Jan. 16 NHL History
1934: Ken Doraty scores the only overtime hat trick in NHL history, giving the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs a 7-4 victory against the Ottawa Senators. Prior to being suspended after World War II breaks out, overtime is a mandatory 10-minute period, rather than the five-minute, sudden-death format adopted when it’s restored in 1983.
1960: Gordie Howe passes longtime rival Maurice Richard to become the NHL’s all-time scoring leader with a second-period assist and a third-period goal in the Detroit Red Wings‘ 3-1 victory against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. Howe sets up a second-period goal by longtime linemate Alex Delvecchio, then scores a power-play goal early in the third period to finish the night with 947 points in 888 NHL games. By the time he plays his last NHL game on April 6, 1980, Howe has 801 goals and 1,850 points. Those records stand until Wayne Gretzky comes along in the 1980s.
1966: Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks scores four goals for the second time in the 1965-66 season. It’s his 17th NHL hat trick and makes him the first Chicago player with 300 NHL goals. Despite Hull’s big night, which includes scoring three goals in less than seven minutes during the third period, the Blackhawks lose 6-5 to the New York Rangers at Chicago Stadium.
1968: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the NHL All-Stars 4-3 at Maple Leaf Gardens. It’s the final All-Star game that matches the defending Stanley Cup champions against an All-Star team composed of players from the other NHL franchises, including the six that come into the League as part of the 1967 expansion.
1990: Glenn Healy makes 51 saves for his second NHL shutout in the New York Islanders‘ 3-0 victory against the Vancouver Canucks at Nassau Coliseum. At the time, it’s the second-highest number of saves in a shutout by an NHL goaltender, trailing a 52-save shutout by Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens against the Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium on Nov. 13, 1955.
1996: Mario Lemieux reaches the 100-point mark for the ninth time in his NHL career, second to Gretzky’s total of 14. Point No. 100 comes on his 40th goal of the season, but the Pittsburgh Penguins lose 5-2 to the visiting Colorado Avalanche.
2004: Steve Yzerman has an assist in Detroit’s 3-3 tie against Phoenix at Joe Louis Arena to become the seventh NHL player to reach 1,700 points. He finishes his career in 2006 with 1,755 points, all scored while a member of the Red Wings.
2006: Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scores one of the most spectacular goals in NHL history at 11:54 of the third period in a 6-1 victory against the Phoenix Coyotes at Glendale Arena.
The rookie forward races into the Phoenix zone and is dragged down by defenseman Paul Mara, but as he slides on his back in the left circle, he reaches out one-handed and hooks the puck past goaltender Brian Boucher.
“The best goal I ever scored,” Ovechkin says after his second of the game and 32nd of the season. “I just went down and shot.”
