10 of the most memorable NHL moments from the 90s
For a kid in the eight-to-18 range during the '90s (hi), the NHL could not have been a better place. The jerseys were apparently created by people in that age range, the personalities remained large, and hockey was still considered one of the major four sports.
Below are 10 of the best moments from that glorious decade of hockey, from the rats on the ice in Florida, to Patrick Roy's departure from Montreal and beyond.
#10
The medics drop Mike Modano
This clip was a dark horse to make the list, but it needs to be remembered. First Mark Messier blindsides Mike Modano in the brain – Modano is unconscious on impact – then they stretcher him off…and drop him trying to get him in the ambulance. If this happened today, Messier would get 40 games, and the medics would get at least 10.
#9
Kerry Fraser missed a call, or something
During the 1993 Western Conference Final, the Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves a win away from their first Stanley Cup Final in 26 years. Wendel Clark dragged the team into overtime and then ... it happened. Wayne Gretzky high-sticked the Leafs best player, Doug Gilmour, in the face. There was even blood. In that era, that was a five minute major and an ejection. Fraser talked it over with his linesmen, decided not to make the call – it would have been a huge call to make – and as these things go, Gretzky’s scored the game winner just seconds later. If you know any Leafs fans, it comes up occasionally.
#8
Hockey had some real momentum
It took clutch-and-grab and a handful of lockouts to knock the game off its pedestal, but there was awhile there in the 90s where hockey really was considered one of the “big four.” Maybe it still kind of is, but in 1994, when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup, Sports Illustrated put out this now-iconic (to hockey fans) cover:
#7
Owen Nolan calls his shot
It’s rare that the All-Star Game gives us noteworthy moments, but in 1997 Owen Nolan completed his hat-trick on a breakaway that saw him call his shot. (Also, it should be pointed out that the turnover by Mark Messier before the goal is comical.) He literally pointed where he was going to shoot, shot there, and beat Dominic Hasek cleanly - not so easy to do. It was just an All-Star Game, but it was a cool moment.
#6
Florida goes ratty
Unbelieveably, the relatively new Florida Panthers made a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1995-96. Along the way, Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the dressing room with a hockey stick (totally normal), which, while terrible and gross, became somewhat of a good luck symbol for Panthers fans, who started throwing plastic rats on the ice to celebrate goals. I dunno what to tell ya man, it was weird.
#5
No Gretzky in Nagano shootout
Canada lost their shot at the gold medal game at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano in a shootout to the Czech Republic. Dominic Hasek, perhaps the best goalie who ever lived, stopped all five Canadian attempts. The big not here, though: none of those attempts were taken by Wayne Gretzky, the best hockey player of all time. Canada chose to send Fleury, Bourque, Neiwendyk, Lindros and Shanahan – a pretty impressive quintet. Gretzky was a notoriously poor breakaway taker, but still – he’s Wayne freaking Gretzky, he thrives on big moments, and he was denied his chance. That debatable decision has been second guessed for 16 years now.
#4
Teemu Selanne, and the glove-toss-n-shoot celly
In 1992-93 the league was introduced to Teemu Selanne, an untested rookie just trying to leave his mark on the game. That year he scored 76 goals – 76 goals in his first year – and would go on to take home the Calder Trophy. That beat the old rookie goal-scoring record held by Mike Bossy by 23 goals. Is that any good? Oh, and he also gave us one of the greatest, most ridiculous goal celebrations of all-time.
#3
Patrick Roy says peace out
December 2nd, 1995. The Canadiens are playing a run of the mill regular season game against the Red Wings, only… it ended up being anything but. The Red Wings shelled the Canadiens, who had Patrick Roy in net. By the time it was 7-1, the fans were giving Roy the Bronx cheer for stopping easy shots. With the game out of reach and the team playing like garbage in front of him, he should’ve been mercy pulled long before it came to that. He ended up giving up nine on 26 shots, very few of which were his fault, and the notoriously passionate Roy snapped. He told the team president on the bench, immediately, he’d never play for the Canadiens again. He didn’t. He’s also never spoken to coach Mario Tremblay since.
#2
Hull's toe was in the crease
In 1999 the Dallas Stars won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history on the heels (or rather, on the toes?) of a Brett Hull overtime goal. That was the era where refs negated goals at a crazy rate if anyone had some much as a breath of metal in the crease when the puck crossed the line. Yet seemingly because of the celebration that goal kicked off, the refs chose to let it stand. They’ve tried to retroactively justify not waving it off, but at the time, goals like that almost never counted. It stood, and hey - flags fly forever. The Stars are Cup winners.
#1
Mark Messier’s guarantee in 1994
With the Rangers trailing the Devils 3-2 in the ’94 Eastern Conference Final, Mark Messier publicly guaranteed that the Rangers would win game six. It made headlines, both teams saw it, and it became A Thing. He went on the score a natural hat-trick in the third period (with the third being an empty-netter), and now people compare it to Babe Ruth calling his shot. That’s a bit heavy-handed, but it was pretty darn impressive nonetheless.