147 Fun Facts About Hockey

Which NHL player holds the all-time record for most career goals?

Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th goal on April 6, 2025, passing Wayne Gretzky's 894 — in his 1,487th game, the same number Gretzky played in total.

What is the name of the trophy awarded to the NHL champion each season?

The Stanley Cup, bought by Lord Stanley of Preston in 1892 and first awarded in 1893, goes to the NHL playoff champion and is North America's oldest professional sports trophy.

How many players from each team are typically on the ice during regular play (excluding goalies)?

Three of them are forwards and two defencemen; the sixth is the goaltender.

Which country won the men's ice hockey gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics?

Beating the Soviets 4-3 did not clinch it: the medal was only settled two days later against Finland.

What is a "hat trick" in hockey?

A hat trick is three goals by one player in a single game; three in a row with nobody else scoring between them is a natural hat trick.

Which NHL club has won the league championship the most times?

The Montreal Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, the most of any club; the last came in 1993 against the Los Angeles Kings.

Which penalty gets a player ejected for the rest of the night?

A game misconduct ejects the player for the rest of the game; the NHL records it as ten penalty minutes, the IIHF as twenty.

What nickname is given to the area directly in front of the goal where most goals are scored?

The slot is the area directly in front of the goaltender between the faceoff circles. It is prime scoring territory because shooters have the best angle on the net from this position.

Which player was nicknamed "Le Magnifique"?

Mario Lemieux, 'Le Magnifique', won the Stanley Cup as Penguins captain in 1991 and 1992 and the Hart Trophy three times, in 1988, 1993 and 1996.

How many periods are in a standard hockey game?

The clock runs only while the puck is in play, so an hour of hockey takes about two hours and twenty minutes.

Which Bobby Orr moment is captured in one of hockey's most famous photographs?

He was already airborne because Noel Picard had tripped him a split second after the puck went in.

What is "icing" in hockey?

A shorthanded team is allowed to do it, which is why penalty killers fire the puck the length of the rink.

Which player was sent to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988 in a deal known simply as 'The Trade'?

Wayne Gretzky went from Edmonton to Los Angeles on August 9, 1988; an MP demanded Ottawa block the deal, and Oilers owner Peter Pocklington was burned in effigy.

What is the name of the trophy awarded to the NHL's most valuable player during the regular season?

The Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the regular season. It is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.

In what year was the NHL founded?

The NHL was founded in Montreal on November 26, 1917, when NHA owners suspended that league rather than keep dealing with Toronto owner Eddie Livingstone.

Which goaltender holds the NHL record for most career wins?

Martin Brodeur retired in 2015 with a record 691 regular-season wins, and also holds the marks for games played (1,266) and shutouts (125).

What does the Zamboni machine do?

Frank Zamboni built the first one in 1949 for his own rink in Paramount, California; the name is now a genericised trademark.

Which NHL team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden?

The New York Rangers have played at Madison Square Garden since 1968. Known as "The World's Most Famous Arena," MSG is located in Midtown Manhattan.

What is a "power play" in hockey?

Two penalties at once can leave a side two men short, giving the other team a five-on-three.

Who coached the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to the "Miracle on Ice" gold medal?

Herb Brooks coached the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that defeated the Soviet Union in the famous "Miracle on Ice" game. His demanding coaching style and innovative strategies were key to the underdog team's success.

What is the standard dimensions of an NHL hockey rink in feet?

An NHL rink is 200 by 85 feet with corners cut to a 28-foot radius; Olympic sheets are the same length but 15 feet wider.

Which NHL star's blond hair, skating speed and end-to-end rushes earned him the nickname 'the Golden Jet'?

Bobby Hull's slapshot was clocked at over 100 mph in an era when players wore no helmets.

What happens during a shootout in the NHL?

Each team takes three penalty shots, and if it is still level after three rounds each, sudden-death rounds follow one shot at a time.

Who scored the overtime 'Golden Goal' for Canada against the United States in the men's final at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics?

Sidney Crosby scored 7:40 into overtime, off a pass from Jarome Iginla.

What is the blue line in hockey used for?

The lines are also what offside is judged against: the puck must cross before the attackers do.

Which award goes to the NHL's best defenceman each season?

The Norris Trophy, first awarded in 1954, goes to the season's top defenceman; Doug Harvey won seven of the first nine.

Which country won six of the first seven Olympic men's ice hockey golds, from 1920 to 1952?

Canada won gold in 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1948 and 1952, losing only 1936 to Great Britain; it then waited 50 years for its next, in 2002.

What is the "Original Six" in NHL history?

They played nobody but each other for 25 seasons, until the league doubled in size in 1967.

What is "offsides" in hockey?

A linesman stops play, and the faceoff comes back out to the neutral zone.

What is the NHL record for points in a single season?

Wayne Gretzky set the record with 215 points in 1985-86 — 52 goals and 163 assists, the latter itself a single-season record.

What is a "Gordie Howe hat trick"?

A Gordie Howe hat trick is a goal, an assist and a fight in one game; Howe himself managed it only twice, in October 1953 and March 1954.

Which team drafted Connor McDavid first overall in 2015?

