Normally we’d be in the midst of starting up another hockey season now, 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 17th, featuring Bobby Orr.
Also Read: Bobby Orr — The Gentleman of GOATs
Today in Hockey History
Bobby Orr Sets Defencemen Assist Record
1973: The Boston Bruins defenceman hands out four assists to get the record for most helpers for a blue-liner in league history. Orr helps power the Bruins to an 8-0 home win over the Detroit Red Wings. The four assists put him past Doug Harvey, who had 452 assists. Orr gets his 456th assist in his 458th career game.
Phil Esposito scores his 20th goal in the team’s 18th game. That was the fastest at the time a player got to 20 goals to start a season.
Other Notable Events
1926: The Chicago Black Hawks win their first game with a 4-1 win over the Toronto St. Pats. (They would later become the Toronto Maple Leafs.) George Hay and Dick Irvin each score in the span of one minute to give Chicago the win.
1932: The Red Wings and Canadiens have a fashion crisis as both teams show up in red. Detroit is forced to wear white pullovers in a 1-0 loss in overtime as George Hainsworth gets his 68th shutout.
1979: Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe square off for the first time in the NHL. Howe gets an assist on a Mike Rogers goal as the Hartford Whalers cruise to a 4-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
1984: Mike Bossy gets a hat trick and Bryan Trottier hands out four assists in the New York Islanders 10-4 win over the New York Rangers. Bossy gets his 32nd hat trick in the rout of the city rivals.
1988: Bernie Federko gets two goals as the St. Louis Blues finally win a road game against the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s the first win for St. Louis in Philadelphia since Jan. 6, 1972, ending a drought of 34 games (31 losses, three ties).
1997: Trottier, Mario Lemieux and Glen Sather all enter the Hockey Hall of Fame. The trio were key parts of the sport’s growth in the 1980s.
2017: NHL general managers meet at the historic Windsor (then a hotel, now an office building) in Montreal to celebrate the League’s first 100 years. League officials commemorate the founding with a bronze plaque.
Happy Birthday to You
1953: Blair MacDonald
1955: Dennis Maruk
1996: Roope Hintz
