Hockey is finally back! Normally we’d be closing in on the mid-way point of the regular season, however, 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 February 5th featuring Gordie Howe.
Today in Hockey History
Gordie Howe Appears in Last All-Star Game
1980: The Hartford Whalers forward returns to Detroit and gets a thunderous ovation in his last All-Star Game. A crowd of 21,002 fills the Joe Louis Arena to see Mr. Hockey and give him a four-minute ovation. Howe is playing in his 23rd and final All-Star Game with all but one coming for the Detroit Red Wings.
He doesn’t score, but he sets up Real Cloutier‘s goal in a 6-3 Wales Conference victory over the Campbell Conference.
Other Notable Events
1943: Red Dutton becomes the new league president after the death of Frank Calder. Dutton serves until 1946 when Clarence Campbell takes the post.
1989: Detroit’s Steve Yzerman gets his second straight 50-goal season in a 6-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Yzerman scores twice en route to getting 65 goals by the end of the season.
1991: Los Angeles Kings forward Dave Taylor gets two assists in a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The former 15th round draft pick becomes the 29th player to get 1,000 career points.
1994: Washington Capitals forward Peter Bondra efficiently scores four goals on four shots in a 6-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bondra accomplishes this in a span of 4:12 in the first period and adds a fifth goal late in the second period.
1997: Pittsburgh Penguins centre Ron Francis becomes the second player in league history to get 500 points with two different teams. He collects two assists in the Penguins 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Francis netted 821 points with the Whalers before coming to Pittsburgh in 1991.
1999: Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy gets his 400th win in net with a 3-1 victory at Detroit. It’s Roy’s 10th straight win and 11th in a row for the Avs.
2010: The New Jersey Devils rally for three straight goals to stun the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3. Jay Pandolfo scores the game-winner with 19 seconds to play as the Devils rally from 3-1 down with 3:04 to play.
2019: Washington winger Alex Ovechkin passes Sergei Fedorov for most points by a Russian player with his 1,180th points. Ovechkin assists on a T.J. Oshie goal in a win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Happy Birthday to You
1876: Ernie McLea
1934: Don Cherry
1937: Larry Hillman
1957: Norm Dupont
1973: Richard Matvichuk
1976: Jan Hrdina
1982: Tomas Kopecky
1997: Nicolas Roy; Mitchell Stephens
