The Great One leads the way in a look at milestones that happened on Oct. 15 through NHL history
No. 99 became No. 1 on the NHL’s scoring list 35 years ago tonight.
Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings tied, and then broke Gordie Howe’s career points record on this date in 1989. Fittingly, it came in a game in Edmonton against Gretzky’s old club, the Oilers.
Gretzky entered the contest with 1,849 regular season points, one behind Howe’s mark, which he had set nine years earlier. A first-period assist pulled Wayne even with Gordie. The record-setting point was a goal that tied the game 4-4 with 53 seconds left in the third period.
The game was stopped for a ceremony featuring a speech from Howe, who graciously passed the torch and celebrated Gretzky’s achievement. For good measure, Gretzky then scored the overtime winner to finish the night at 1,852.
Also on this date:
1964 – Ted Lindsay of the Detroit Red Wings became the fourth player in league history to play in 1,000 regular season games. He would have been the first if he hadn’t retired in 1960 with 999 games to his credit. Game No. 1,000 was the first game of Lindsay’s one-season comeback; he retired again the following spring.
1972 – Stan Mikita of the Chicago Black Hawks became the first European-born player (and sixth player, period) to reach 1,000 regular season points. He had an assist on a goal by Cliff Koroll in Chicago’s 3-1 loss to St. Louis.
1983 – Defense and goaltending were not priorities as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Hawks 10-8. The two teams set an NHL record by combining for five goals in a span of only 84 seconds during the second period. Gaston Gingras scored at the 16:49 mark to give the Leafs a 7-3 lead, but it almost disappeared when Denis Savard (at 17:12), Steve Larmer (17:27), and Savard again (17:42) quickly responded and made the score 7-6. Toronto’s John Anderson gave his team a bit of breathing room with a goal at 18:13.
1995 – Dan Quinn of the Ottawa Senators scored the fifth and final hat trick of his career and also had three assists for a six-point night as the Sens beat the Lightning 7-4. Coincidentally, Quinn’s first hat trick happened eight years earlier to the day while he was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had five points in a 6-6 tie with the Rangers on Oct. 15, 1987.
2008 – Speaking of hat tricks, Fabian Brunnstrom of the Dallas Stars had a historic one in a 6-4 win over the Predators. Brunnstrom became the third person in modern NHL history to score three goals in his first game. Alex Smart of the Canadiens did it first, in 1943, and Real Cloutier of the Quebec Nordiques matched the feat in 1979.
2009 – Nicklas Lidstrom of the Red Wings became the first European-born defenseman to score 1,000 points. His second assist of the night was the milestone point, coming on a goal by Henrik Zetterberg that turned out to be the winner in a 5-2 victory over the Kings.