What are some funny and mind blowing NHL facts?

[Pookie]

In the funny category, remember reading about Brendan Shanahan as a rookie.

Story went that years before he had an opportunity to meet Rick Vaive. He asked for an autograph and Vaive refused.

Years later, Shanahan makes the NHL. Lines up against Vaive and drops the mitts.

Vaive apparently asked what the hell was that for.

The reply was something like "next time sign the autograph"

Years later, Vaive took his kid and they ran into Shanahan. The kid asked for an autograph and Shanahan signed it.

 

[HasbeenHallzy]

such a mind blowing stat it is beyond insane,there is no player who dominated their sport like Gretzky did, people are going to bring up Jordan, Ruth, whoever, but Gretzky is in a league by himself

Tiger Woods.

 

[The Panther]

Tom Barrasso has the most career assists (48) by a goaltender. 777 games
Grant Fuhr is second with 47 helpers, 868 games

Your mentioning Grant Fuhr's assists reminds me of this gem:

In 1983-84, Oilers' center Pat Conacher and Oilers' goaltender Grant Fuhr each appeared in 45 games.

Conacher scored 10 points on the season, and Fuhr scored 14.

 

[Simarino]

The habs dont have a player who finish the season among the top 10 scoring leader in the league since Mats Naslund in 85-86....30 f***in years and they still are building around Carey Price!!!

 

[brachyrynchos]

Your mentioning Grant Fuhr's assists reminds me of this gem:

In 1983-84, Oilers' center Pat Conacher and Oilers' goaltender Grant Fuhr each appeared in 45 games.

Conacher scored 10 points on the season, and Fuhr scored 14.

Ouch!
One of Hextall's goals was shorthanded, and the only goal scored by a goalie against another goalie (was skating to the bench)

 

[rent free]

They missed the playoffs in 8 consecutive seasons in the 60s...

ok they haven't missed the playoffs 3 years in a row since they missed 8 consecutive in the 60's

 

[ES]

Miikka and Marko Kiprusoff both have 0 goals and 10 assists in their career.

Yes, Miikka was a goalie and Marko a defenseman.

 

[stl76]

The St Louis Blues made it to the Stanley Cup finals their fist 3 years in existence.

Best part: they haven't been back since, despite making the playoffs 25 straight years (and 39 times total out of a possible 47) in that span.

The fact is, having radiation treatment on a lump on your neck is not impeding an athlete in any physical way. Just in terms of physicality, Lemieux basically got a nice rest and then came back to play after the little aches and pains had healed.

Excuse me? You realize that the human body needs to recover and heal after exertion and/or injury, right? Radiation treatment basically tries to kill all the cells in a certain area, both healthy and cancerous. This is a big oversimplification, but the point is that the healthy cells in a treated area still have to heal which means the body must use energy and resources to do so. Lemieux had a lot more to recover from than little aches and pains. Do you actually believe receiving radiation treatment to ANY part of your body wouldn't impact your body's ability to recover from, say, playing an NHL game?

Radiation treatment =/= "a nice rest." What kind of ignorant statement is that? Your body has to recover from the damage that radiation treatment inflicts. It's mind blowing that this needs to be explained...possibly the most mind blowing part of this entire thread.

Some people say, a lot of people maybe, that the body is like a battery, all right? Think about it. A battery -- if you run a battery, it dies. OK? Think about that. Some of the smartest -- maybe most of the smartest people, the ones who I know anyway, say this.

You need to get to know some smarter people.

Tiger Woods.

Jack Nicklaus...

 

[ThirdManIn]

It was satirical, boss.

 

[ChuckLefley]

Brett Hull scored 741 goals in his career (1269 games). But it took him 500 games before he scored an empty net goal.

He always passed the puck to someone else as he hated scoring empty net goals.

 

[Iapyi]

Brett Hull scored 741 goals in his career (1269 games). But it took him 500 games before he scored an empty net goal.

probably because for the bulk of his career they wouldn't risk having him on the ice with a one goal lead and only a minute or so to play?

 

[Lunatik]

Mike Smith has more career goals than Brett Kulak

 

[stl76]

It was satirical, boss.

Went right over my head, oops. Sarcasm/satire can get lost in the translation online.

 

[ThirdManIn]

Went right over my head, oops. Sarcasm/satire can get lost in the translation online.

It's OK. I couldn't be very obvious with it lol

 

[HockeyAddict]

On HNIC, they said that Ovechkin has had 150 multi-goal games so far in his NHL career...

 

[maxb221]

The first million dollar contract was signed by Bobby Orr in 1971. The Boston Bruins signed him to a five-year deal, $200 000 per year.

 

[njdevsfn95]

Despite all of the series they have played in since making the playoffs for the first time in 1988, the New Jersey Devils have never been swept.

 

[NORiculous]

probably because for the bulk of his career they wouldn't risk having him on the ice with a one goal lead and only a minute or so to play?

nope!

He always passed the puck to someone else as he hated scoring empty net goals.

Yep!



