August 2 NHL History
1932: Defenseman Leo Boivin, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, is born in Prescott, Ontario.
Boivin plays 19 seasons in the NHL, 12 of them with the Boston Bruins. Though he’s 5-foot-8, 183 pounds (his nickname was “Fireplug”), Boivin excels as a stay-at-home defenseman. Boivin becomes known as one of the NHL’s hardest hitters in the 1950s and ’60s, earning respect from opponents with his devastating hip checks. He retires in 1970 with 322 points (72 goals, 250 assists) in 1,150 NHL games and is voted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.
1970: Tony Amonte, an eight-time 30-goal scorer, is born in Hingham, Massachusetts. After two seasons at Boston University, Amonte steps right into the NHL with the New York Rangers and scores 35 goals in 1991-92, finishing second in voting for the Calder Trophy. He’s traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in March 1994 and becomes one of the NHL’s most consistent scorers, with 30 or more goals in six consecutive seasons, including three 40-goal seasons. Amonte plays for the Phoenix Coyotes and Philadelphia Flyers before finishing his career playing two seasons with the Calgary Flames. He retires in 2007 with 416 goals and 900 points in 1,174 NHL games.
2005: Defenseman Adam Foote signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets after spending the first 13 seasons of his NHL career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. Foote, 34, spends most of three seasons with Columbus before being traded back to Colorado on Feb. 26, 2008. He plays three more seasons with the Avalanche before ending his career, and Colorado retires his No. 52 on Nov. 2, 2013.
