This Day in Hockey History
1997 - Craig MacTavish retires, helmets now officially mandatory
It seems utterly ridiculous now, but until this day 17 years ago, the usage of helmets wasn't a uniform requirement among players in the National Hockey League.
In June of 1979, the NHL grandfathered in the requisite cranial protection, affording Craig MacTavish, who was drafted just before the rule was adopted, the right to have air flow through his curly locks until he officially hung up his skates.
MacTavish, who now leads the Edmonton Oilers' brain trust (insert joke here), was the only NHL player who didn't wear a helmet in the final two years of his career.
The two-way centerman compiled 480 points in 1,093 games split between the Bruins, Oilers, Rangers, Flyers and Blues, winning four Stanley Cups.
2013 - Dallas Stars tab Jim Nill as general manager
Contributing to four Stanley Cup Championships under the tutelage of Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, Jim Nill emerged from Detroit's executive team by accepting the Dallas Stars' vacant general manager position 365 days ago.
The Stars have seen immediate results under the Nill regime, breaking a five-year playoff drought this season.
But his greatest accomplishment since taking over the Stars was his acquisition of Tyler Seguin. Just over a month on the job, Nill packaged Loui Eriksson to Boston for the flashy centerman, who scored a team-high 84 points this season. Coupled with his selection of Valeri Nichushkin, Nill has pieced together one of the most promising top lines in hockey around incumbent superstar Jamie Benn.
Birthdays
1967 - Curtis Joseph
1984 - Dan Girardi
1986 - Brandon Dubinsky
1988 - Jonathan Toews