Most people have an agenda when they watch sports, and hockey fans are certainly not the exception. Some watch for the physical nature of the sport, waiting for the next big hit or for a couple of heavyweights to drop their gloves. Others support their team, just hoping to eek out a win by any means necessary. But sometimes it’s the unexpected that happens that seems to surprise us, keeping the game interesting and us guessing.
Here I present you with a list of a few of the crazier, more bizarre events that have transpired, leaving fans bewildered.
1) October 25th, 2008 – When American politics was at the fore of virtually all news, the St Louis Blues held a ceremony for running candidate Sarah Palin. The team put out a red carpet so she could walk out onto the ice to drop the ceremonial puck.
Goalie, Manny Legace was so overwhelmed with excitement that he ran onto the ice not realizing the carpet was there. He immediately stopped and fell, injuring his hip. He missed four games due to the injury.
2) “This player is on fire tonight” took on a whole new meaning in the 1930s, when a goaltender for the Quebec Juniors, Abie Goldberry, caught on fire. He had a box of matches in his pocket and caught on fire when the puck hit him.
He was okay after the incident but had some bad burns to his body–and a very memorable story!
3) In 1907, the Montreal Wanderers were being photographed with the Stanley Cup. Unknowingly, they left the cup at the photographer’s house. After noticing it’s absence some time later, it was eventually found housing geraniums for the photographer’s mother.
Imagine something like this happening now, and the publicity the incident would get?
4) Chris Nilan purchased the penalty box from the Montreal Forum during an auction. Seeing as he spent most of his hockey career in the Habs box (he spent most of his career playing in Montreal, with time in Boston and New York as well) his 3043 penalty minutes make the purchase an understandable one — kinda like buying your family’s old summer cottage on the lake that you visited as a kid.
5) In 1996, the Colorado Avalanche won their first Stanley Cup. Sylvain Lefebvre used the cup to have his daughter baptized.
6) It was in December 1990 that Paul Cavallini lost the tip of his finger after he blocked a slap-shot with his hand. He missed 13 games due to the injury.
7) The Slovakian woman’s hockey team beat Bulgaria 82-0. They qualified for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver before losing to Canada 18-0.
8) In 1927, Billy Coutu became the only person to ever be suspended full-time in the NHL. After being eliminated from the playoffs he attacked a referee.
9) In 1949, Joe Klukay was sitting on the bench recovering from an injury when he was hit in the head by an opposing player’s stick that knocked him out cold and sent him to the hospital.
10) The word “puck” celebrates its 139th birthday next February. The word was first coined on February 7th, 1876, in a published article in the Montreal Gazette.
11) A Swedish player once had a puck lodged into his trousers. He skated behind the goalie in the net and squatted until the puck fell out–kind of like laying an egg. Even more unbelievable, it was a good goal that counted. SEE BELOW at the 18 second mark.
12) There is a story floating around now that a goalie has tried to eat an actual hockey puck. No confirmation to who the actual goalie is or if the story is true but there are sources saying it happened. Until it’s reported by Pierre McGuire… ummm, scratch that… Bob McKenzie, we aren’t buyin’ it!
Imagine how sick one could get for doing so? Kids, don’t try it at home.
Hope you enjoy the bizarre hockey facts. Hockey season is right around the corner, and who knows maybe we can add to the growing list of facts.
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