This Day in Hockey History
2004 - The NHL locks out its players
A day after the collective bargaining agreement that salvaged the 1994-95 season expires, the NHL shuts their doors once again.
The 309-day lockout lasts much longer than anyone anticipates, wiping out the entire 2004-05 season when negotiations that were delayed to the eleventh hour fail to translate into an agreement.
While phrases like revenue sharing, five percent rollback and cost certainty invoke nightmarish memories for players and fans alike, the aftermath of the NHL lockout has been largely positive.
More than 86 percent of NHL franchises have had their value increase since the lost season, including the Pittsburgh Penguins, who, for all intents and purposes, were saved by the tough negotiation process.
Just weeks before the lockout's official conclusion, Pittsburgh drafts captain Sidney Crosby, and nine years later has seen a 161.4 percent increase in value and another Stanley Cup added to their mantle.
1978 - Wayne Gretzky joins Indianapolis Racers
Already a Canadian icon at the age of 17, Wayne Gretzky embarks on his first professional training camp with the WHA's Indianapolis Racers.
He plays just eight games, scoring three goals and three assists, before being sold to the Edmonton Oilers (some suggest the deal was the result of a high stakes backgammon match), who were on the verge of making the jump to the NHL ranks.
Gretzky scores 104 points for Edmonton that season, the Oilers' last in the now defunct WHA.
Birthdays
1953 - Eric Vail
1980 - Patrik Stefan
1989 - Braden Holtby
1985 - Dustin Tokarski