Monday marks 99th anniversary of 1st NHL game
It all began 99 years ago today.
The first game in NHL history was played Dec. 19, 1917: a 7-4 victory for the Montreal Canadiens over the Ottawa Senators.
Along with the Canadiens and Senators, the Toronto Arenas and the Montreal Wanderers formed the four-team league Nov. 26.
The sport was drastically different back then, of course. There were no zones, but forward passing wasn't allowed. Sounds fun!
Furthermore, changing on the fly was against the rules, and goaltenders weren't allowed to leave their feet to make a save. Perhaps the current NHL could look at the latter to fix its so-called scoring crisis.
The Arenas went on to bring home the Stanley Cup that season, defeating the Pacific Coast Hockey Association champs, the Vancouver Millionaires.
Now the Maple Leafs, Toronto will headline the NHL's 100-year celebrations by taking on the Detroit Red Wings at the Centennial Classic on Jan. 1.