9 Memorable NHL Opening Night Moments
The countdowns are all but over. The fantasy drafts are completed. The training camps and roster decisions have been made.
Tonight, the NHL launches into its 97th season with four games, including the sixth consecutive opening night meeting between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, and banner-raising night for the Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings who host the team they erased a 3-0 series deficit against last spring, the San Jose Sharks.
Despite the relatively light schedule, opening night in the NHL always seems to provide us with lasting memories and sets a tone for the entire season.
The games matter, even at this early stage.
With that in mind, here are 9 memorable NHL opening night moments to get you ready for tonight’s action.
2013-14
Opening night in the NHL has become a bit of a launch pad for rivalries, and Montreal vs. Toronto is arguably the league’s fiercest rivalry.
October 1st 2013 marked the 5th consecutive season the two storied franchises clashed on opening night, this time in Montreal, and it was one for the ages.
The Habs and Leafs combined for seven goals on 75 shots en route to an exciting 4-3 win by the road team, the fourth consecutive year Toronto beats Montreal on opening night. It was a nasty affair as the two clubs combined for 98 penalty minutes.
It will also be remembered for a frightening incident involving George Parros and Colton Orr. Toward the end of their second bout of the night in the third period, Parros was pulled down by Orr who had lost his balance, hitting the ice face first.
2012-13
After two relatively embarrassing first round exits in a row, the Chicago Blackhawks entered the lockout-shortened 2012-13 eager to prove they were still an elite team.
They made a statement on opening night, defeating the defending Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings 5-2.
The win was the beginning of a historic streak of 24 games without a regulation loss for the Hawks which propelled them to their second Stanley Cup in four years.
2011-12
Fresh off of their Stanley Cup Final collapse against the Boston Bruins, the Vancouver Canucks entered the season with high hopes but lots of controversy in net (we all know how that turned out).
Roberto Luongo had the misfortune of facing the offensive juggernaut in Pittsburgh on the first night of the season. Bobby Lu allowed 3 goals on 28 shots and couldn’t make a single save in the shootout as Vancouver went down 4-3.
The Canucks’ starting netminder couldn’t have been too happy when the coaching staff decided to start Cory Schneider in game two despite it being four days later.
2010-11
After having drafted 10 players in the first two rounds in the previous four NHL drafts (including Taylor Hall, Sam Gagner and Jordan Eberle), the Edmonton Oilers finally seemed on the brink of putting an end to their four-year playoff drought since losing the Stanley Cup Final in 2005-06.
They got the chance to prove it right out of the gate, facing the arch rival Calgary Flames on opening night.
They posted a convincing 4-0 win as Eberle scored a highlight-reel goal in his first game in the NHL. Things were looking bright for the Oilers.
2009-10
In the first of five (soon to be six) consecutive opening meetings between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, the two original six teams provided a classic.
They traded goals in each of the first two periods, and Matt Stajan gave the Leafs the lead mid-way through the third. With just 4:50 left to play, Glen Metropolit scored his first of a career-high 16 goals to tie the game.
As the overtime period drew to a close with most fans at the Air Canada Centre preparing for a shootout, Mike Cammalleri carried the puck one-on-three into the Leafs’ zone and drove the net. The rebound bounced off Josh Gorges and in for the game winning goal with just 13 seconds left.
It was a heart-breaking loss for Toronto who outshot Montreal 46-27 but didn’t have many answers for Carey Price.
2008-09
Sweden and the Czech Republic had been well represented in the NHL for decades.
The league finally acknowledged their fan-base in the region when they announced they would be open the regular season with two games, one in each country.
They both provided excellent entertainment with a local flair, as Daniel Alfredsson‘s Ottawa Senators were defeated by Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in Stockholm, while the Rangers got past the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Prague. The second game featured five players from the Czech Republic: Andrej Meszaros, Vinny Prospal, Petr Prucha, Michal Rozsival and Radim Vrbata.
The teams played again the next night, with the Senators coming out on top 3-1 while New York won 2-1 once again.
2007-08
The first time the NHL played a regular season game in Europe was in 2007 when the defending Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks faced off against the Los Angeles Kings in London, England.
Each team won a game, both by a score of 4-1.
Fans in London packed the 17,300 seat O2 arena on both nights and reignited the conversation about if and when the NHL would expand across the pond.
2006-07
Following an unsuccessful season in Toronto, Eric Lindros signed with the Dallas Stars in a last-ditch attempt to revive his career which had been ravaged by concussions.
The Stars opened the season with a 3-2 overtime win and Lindros posted an assist in just over 15 minutes of ice-time.
He would only score 5 goals in 49 games that season, leading him to finally hang up the skates after 13 tumultuous years as the original “Next One”.
2005-06
There were a lot of questions about how the NHL would recover from its lost season in 2004-05.
They put all the odds in their favor when they smartly scheduled all 30 teams for opening night, effectively re-launching the NHL into a new era.
Opening night 2005 was the scene of many notable NHL debuts like some kid named Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh (one assist), Stanley Cup Champions and Olympic Gold Medallists Mike Richards & Jeff Carter in Philadelphia (combined for one goal and six shots) and Corey Perry & Ryan Getzlaf in Anaheim (combined for one assist in 22 minutes), two-time Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith (played over 24 minutes), Stanley Cup Champion Zach Parise in New Jersey (one goal, one assist) and last, but certainly not least, Hart and Rocket Richard Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin in Washington (two goals).
Interestingly, it also marked the beginning of the final seasons of Hall of Famers Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux and Brett Hull.