The NHL delivers the fastest action in professional sports. You likely know the names Gretzky and Crosby, but the league hides plenty of bizarre stories. A team once drafted a fictional Japanese player just to mock the system. Furthermore, officials freeze every puck to stop it from bouncing. A Zamboni driver even stepped in to win a game against the Maple Leafs. Let’s explore the National Hockey League.
NHL
Officials freeze the hockey pucks before every single game. They keep the rubber disks in a freezer because a frozen puck bounces less than a warm one. This allows players to control the puck much more easily on the slippery ice.
The Buffalo Sabres once drafted a player who did not exist. In 1974, the general manager grew tired of the slow drafting process and selected “Taro Tsujimoto” from the Tokyo Katanas. The league eventually realized the player was a complete prank and invalidated the pick.
Wayne Gretzky dominated the sport so thoroughly that he would still lead the all-time scoring list even if he never scored a single goal. His assist total alone surpasses the total points (goals plus assists) of any other player in NHL history.
Disney founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim directly because of their hit movie. The corporation created the real NHL franchise in 1993 to capitalize on the success of the film The Mighty Ducks. They even used the same logo and jersey colors for the professional team.
Fans in Detroit throw dead octopuses onto the ice during playoff games. The tradition began in 1952 when the team needed eight wins to capture the Stanley Cup, symbolizing the octopus’s eight legs. Al Sobotka, the arena manager, famously twirls the creatures over his head to pump up the crowd.
The Stanley Cup contains several permanent typos engraved into its silver rings. Engravers misspelled the Boston Bruins as “Bqstqn” and the Toronto Maple Leafs as “Leaes” on different occasions. The league leaves these errors alone, as they add character to the trophy.
A 42-year-old Zamboni driver famously won a game for the Carolina Hurricanes. David Ayres entered the game as an emergency backup goalie after both regular goaltenders got injured. He defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs and became the oldest goalie to win his regular-season debut.
Jacques Plante revolutionized the game by wearing the first goalie mask in 1959. After a puck struck him in the face and broke his nose, he refused to return to the ice without protection. His coach hated the mask, but Plante proved it didn’t hurt his vision.
The “Original Six” NHL teams were not actually the first six teams in the league. The term refers to the six franchises that survived the Great Depression and World War II and played alone for 25 years. Many other teams, like the Montreal Maroons, existed before this era began.
The Winnipeg Jets once traded a player for a single dollar. In 1993, they sent Kris Draper to the Detroit Red Wings for the astonishingly low sum of $1. Draper went on to win four Stanley Cups, making it one of the best bargains in sports history.
Crews paint the ice white before they add the lines and logos. Ice is naturally clear, which would show the concrete floor beneath it. Therefore, workers spray a layer of white water-soluble paint so fans and players can see the black puck clearly.
Manon Rhéaume shattered the gender barrier when she played for the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 1992, she stepped into the net during a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues. She remains the only woman to play in an NHL game.
Players do not get paid during the playoffs. Their salaries cover only the regular season games. Instead, they compete solely for the glory of the Stanley Cup and a share of a league-funded bonus pool.
The Philadelphia Flyers drafted a dentist in the first round. Bill Barber was a dental student when they picked him, though he chose hockey over teeth. However, Dr. Randy Gregg played for the Edmonton Oilers while holding a medical degree.
One fan lit a flare during a game and accidentally caused a massive fog. During the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals in Buffalo, the heat from the flare mixed with the humid air and created a fog so thick players couldn’t see the puck. Officials had to stop the game repeatedly to wave towels at the air.
