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July 20 has been an eventful date in National Hockey League historical past regardless of no video games being performed. A Hall of Fame goaltender lastly landed in a spot the place he can get a crack on the NHL. A two-time Stanley Cup winner retired. There was a historic rent among the many scouting ranks, and a really proficient group of gamers have been born. So, let’s start our every day journey again in time to relive all the perfect recollections this date has to supply.
(*20*)
Johnny Bower Heads East
On July 20, 1953, the New York Rangers acquired Hall of Fame goaltender Johnny Bower from the Cleveland Barons for goaltender Emile Francis, ahead Neil Strain, and money. Bower starred with the Barons between 1945 and 1953. He gained three Calder Cup championships, and his 359 wins are nonetheless essentially the most in American Hockey League (AHL) historical past.
Bower lastly made his NHL debut in 1953. He performed in each minute of all 70 video games for the Rangers in the course of the 1953-54 season, going 29-31-10. He misplaced his beginning job to Gump Worsley the next season and spent a lot of the subsequent two seasons again in the AHL.
His profession took a serious flip when he was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1958 Inter-League Draft. Bower spent the subsequent 12 seasons with the Maple Leafs and gained 4 Stanley Cup championships and two Vezina Trophies. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.
Brad Richards Hangs Them Up
Brad Richards introduced his retirement on July 20, 2016, after 15 seasons in the league. He was initially drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third spherical (sixty fourth total) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut on the opening night time of the 2000-01 season and scored 21 targets and 62 factors in his rookie marketing campaign.
Richards scored 12 targets and 26 factors in 23 playoff video games in 2004, main the Lightning to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise historical past. He was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for being essentially the most helpful participant of the postseason.
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His time in Tampa Bay ended on Feb. 26, 2008, when he was traded to the Dallas Stars, together with Johan Holmqvist, for Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern, Mike Smith, and a fourth-round draft choose. After three extra seasons with the Stars, Richards signed an enormous nine-year, $60 million contract with the Rangers in 2011. He didn’t stay out the deal because the Rangers purchased out the rest of the contract following the 2013-14 season.
This allowed Richards to signal with the Chicago Blackhawks on a one-year contract, the place he spent many of the season centering Patrick Kane. He scored three targets and 14 factors in a postseason run that ended with a victory over the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.
Richards spent his last season in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, scoring 10 targets and 28 factors. He retired with 298 targets and 932 factors in 1126 video games. He had 489 of these factors with Tampa Bay, which rank because the fifth-most in franchise historical past.
A Busy Day in 1972
On July 20, 1972, the growth New York Islanders named Phil Goyette as their first head coach in franchise historical past. Goyette didn’t make it by the group’s inaugural season. He is fired after going 6-38-4 simply 48 video games into the season and changed by Earl Ingarfield. Goyette by no means coached in the NHL once more.
On that very same date, the Quebec Nordiques made an enormous splash, forward of the debut of the World Hockey Association (WHA), by bringing in two well-known names from the realm. First, they signed Montreal Canadiens star J.C. Tremblay to a five-year contract. He had gained 5 Stanley Cups in his 13 seasons with the Canadiens.
Tremblay performed for the Nordiques throughout all the seven-season run of the WHA. He had 75 assists in the course of the 1972-73 season after which 77 in 1976-77. He amassed 358 assists in his seven seasons with Quebec after incomes 306 helpers throughout his 13 seasons in the NHL.
The Nordiques additionally employed the legendary Maurice Ricard as their first head coach. His stint lasted simply two video games, a win and a loss earlier than he stepped down. Maurice Filion took over the for remainder of the group’s and league’s inaugural season.
Bryan Trottier Moves On
On July 20, 1990, free agent Bryan Trottier signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. This ended a remarkably profitable run with the Islanders. He made his debut on Long Island to begin the 1975-75 season after being drafted in the second spherical of the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft. He gained the Calder Trophy for being the league’s prime rooking that season with 32 targets and 95 factors.
