Goalies Facing Penalty Shots,
Dream Becomes Nightmare: Andre Racicot,
The Dominator: Dominik Hasek,
Overtime Stats,
First Goal ... Only Goal,
Crazy Post-Debut Slump: Andrew McKim,
Debuts Across the Pond,
Nothing to See Here, Folks: Christian Soucy,
One-Game Wonders Playoff Debuts,
21st Century Firsts: Kyle Freadrich,
Lots of Rubber,
Sid vs. Ovi — Day One,
Brotherly Tandems,
Goalie Assists,
Blinded by the Light: Mikko Lehtonen,
The Great Dane: Frans Nielsen,
Wonder Brothers,
A Japanese First: Yutaka Fukufuji,
Debuts Far from Home,
Fighting to Make the Show: David Koci,
Who Gets the Puck?,
Playoff Debut Goalscorers,
One Night Hype: Derek Stepan,
Spectacular Shorties,
Unluckiest Loss Ever: Mike Murphy,
Small Start to a Record: Matt Hackett,
Tick, Tick, Done: Kellan Lain,
79 Seconds Is All: Brian White,
Come the Shootout,
Fastest Man on Blades: Connor McDavid,
Auston, Ontario: Auston Matthews,
First Overall Draft Debuts,
Most Goals in a Game,
Leap Year Debuts,
Managing the Crease: Jorge Alves,
Goalie Penalties,
Debut Highlights, 2018–19,
Making History: Ryan Poehling,
Dude, Where's Makar?: Cale Makar,
Appendix,
Acknowledgements,
Photo Credits,
About the Author,
Copyright,