Normally we’d be in the 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 January 12th, featuring Mario Lemieux.
Today in Hockey History
Mario Lemieux Gets Cancer Diagnosis
1993: The Pittsburgh Penguins star is diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Lemieux luckily catches the disease in its early stages after a lymph node is removed from his neck. He misses two months after getting radiation treatments.
Super Mario returns on March 2nd and wins the scoring title with 160 points in 60 games. This is one of the many things that prevent him from an even greater career than what he carves out. However, he would win the Hart Trophy in 1996.
Other Notable Events
1918: Joe Malone scores five goals in the Montreal Canadiens 9-4 win over the Ottawa Senators. Malone becomes the league’s first 20-goal scorer in the win.
1943: Bep Guidolin gets two goals in the Boston Bruins 3-0 victory over the Chicago Black Hawks. The game is the second of four games to raise money for the American Red Cross.
1980: Gordie Howe returns to Detroit for the first time in nine years in the Hartford Whalers 6-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Howe’s son Mark Howe gets two assists to end the Whalers’ nine-game winless streak.
1992: The New Jersey Devils are the first team to use for players from the Soviet Union. Viacheslav Fetisov, Alexei Kasatonov, Valeri Zelepukin and Alexander Semak all play during a 5-2 victory against the Los Angeles Kings.
1994: Wayne Gretzky scores twice to become to league’s first 2,400-point scorer. He powers the Kings to a 6-4 win over the Whalers to also get 200 goals with the franchise.
2001: J.J. Daigneault becomes the second player to suit up for 10 different teams in the Minnesota Wild‘s 5-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
2006: The New York Rangers retire the No. 11 sweater of former captain Mark Messier. The league’s No. 2 all-time scorer led the Blueshirts to their first title in 54 years with a Stanley Cup in 1994.
2016: Arizona Coyotes forward Max Domi gets his first career hat trick in a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
2019: The Rangers get their first win in Brooklyn with a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Mats Zuccarello scores to give the Rangers their first win at Barclays Center in nine attempts.
Happy Birthday to You
1930: Tim Horton
1958: Curt Fraser
1965: Nikolai Borschevsky
1972: Espen Knutsen
1975: Jocelyn Thibault
1979: Marian Hossa
1981: Niklas Kronwall
1988: Claude Giroux
1995: David Kampf
