We’re normally starting up another hockey season, but we’re in a different world. Last Word on Hockey is 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 November 4th, featuring Bill Gadsby.
Today in Hockey History
Bill Gadsby Reaches 500 Points
1962: The Detroit Red Wings defenceman becomes the first blueliner in league history to have 500 career points. Gadsby picks up an assist in the Wings’ 3-1 win over the Chicago Black Hawks. He’d go on to pick up 28 points for the 1962-63 season.
The Calgary native played for Chicago, Detroit and the New York Rangers in his 20-year NHL career. He’d finish with 568 points on 130 goals and 438 assists. Gadsby enters the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1970 and would pass away in March 2016.
Other Notable Events
1977: Phil Esposito becomes the third player to score 600 goals in league history. He joins Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull on the list with a power-play marker in the Rangers’ 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
1987: Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers beats Marcel Dionne of the Rangers to 1,000 career assists. Gretzky and Dionne both have 998 helpers at the start of play, but Gretzky gets two to reach the milestone. The Great One gets No. 1,000 in his 645th career game. Dionne gets one assist, but reaches 1,000 in the next game against his former longtime Los Angeles Kings.
1998: The San Jose Sharks beat the Dallas Stars, 4-0, on just nine shots. It’s the lowest shot total for a winning team in NHL history since shots were tracked in 1955-56. Mike Vernon makes 21 saves in the win for San Jose.
2003: Mark Messier moves up to second in the NHL’s leading scorers list. He scores twice in a 3-0 Rangers’ victory over the Stars. Messier (1,851 points) passes Howe and moves into second place behind Gretzky.
2014: Alex Ovechkin becomes the Washington Capitals all-time leading scorer in franchise history. He passes Peter Bondra with a pair of assists in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames.
2016: The Columbus Blue Jackets hit the 10-goal mark for the first time in franchise history. Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno and Scott Hartnell each score twice in a 10-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. It’s the fourth time the Habs have lost 10-0.
2019: Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins gets his second five-point night of the season in a 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Happy Birthday to You
1923: Howie Meeker
1963: Michel Therrien
1975: Eric Fichaud
1984: Dustin Brown
