This Day in Hockey History
1917 - The Founding
The directors of the struggling National Hockey Association meet at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal with the hopes of saving their league.
It's wartime, and dozens of the league's best players have enlisted. The league's most popular team - the Toronto-based 228th Battalion - is called to the front. The remaining clubs are suffering from financial difficulty, and it's an open question as to whether or not there will even be a 1917-18 season.
In this context, Montreal Wanderers owner S.E Lichtenhein, Montreal Canadiens owner George Kennedy, Ottawa Senators owner T.P. Gorman and Quebec Hockey Club manager M.J. Quinn gather with WHA secretary-treasurer Frank Calder. The meeting notably excludes Toronto Blueshirts owner Teddy Livingstone, whose shady dealings have frustrated his WHA colleagues.
It becomes apparent during the course of the meeting that the WHA is untenable, and so Gorman proffers that the parties should form a new league. The motion passes.
At this stage, Toronto Arenas owner W.E. Northey joins the discussion, and the clubs agree to share the costs of buying players from the bankrupt Quebec Hockey Club. Officers are elected, with Quinn being named honorary president and Calder president and secretary-treasurer - he is afforded a salary of $800.
The NHL's founding is something of an accident, as the directors never intend on the league becoming a permanent entity. Nearly 100 years later, though, the league is worth billions.
1925 - NHL announces "anti-defense" rule
A lack of offense, and the desire to promote scoring, is a constant theme throughout hockey's history. With that in mind, the NHL announces a new "anti-defense" rule.
From Joe Pelletier of greatesthockeylegends.com:
(The "anti-defense" rule) prohibits teams from having more than two players in their own zone when the puck was not present.
1961 - Howe's 1,000th game
Gordie "Mr. Hockey" Howe becomes the first player in history to appear in 1,000 NHL games.
2003 - Stevens' deal with the Devil
Legendary New Jersey Devils blue-liner Scott Stevens dresses in his 1,616th NHL game, breaking Larry Murphy's record for career games played by a defenseman.
Stevens' record is later broken by Chris Chelios, who nearly plays into his 50s.