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 18, featuring Scotty Bowman.
Today in Hockey History
Scotty Bowman Born in Montreal
1933: The future Hall of Famer turns to coaching after an injury ends his playing career. He gets his first coaching job as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues at the age of 34. Bowman replaces Lynn Patrick later in the 1967=68 season and guides the Blues to the Stanley Cup Final in three straight seasons.
He wins the Stanley Cup five times in eight seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. He adds two titles with the Pittsburgh Penguins after a stint with the Buffalo Sabres. Bowman ends his coaching career with three more championships with the Detroit Red Wings to finish with nine Cups as a coach.
Other Notable Events
1967: The Minnesota North Stars beat the Los Angeles Kings, 7-3, in an exhibition game between the two first-year clubs in Guelph, Ontario. It’s the first game for the Kings, but they win the rematch one night later, 6-2.
1972: The New York Islanders lose their first pre-season game in team history to the Atlanta Flames. Atlanta beats New York, 4-1, in Drummondville, Quebec.
1998: John Cullen makes his triumphant return to the ice after being diagnosed with cancer. Cullen returns after being told he has a baseball-sized tumor in his chest 18 months earlier. His return comes five months after told he’s cancer-free and make it a memorable one. The Tampa Bay Lightning forward scores in a 3-1 victory over the Sabres in a pre-season at Innsbruck, Austria. Cullen plays in four regular season games with Tampa and six in the minors before becoming an assistant coach. He wins the Masterton Trophy for his perseverance in 1999.
2009: The Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Phil Kessel in a trade with the Boston Bruins. Boston gets first- and second-round picks in the 2010 NHL Draft and a first-round choice in 2011. Kessel also signs a five-year contract extension with the Leafs on the same day.
2015: Montreal names Max Pacioretty as the team’s 29th captain in team history. He’s the third American to wear the “C” with the Habs and second straight from the USA after Brian Gionta.
Happy Birthday to You
1903: Bun Cook
1911: Syd Howe
1933: Scotty Bowman
1937: Ralph Backstrom
1950: Darryl Sittler
1956: Peter Stastny
1959: Kelly Kisio
1966: Tom Chorske
1982: Peter Budaj
1998: Conor Timmins
