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 8th featuring Scotty Bowman.
Today in Hockey History
Scotty Bowman Gets 1,000th Coaching Win
1997: The legendary coach gets his 1,000th win behind the bench as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-5, in overtime. Brendan Shanahan scores 2:01 into the extra period to get his coach the milestone.
The victory moved Bowman to a career mark of 1,000-452-255 with the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Penguins and Red Wings. He finished with 1,244 career coaching victories when he closes out his career at the end of the 2001-02 season.
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Other Notable Events
1958: Boston Bruins goalie Harry Lumley becomes the second goalie to win 300 career games. He gets the mark in a 7-3 road win at the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1970: Detroit winger Gordie Howe becomes the first player to score 750 career goals. However, the Red Wings lose, 5-3, to the Philadelphia Flyers at home.
1975: Rookie Pete LoPresti gets his first NHL shutout when the Minnesota North Stars beat the Flyers, 5-0. He becomes part of the first father/son duo to get shutouts after Sam LoPresti got four in two years with the Chicago Blackhawks.
1983: Edmonton Oilers centre Wayne Gretzky puts on a show with four goals at the All-Star Game in Long Island. Gretzky gets four in the third period of the Campbell Conference’s 9-3 victory over the Wales Conference.
1991: Gretzky gets a pair of streaks going with an assist in the Los Angeles Kings 4-4 tie with the Sabres. The Great One starts a 23-game assist streak and a 25-game point streak with a second-period assist.
1997: New York Rangers captain Mark Messier gets his 19th and final hat trick in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. It’s the first time in 25 years a Rangers player has gotten a hat trick against the rival Isles.
2003; Pittsburgh centre Mario Lemieux becomes the 10th player to get 1,000 career assists in a 5-2 win over Boston.
2006: The Flyers become the first 1967 expansion team to win 1,000 games. Mike Richards gets a hat trick to help the Flyers accomplish the feat with a 5-2 win over the Islanders.
Happy Birthday to You
1902: Alec Connell
1905: Larry Aurie
1954: Gary Sargent
1960: Dino Ciccarelli
1966: Kirk Muller
1984: Sean Bergenheim
1989: Thomas Hickey; Brendan Smith
1995: Robert Hage