In 15 seasons with the Islanders, Trottier scored 500 targets and 1,353 factors in 1,123 video games. He was some of the vital members of a group that gained 4 straight Stanley Cup championships between 1980 and 1983.
While his offensive numbers have been down, he nonetheless offered veteran management on a loaded Penguins roster. Trottier gained two extra Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992 to deliver his profession complete as much as six as a participant.
Odds & Ends
The Maple Leafs employed Floyd Smith as their new head coach on July 20, 1979, changing Roger Neilson. Smith had earlier teaching success with the Buffalo Sabres, taking them to the Stanley Cup playoffs in every of his three seasons between 1975 and 1977. His time in Toronto didn’t go properly, as he was fired 68 video games into the 1979-80 season. He remained with the group as a scout and ultimately spent two seasons as normal supervisor from 1989 to 1991.
The Penguins employed Lou Angotti as their new head coach on July 29, 1983, changing Eddie Johnston. He was let go after profitable simply 16 video games in the course of the 1983-84 season. Johnston returned for a second teaching stint with the Penguins in 1993.
The San Jose Sharks made historical past on July 20, 1992, by hiring 26-year-old Deborah Wright as a part-time scout. She grew to become the primary feminine to work as a scout for an NHL group. Wright performed school hockey in Ottawa earlier than changing into a scout in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
On July 20, 1999, the Rangers signed free-agent goaltender Kirk McLean. He had spent many of the earlier 11 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. McLean was in aim for the Canucks after they misplaced the 1994 Stanley Cup Final to the Rangers. He spent two seasons serving as Mike Richter’s backup. He gained 15 video games throughout his time in New York earlier than retiring in 2001.
Happy Birthday to You
There have been 24 present and former NHL gamers born on July 20. Peter Forsberg, born in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, in 1973, is the one Hall of Famer of the bunch. He was initially drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers with the sixth choose of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. The following yr, he was traded to the Nordiques as a part of the package deal that despatched Eric Lindros to Philadelphia.
In the Nordiques’ last season in Quebec, in 1994-95, Forsberg gained the Calder Trophy by scoring 15 targets and 50 factors in 47 video games. He relocated with the group, scoring 30 targets and 116 factors throughout their Stanley Cup championship season 1995-96. He gained one other Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2002 and was the 2003 Art Ross Trophy winner for main the NHL with 106 factors. He additionally gained the Hart Trophy that season for being voted essentially the most helpful participant in the league.
(Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
In 2005, Forsberg returned to Philadelphia as a free agent. He was traded to the Nashville Predators on the 2007 Trade Deadline. Injuries triggered him to overlook plenty of time in the course of the second half of his profession, however he produced when wholesome. He retired in 2010, after one last season with the Avalanche, with 249 targets and 885 factors in 708 video games. He was a part of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2014 induction class.
Forsberg is perhaps the one Hall of Famer born on this date, however he’s more likely to be joined by Pavel Datsyuk in the close to future. Datsyuk, born in Sverdlovsk, Russia, in 1978, is the highest-scoring participant of these with July 20 birthdays. He scored 314 targets and 918 factors in 953 NHL video games, all with the Red Wings.
Datsyuk was drafted by the Red Wings in the sixth spherical (171st total) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He was a part of two Stanley Cup championships in 2002 and 2008. He was a four-time winner of the Lady Bing Trophy for being the “most gentlemanly” participant. He additionally gained the Frank J. Selke Trophy thrice, given the perfect defensive ahead every season.
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Murry Craven, born on July 20, 1964, performed essentially the most video games of the group. He dressed for 1,071 video games over 18 seasons for the Red Wings, Flyers, Hartford Whalers, Canucks, Blackhawks, and Sharks.
On the flip facet, Nick Vachon, born on July 20, 1972, performed in only one profession NHL sport for the Islanders in 1997.
Other notable gamers born on this date embody Terry Murray (73), Jimmy Carson (55), Jozef Stumpel (51), Antoine Vermette (41), Andrew Shaw (32), Oscar Klefbom (30), Morgan Geekie (25), Brett Murray (25), and Dillon Dube (25).
*Originally constructed by Greg Boysen
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