Today in hockey history, an early entry draft features just 18 players, one of the greatest American players is born, a player breaks another player’s streak/ownage of a certain trophy, an overtime win sets a few records, a few Hall of Fame inductees, a new team reveals its branding, and a team wins its first Stanley Cup.
June 7, 1967 – In the fifth NHL Amateur draft, only 18 players were selected. Ten players were taken in round 1, seven in round 2, and just one player in round 3; the California Seals were the only team to make a selection in all three rounds and to draft three players, and the Blues did not have a single selection.
June 7, 1970 – Former center Mike Modano was born in Livonia, Michigan. Modano is widely regarded as the greatest American-born player to ever play the game (at least the greatest forward). He played 20 seasons with the Stars franchise (four with Minnesota) before ruining his streak of playing for just one team by signing with his hometown Red Wings in 2010, where he played just 40 games before retiring.
June 7: On three separate years this day, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced its newest members, with some very notable names:
- 1972 – Gordie Howe, Jean Beliveau, Bernie Geoffrion, Hap Holmes, Reg “Hooley” Smith and builder Weston Adams (Howe would return to the NHL in 1980 for one final season)
- 1977 – Alex Delvecchio and Tim Horton; and builders Harold Ballard, Joseph Cattarinch, and John “Bunny” Ahearne
- 1983 –Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Ken Dryden
June 7, 1976 – Denis Potvin won the Norris Trophy to finally end Bobby Orr’s eight-year reign over the trophy…Orr’s 10 games just weren’t enough to win the award (although he did manage 18 points and a +10 rating). Also, his teammate Bryan Trottier won the Calder Trophy (top rookie).
June 7, 1993 – John LeClair scored at 14:37 of OT to give Montreal a 3-2 win at Los Angeles in Game 4 of the Finals to become just the second player to record two consecutive overtime goals in the Finals. Also, Montreal set an NHL record of 10-straight playoff overtime wins.
June 7, 1993 – The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim officially unveiled their team logo and uniform (home and away) at a press conference in Anaheim before their first season. You can probably tell from the logo that Disney owned the team.
June 7, 2004 – Ruslan Fedotenko scored both of the Lightning’s goals in a 2-1 win over the Flames in Game 7 of the Finals to clinch the team’s first Stanley Cup, and the last Cup before the full-season lockout. Brad Richards won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.
Source: Hockey Hall of Fame
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