Twelve articles on ice hockey: legends from Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky to Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin and Connor McDavid, plus the NHL, the game itself and the wildest trophy in sport, the Stanley Cup.
Ice hockey grew from frozen ponds in 19th-century Canada into one of the fastest and toughest team sports on Earth. This collection follows the players who defined it, from "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe and the revolutionary defenceman Bobby Orr to "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky and the leader Mark Messier, and on to the modern stars Teemu Selänne, Anže Kopitar, Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin and Connor McDavid. Three more articles explain ice hockey itself, the NHL and the Stanley Cup.
Some of hockey's records look almost unreal. Gretzky has more assists than any other player has total points, Howe played professionally across six decades and was still playing a full NHL season at 52, Orr remains the only defenceman to win the scoring title, and Selänne scored 76 goals as a rookie. Messier won six Stanley Cups and is the only captain to win it with two different franchises.
The sport is also full of wonderful oddities. Pucks are frozen before games so they bounce less, Detroit fans have thrown octopuses onto the ice since 1952, a 42-year-old Zamboni driver once won an NHL game as an emergency goalie, and the Buffalo Sabres drafted a player who did not exist. The Stanley Cup itself has been left in a snowbank, used as a flowerpot and sunk in Mario Lemieux's pool.
Off the ice, the legends have their own quirks: Gretzky ate hot dogs before games, Ovechkin drinks flat Coca-Cola on the bench, and Crosby lived in Mario Lemieux's guest house. Choose an article below to read fifteen facts.
Every item on this page, with the one fact most people get wrong about it.
| Name | Where you'll meet it | The fact worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers, LA Kings | He has more assists than any other player has total points. |
| Gordie Howe | Detroit Red Wings | He played professional hockey across six decades. |
| Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | He is the only defenceman to win an NHL scoring title. |
| Mark Messier | Edmonton Oilers, NY Rangers | He guaranteed a Game 6 win in 1994 and delivered a hat-trick. |
| Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | He scored the Golden Goal for Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. |
| Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | He slept with the Stanley Cup in his bed after winning it in 2018. |
| Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | He became the youngest captain in NHL history. |
| Teemu Selänne | Winnipeg Jets, Anaheim Ducks | He scored a record 76 goals as an NHL rookie. |
| Anže Kopitar | Los Angeles Kings | He was the first Slovenian to play in the NHL. |
| Ice Hockey | Montreal, 1875 | Early players on frozen ponds sometimes used frozen dung as pucks. |
| NHL | North America, since 1917 | A 42-year-old Zamboni driver won an official NHL game as an emergency goalie. |
| Stanley Cup | NHL championship trophy | There are actually three different Stanley Cups. |
Most NHL Goals (Howe era)
801
Gordie Howe's 801 NHL goals set the benchmark for decades. Gordie Howe
Rookie Goal Record
76
Teemu Selänne scored 76 goals in his first NHL season, a record that still stands. Teemu Selänne
Most Norris Trophies in a Row
8
Bobby Orr won eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenceman. Bobby Orr
Oldest Emergency Goalie Win
Age 42
A 42-year-old Zamboni driver stepped in as an emergency goalie and won an official NHL game. NHL
Edmonton Oilers, LA Kings
Wayne Gretzky learned the game playing sock hockey in his family's kitchen and was signing autographs before he went to school. He avoided fights and lifted few weights, relying on finesse instead. His number 99 is retired across the whole NHL, and he once co-owned the legendary Honus Wagner baseball card.
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Detroit Red Wings
"Mr. Hockey" switched to number 9 to get a better train berth and survived a skull fracture early in his career. He played alongside his two sons and completed a full 80-game NHL season at 52. He scored 801 NHL goals in more than 2,000 professional games.
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Boston Bruins
Bobby Orr signed his first junior deal at 12, played without socks and was the first NHL player with a million-dollar contract. He won eight consecutive Norris Trophies before knee injuries ended his career at 30. His famous "flying goal" photo was captured almost by accident.
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Edmonton Oilers, NY Rangers
"The Moose" won six Stanley Cups and is the only captain to win the Cup with two franchises, ending the Rangers' 54-year drought. He played 25 seasons and ranks third on the NHL's all-time points list. A leadership award now bears his name.
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Sidney Crosby's number 87 honours his birth date, and as a boy he battered his family's dryer with practice shots. He lived in Mario Lemieux's guest house and became the youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup. He is a member of hockey's Triple Gold Club.
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Washington Capitals
Ovechkin's number 8 honours his mother's Olympic basketball career, and he dedicates every game to his late brother Sergei. He hit a hole-in-one in his first round of golf and earned a PhD in pedagogy. He drinks flat Coca-Cola on the bench.
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Edmonton Oilers
Connor McDavid was granted exceptional status to play junior hockey at 15 and practised on a synthetic rink in his garage. He won the 2021 Hart Trophy unanimously and joined the 150-point club. He signed a $100 million contract extension.
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Winnipeg Jets, Anaheim Ducks
The "Finnish Flash" worked as a kindergarten teacher and raced rally cars under a pseudonym. He played at six Winter Olympics and is the top scorer in Olympic men's hockey history. He finally lifted the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007.
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Los Angeles Kings
Anže Kopitar learned to skate on a homemade rink in Jesenice and led the Kings to Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He is a two-time Selke Trophy winner and passed 1,000 points. He captained Slovenia at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
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Montreal, 1875
Modern ice hockey formally began at a Montreal rink, and Jacques Plante popularised the goalie mask after a serious injury. The curved stick was born from a practice mishap, and Frank Zamboni revolutionised ice resurfacing in 1949. Arenas even have dentists on standby.
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North America, since 1917
The Buffalo Sabres once drafted a player who did not exist, and Disney founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Manon Rhéaume became the first woman to play in an NHL game. Players receive no salary during the playoffs.
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NHL championship trophy
The Stanley Cup has been left in a snowbank, used as a flowerpot, drop-kicked into a canal and sunk in Mario Lemieux's pool. Babies have been baptised in it, and champions' pets have eaten from it. It even has its own full-time bodyguard.
Read the full article →8 questions, every answer is somewhere above.
1. What did Wayne Gretzky traditionally eat before games?
2. Why did Gordie Howe switch to number 9?
3. What did Bobby Orr famously never wear when playing?
4. What did Mark Messier famously guarantee in 1994?
5. Whose guest house did Sidney Crosby live in?
6. What does Alexander Ovechkin drink on the bench?
7. What do Detroit Red Wings fans throw onto the ice?
8. How many Stanley Cups actually exist?
Wayne Gretzky, "The Great One", is usually named first: he has more assists alone than any other player has total points, and his number 99 is retired across the whole league. Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux are also often mentioned.
A goal, an assist and a fight in the same game. Ironically, Gordie Howe himself recorded very few of them - only around two in his whole career.
Frozen pucks bounce and roll less on the ice, making play faster and more predictable. Before rubber pucks, players on frozen ponds sometimes used frozen dung.
The exclusive group of players who have won the Stanley Cup, Olympic gold and the World Championship. Sidney Crosby is a member, as well as the youngest captain ever to win the Stanley Cup.
No. NHL players receive no regular salary during the Stanley Cup playoffs; they play for bonus money and the chance to lift the Cup.
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