Skip to content

This Day in Hockey History

Andy Clark / Reuters

1967 - Plante's comeback

On this day in 1967 legendary Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacque Plante, the inventor of the goalie mask, plays in a preseason game with the California Golden Seals as part of his first comeback attempt. 

Plante, who retired for the first time following in 1965, is ultimately barred from returning to the NHL when it becomes clear that the New York Rangers still technically own his rights. On this day in Port Huron, Mich. he backstops the Golden Seals to a 3-3 tie against the Los Angeles Kings.

Though Plante doesn't make it back to the NHL for the 1967-68 season, he returns the next year with the St. Louis Blues and proceeds to play 183 additional NHL games over six seasons with the Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. He then plays 40 games with the Edmonton Oilers of the WHA in the 1974-75 season.

2002 - Peter Schaefer gets out of town

Former Vancouver Canucks winger Peter Schaefer, coming off to consecutive 30 point seasons between 1999 and 2001, skipped the entire 2001-02 season due to a contract dispute with the club. That dispute was resolved on this day in 2002, when the Canucks shipped Schaefer to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Finnish born defender Sami Salo.

The deal proves to be a lopsided one in Vancouver's favor, even though Schaefer provides the Senators with effective depth scoring. 

While Schaefer would post a 50 point season in 2005-06 and finish his Senators career with 58 goals and 158 points in 315 NHL games, Salo would be a mainstay on the Vancouver blue-line for a decade. 

Salo appeared in 566 games with the Canucks while contributing 74 goals and 236 points. He would finish his Canucks tenure ranked second among Canucks defenseman in on-ice goal differential all time, fifth in total points, and first in game-winning goals. 

During the first part of the 2010-11 campaign, Salo and Schaefer would be reunited in Vancouver - although Schaefer left the NHL once again after appearing in just 16 games in a fourth line role. 

Birthdays

1902 - Howie Morenz
1964 - Bob Errey
1969 - Curtis Leschyshyn

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox