Norris Trophy-winning defencemen Chara and Subban both said goodbye to the NHL on this date in 2022

1991 – Rarely does a trade happen in the NHL that benefits both teams equally, but on this date in 1991, the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils made a deal that eventually helped both teams win the Stanley Cup. The Habs sent Stephane Richer and Tom Chorske to the Devils and received Kirk Muller and goalie Roland Melanson in return. Muller was a key contributor to Montreal’s championship run in 1992-93, scoring 37 goals and 94 points during the regular season and adding 10 goals and 17 points in 20 playoff contests. Richer and Chorske were both with the Devils during their Cup run in 1994-95, and Richer, who’d already won a Cup in Montreal in 1986, ledd New Jersey in points during both the regular season and the playoffs. And while Melanson only played nine games for the Habs during the 1991-92 season, his final NHL campaign, don't feel too badly for him – he already had three Cup rings from his tenure with the New York Islanders in the early 1980s.

1999 – The Los Angeles Kings said goodbye to their longtime home, the Great Western Forum in the LA suburb of Inglewood, and they left with a bang. Or, more accurately, a series of bangs, and punches. The occasion was a preseason exhibition game against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and the Kings handily won the contest 8-1. But the game devolved into a series of fights in the third period, and bench bosses Andy Murray of the Kings and Craig Hartsburg of the Ducks nearly went at it themselves. By the time the game ended, the two teams had combined for 175 penalty minutes, including 149 in the final frame. It was an eventful end for the arena’s pro hockey history. Built in 1967 as the expansion Kings’ first permanent home – they played their earliest home games in nearby Long Beach – the “Fabulous Forum” was the site of the famous Miracle on Manchester during the 1982 playoffs. It was renamed in December 1988 after its owner, Dr. Jerry Buss, sold the naming rights to Great Western Savings & Loan. Now known as the Kia Forum, it is a popular concert venue today.

2000 – For the first time since 1978, when the Cleveland Barons collapsed and were merged into the Minnesota North Stars, an NHL game was played in the state of Ohio. It was the first exhibition game for the new Columbus Blue Jackets, and they opened Nationwide Arena in front of a sellout crowd with a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Jamie Heward scored the team’s – and the arena’s – first goal in the opening frame. Ted Drury, Lyle Odelein, Serge Aubin, and David Vyborny also scored for the home team.

2013 – Mark Giordano was named captain of the Calgary Flames, the 16^th man to wear the ‘C’ in Calgary and the 20^th captain in overall franchise history, including its years in Atlanta. Giordano was filling big boots in that he succeeded the beloved Jarome Iginla, but he turned out to be a valued leader in his own right. He served as captain for eight seasons, winning the Norris Trophy and a First Team All-Star selection on defence in 2018-19.

2021 – Travis Zajac, having played 15 seasons with the New Jersey Devils, signed a one-day contract with the team and retired. The 20^th overall selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Zajac dressed for nearly 1,100 regular season and playoff games with New Jersey, including a record 401 consecutive contests between October 2006 and April 2011, and only a brief stint with the New York Islanders at the end of the 2020-21 campaign kept him from being a lifetime Devil.

2022 – Zdeno Chara also signed a one-day contract to retire with his longtime team, the Boston Bruins. Known as “Big Z” – at 6 feet 9 inches he is the tallest player in league history – Chara played 24 seasons in the NHL, suiting up for 1,880 regular season and playoff games. After breaking in with the New York Islanders and then spending five seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Chara signed with Boston as a free agent in 2006, was almost immediately named captain, and was a fixture on the Bruins’ blue line until 2020. A seven-time all-star and the Norris Trophy winner in 2008-09, he led Boston to the Stanley Cup in 2011.

2022 – Also retiring on this date was another Norris Trophy winner, P.K. Subban. A 13-year veteran who played for the Montreal Canadiens, the Nashville Predators, and the New Jersey Devils, Subban was a dynamic defender who was named to three postseason all-star teams in addition to his 2013 Norris win. Well-known for his humanitarian and philanthropic endeavours, Subban also won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2022.