Today in hockey history, a new team opens its first training camp, a team makes a signing that proves to be a very solid decision, an NHL team defeats a team in a nation that was at “war” with North America, and a set of twins make their pro hockey debut.
September 14, 1972 – The NY Islanders opened their first-ever training camp at Peterborough, Ontario. It was the start of a long, brutal season that would end with only 12 wins (12-60-6), getting outscored 347-170 that year.
September 14, 1979 – The Oilers signed undrafted free agent defenseman Charlie Huddy. A good agreement on both sides, as Huddy would win five Cups with the stacked Oilers of the 80s. He also rejoined Gretzky in LA in the 1991, helping the team to the Finals the following year. He also won the first-ever plus/minus award since the award’s inception in 1983 with a whopping +62.
September 14, 1989 – The Calgary Flames defeated the Soviet team Khimik Voskresensk 4-2 in a preseason exhibition game in Leningrad, USSR. It was the third game of the team’s six-game tour through Czechoslovakia, Sweden, and the USSR, including two games against the Czech national team (0-2 against Czechoslovakia, 3-3 overall). The Capitals also participated on the tour, finishing 4-2. The series, and the games in what is now Russia, was somewhat monumental, as it was essentially the first time that anything from North America was allowed to touch Soviet soil since the beginning of the Cold War 40 years prior.
September 14, 2000 – The Sedin twins made their pro hockey debut, as the Canucks defeated the Swedish team MoDo Ornskoldsvik in Game 1 of the 2000 NHL Challenge in Stockholm, with Daniel leading the scoring with a goal and two assists. They would also win the second game against Djurgarden Stockholm 2-1 in OT.
Source: Hockey Hall of Fame
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