During the NHL’s hiatus, we at the Last Word on Hockey are going to look back at each date’s historical significance to the game. We’ll remember the moments that shaped the sport of hockey that happened on this day. Here’s our look at this date in hockey history for March 21st, featuring Teemu Selanne.
Today in Hockey History
Teemu Selanne Scores 600th Career Goal
2010: The Anaheim Ducks Finnish winger gets No. 600 in a 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Selanne scored a power-play goal 34 seconds into the second period after a mad scramble in front. He then put the puck past Craig Anderson to become only the third European after Jari Kurri and Jaromir Jagr to get 600 goals.
The “Finnish Flash” ended his career with 684 goals when he retired after the 2013-14 season. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017.
Other Notable Events
1921: The Vancouver Millionaires beat the Ottawa Senators, 2-1, in the first game of the Stanley Cup Final as 11,000 fans pack the Vancouver Arena. It’s the largest crowd to watch a hockey game at the time.
1939: Mel Hill of the Boston Bruins scores 59:52 into overtime as the B’s beat the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinal. The rookie would score three overtime-goals to help Boston win the series in seven.
1951: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation televises an NHL game for the first time. That game between the Montreal Canadiens and the host Toronto Maple Leafs is seen by six people. CBC had its cameras transmit images to television in the radio control room at Maple Leaf Gardens.
1973: The Habs Frank Mahovlich scores his 500th goal in a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Mahovlich would beat Dunc Wilson to score the milestone goal.
1974: The Bruins’ Bobby Orr scores a hat trick to reach the 30-goal mark in Boston’s 7-0 shutout of the St. Louis Blues.
1985: Washington Capitals forward Bobby Carpenter is the first American to score 50 goals in a season. The Caps would lose 3-2 to the Canadiens.
1991: Ron Tugnutt of the Quebec Nordiques stopped 70 shots as they would tie the Bruins, 3-3. Boston outshot Quebec, 73-26.
2002: Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils earns his seventh straight 30-win season in a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Brodeur would join Tony Esposito and Ken Dryden as the only other goalie to accomplish the feat.
Happy Birthday to You
1895: Duke Keats
1918: Joe Carveth
1966: Al Iafrate
1972: Boris Mironov
1985: Ryan Callahan
1988: Erik Johnson
