Hockey is going strong, but we at Last Word on Hockey are still 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 September 24, featuring the 1972 Summit Series.
Today in Hockey History
Canada Wins Game 6 of Summit Series
1972: Goals by Dennis Hull, Yvan Cournoyer and Paul Henderson help Team Canada rally for a 3-2 win over the USSR. Ken Dryden makes nine saves in a scoreless third period to preserve the victory. The win is a big one after Canada blew a 4-1 lead in Game 5.
It also helps Canada make the series 3-2-1 in favour of the Soviets. The series has two more games between the two nations.
Other Notable Events
1927: Regular-season games will play a 10-minute overtime period if needed. OT goes away until it returns in 1983-84 with five-minute periods.
1937: NHL officials adopt the icing rule where a team that shoots the puck down the ice in even-strength situations must have a faceoff in their own zone. The opposing team must touch the puck in order for the infraction to be called. This prevents teams from dumping and chasing the puck from their own zone.
The league modifies the rule in 2005 to prevent the team that iced the puck from changing players. Hybrid icing is introduced in 2013-14 just like in international play. This allows the linesmen to blow the play dead if the defending player is not behind in the race to the faceoff dot. The rule change also prevents races to the boards that could result in collisions.
1938: The league will operate in one seven-team league after the Montreal Maroons suspend operations. Each team plays a 48-game schedule.
1990: Gilbert Perreault and Bill Barber headline this year’s Hockey Hall of Fame class. Both were two of the better players of the 1970s. Fern Flaman and Bud Poile also enter the Hall of Fame. Perreault scored 512 goals in 17 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. Barber scores 420 goals in 12 seasons and wins two Stanley Cups with the Philadelphia Flyers.
1992: The New Jersey Devils name defenceman Scott Stevens as their team captain. He’s the fifth captain in team history and leads the team to three Stanley Cups. New Jersey wins championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003 with Stevens leading a tough defence. Stevens retires in 2003 and makes the Hall of Fame in 2007.
Happy Birthday to You
1947: Tim Ecclestone
1950: Dan Maloney
1954: Kris Manery
1988: Karl Alzner
1989: Rebecca Johnston
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