This Day in Hockey History
1992 - Nordiques trade Lindros to 2 teams
In one of the oddest Draft-day scenarios in NHL history, the Quebec Nordiques trade the rights to Eric Lindros of the Oshawa Generals - chosen first overall by the team in 1991 - to both the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers.
Lindros made it known that he had no desire to play in Quebec prior to being drafted in '91, citing distance from his hometown of London, ON, a lack of marketing potential in a smaller market and language barriers as factors in his decision.
The Nordiques went ahead and picked him anyway, with team president Marcel Aubut announcing Lindros would be the centerpiece in the team's rebuild, whether he liked it or not. Lindros, however, refuses to sign with and report to the team, choosing instead to return to Oshawa for the 1991-92 season.
Faced with the possibility of losing his rights by failing to sign him prior to the '92 Draft, the Nordiques work out deals with both the Flyers and the Rangers, forcing the NHL to hire an arbitrator to set things straight.
After a week-long process, the result is the biggest trade in NHL history: Lindros' rights are sent to Philadelphia in exchange for six players (Steve Duchesne, Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci and Chris Simon), two draft picks and $15 million.
Lindros becomes a dominant force for the Flyers, winning the Hart Trophy in 1995 and leading the team to the Stanley Cup Final in 1997; concussions and an increasingly chilly with general manager Bob Clarke eventually put a cloud over his career.
On the other end, Quebec builds a powerhouse of a team with the pieces acquired in the deal - unfortunately for Nordiques fans, the franchise wins its first Stanley Cup in Denver (1996) after relocating in 1995.
1995 - Devils tie consecutive playoff road wins record
The Devils beat the Red Wings, 4-2, in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, tying a playoff record for most consecutive road wins (seven). New Jersey also sets the record for total road wins at 10.
The win in Game 2 is their last opportunity to win on the road, as the Devils go on to win two straight games at home to sweep the Red Wings en route to a Cup victory.
Birthdays
1959 - John Ogrodnick
1967 - Pat Jablonski
1977 - Joe Corvo
1980 - Petr Svoboda