He said (and this is documented): "empty net goals are for p***yes"

He just didn't want to score an empty net goal.

But, at some point, after 500 games nonetheless, he was in a situation where no teamates were near... (no passe available) so he had to score the goal himself.

 

[RegDunlop]

Why is Dallas Eakins mentioned so often? He was the head coach for one year and 31 games. His only full season with the Oilers they were 3rd worst in the league. Before he ever showed up they finished 7th worst, 2nd worst, very worst, and very worst. During a season that he coached less than half of, they finished 3rd worst, and in the following season they were 2nd worst after he was fired.

With Eakins: 3rd, 3rd
Without Eakins: 7th, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 2nd

From 09-10 to 15-16, the Oilers averaged being the 2.6th worst team in the league without Eakins and they were the 3rd worst team in the league with Eakins. I understand that he was a very immature poor coach and I remember the Taylor Hall water bottle incident but it's not as if he is the reason for the Oilers' failures both before and after he arrived. The Oilers missed the playoffs for ten straight seasons and a guy who coached for less than 1 and a half is really the guy to blame for their struggles and for them becoming a less than world class hockey organization? They had missed the playoffs 7 times before he arrived.

This is probably the best post on this forum.
Eakins was by far the worst coach I have ever seen in all my years of being involved in hockey. However the buffoons who hired him, actually wanted to keep him longer, s***canned a fine coach IMO, and continue to play a role in this ridiculous management of this totally inept franchise, are the real figureheads to blame. I am, and continue to be ashamed to be a lifelong Oiler fan.
Even before this abismal year started, that's how I felt. One year does not erase all the embarrassment. Now there is more to add.

 

[Maukkis]

Vegas' players who were parts of different side deals during the expansion draft have combined for 93 points so far. It is not quite as simple as "they literally were paid to take on these players", but still, it's amusing to see the likes of Karlsson, Smith, Haula and co. ripping it up.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

nope!

Yep!



He said (and this is documented): "empty net goals are for *****es"

He just didn't want to score an empty net goal.

But, at some point, after 500 games nonetheless, he was in a situation where no teamates were near... (no passe available) so he had to score the goal himself.

Regarding the quote I think you're thinking of Iafrate, not Hull. And what Iafrate said was even more inappropriate.

Hull came around to empty netters later in his career, but he sure hated them for a long time.

 

[RegDunlop]

Mark Messier is the only player in NHL history to captain 2 teams to a Stanley Cup.

 

[crossicepass]

(I hesitate to write this, because I'm gonna get jumped all over by the Lemieux-apologists, but...)

I have huge respect for Lemieux for his comeback from radiation treatments, and specifically for the stoicism he maintained during that period. But the narrative of "he came back from cancer to score a lot of points -- wow, can't believe it!" is a little overblown. The fact is, having radiation treatment on a lump on your neck is not impeding an athlete in any physical way. Just in terms of physicality, Lemieux basically got a nice rest and then came back to play after the little aches and pains had healed. (Now, of course, psychologically it's a different story, which is why I said I have huge respect for him.... please note before flaming -- I said "huge respect". Okay? Okay.)

Second, as incredible as Lemieux's scoring feats were that season, he was never going to score 224 points. Shortly after he came back from radiation treatment, the Pens went on a 17-game winning streak (18 undefeated). Elite scorers like Lemieux will, of course, rack up disproportionately high point totals during 'good times' -- as they should. Lemieux scored 29 goals and 54 points during those 18 games, a ridiculous 3.00 PPG. But outside of those 18 games, here are paces that Lemieux, in that era, was otherwise scoring at:
2.08 PPG -- 1989-90
1.73 PPG -- 1990-91
1.91 PPG -- 1991 playoffs
2.05 PPG -- 1991-92
2.27 PPG -- 1992 playoffs
2.52 PPG -- 1992-93
1.64 PPG -- 1993 playoffs
1.68 PPG -- 1993-94
1.17 PPG -- 1994 playoffs

To score 224 points (in 84 games), Lemieux would have had to score, for a full season, 2.67 PPG -- a higher rate than he maintained for any stretch longer than about 30 games, at any time in his career. It's not taking anything away from Lemieux's incredible 1992-93 season, but it's just a point to note.

Dude, my bad. But then again how could've I known beforehand that you'd interpret my post in a Wayne v. Mario kind of way?

 

[DickSmehlik]

Larry Zeidel won a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in his first NHL season during the '51-'52 season. He then spent the next 2 seasons with the Red Wings and Blackhawks before toiling for the next 13 seasons in the minors.

Just when it looked like his career was over, the NHL expanded in 1968. Zeidel created a resume and sent out it to all 12 NHL teams. He caught the interest of the Philadelphia Flyers who gave Zeidel another shot at the NHL at age 39, 13 years after he last appeared in the NHL. He went on to play 66 games with the Flyers over 2 seasons before retiring.

 

[The Panther]

Dude, my bad. But then again how could've I known beforehand that you'd interpret my post in a Wayne v. Mario kind of way?

I didn't mention "Wayne" whatsoever.