The Edmonton Oilers took Connor McDavid first overall in 2015 after a 24-44-14 season, and made him captain at 19 in October 2016.

What is the "crease" in hockey?

It is painted blue so officials can see at a glance who is standing in the goaltender's way.

Which team ended a 49-year championship drought in 2010?

The Chicago Blackhawks' 2010 Cup was their first since 1961; they added two more in 2013 and 2015.

What made Manon Rhéaume's 1992 appearance for the Tampa Bay Lightning historic?

She had already become the first woman to play a men's Major Junior game the season before.

What is the NHL record for goals in a single season, set in 1981-82?

Wayne Gretzky scored 92 goals in 1981-82 on 369 shots, reaching 50 goals in just 39 games along the way.

During the Original Six era, which pair of clubs took the title in 19 of 25 seasons?

The Canadiens won ten Cups and the Maple Leafs nine between 1942 and 1967; Detroit took five and Chicago one.

What is the Conn Smythe Trophy awarded for?

The Conn Smythe Trophy goes to the playoff MVP; six winners came from the losing finalist, from Roger Crozier in 1966 to Connor McDavid in 2024.

Which NHL team became the Arizona Coyotes before the franchise moved to Salt Lake City in 2024?

The original Winnipeg Jets, a WHA club from 1972 that joined the NHL in 1979, moved to Phoenix in 1996; a new Jets team took the name in 2011.

Which award goes to the NHL's best first-year player?

The Calder Memorial Trophy goes to the top rookie; the 2005-06 winner, Alex Ovechkin, scored 52 goals after the lockout had delayed his debut by a year.

What is the name of the women's professional hockey league that launched in January 2024?

The PWHL (Professional Women's Hockey League) opened on January 1, 2024; its six charter teams spent the first season without nicknames, wearing city names on their jerseys.

Which goaltender, nicknamed "The Dominator", was famous for flopping and rolling to make saves?

Dominik Hasek, 'The Dominator', won six Vezina Trophies with Buffalo using an unorthodox flopping style, stopping pucks with every part of his body, head included.

What is the "Art Ross Trophy" awarded for?

The Art Ross Trophy goes to the player leading the league in regular-season points — goals plus assists — so playmakers win it as often as snipers.

Which expansion side reached the NHL final in its very first season, 2017-18?

The Vegas Golden Knights reached the 2018 final in their first season, winning 13 playoff games, the most by a debut team; they won the Cup in 2023.

In the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union, who scored the series-winning goal?

Paul Henderson scored with 34 seconds left in Game 8 in Moscow on September 28, 1972 — his third straight game-winning goal to close the series.

Which defenceman won his only NHL title in 2001, in the last game he ever played?

Ray Bourque lifted the Cup with Colorado on June 9, 2001, then retired; his 1,612 regular-season games were the most any player had played before a first title.

What did the NHL change after the 2004-05 lockout to open up the game?

A team can now spring a breakaway with one pass from its own end.

Which team set the NHL record with a 35-game unbeaten streak in 1979-80?

The Philadelphia Flyers went 25-0-10 over 35 games in 1979-80; the run ended with a 7-1 loss to the Minnesota North Stars on January 7, 1980.

On what date was the first indoor ice hockey game played, in Montreal?

The first organised indoor game was played on March 3, 1875 at Montreal's Victoria Skating Rink, arranged by James Creighton.

In what year was ice hockey officially recognised as Canada's national winter sport?

The National Sports of Canada Act of 1994 named hockey the national winter sport and lacrosse the national summer sport.

Ice hockey made its Olympic debut at which edition?

Ice hockey debuted at the 1920 Antwerp Summer Olympics, won by Canada's Winnipeg Falcons; it moved to the Winter programme from Chamonix 1924 onward.

Women's ice hockey was introduced to the Olympics at which Games?

The first IIHF Women's World Championship had been held in 1990.

Where in Montreal was the NHL organised on November 26, 1917?

The NHL was organised at Montreal's Windsor Hotel on November 26, 1917, replacing the National Hockey Association that had been formed in the same city in 1909.

In which season did the NHL introduce the centre red line?

The centre red line arrived in 1943-44, letting defenders pass the puck out of their own zone and speeding up play; historians date modern hockey from it.

In what year did the NHL move its headquarters from Montreal to New York City?

The NHL moved its head office from Montreal to New York in 1989, retaining offices in Toronto and Montreal.

How many teams did the NHL have in the 2025-26 season?

The NHL had 32 teams in 2025-26 — 25 in the United States and seven in Canada.

Which Utah owner acquired the Arizona Coyotes' hockey assets for a new NHL team in 2024?

Ryan Smith's Smith Entertainment Group paid $1.2 billion for the Coyotes' hockey operations in April 2024; the team played as Utah Hockey Club before becoming the Mammoth in 2025.

Under what original name was the Stanley Cup commissioned in 1892?

Lord Stanley's trophy was commissioned in 1892 as the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, a silver bowl bought in London for ten guineas.

Who won the very first Stanley Cup, in 1893?

The Montreal Hockey Club, the Montreal AAA's team, received the first Cup in 1893 as champions of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada.

How many physical Stanley Cups exist?

Three exist: the original 1892 bowl, the Presentation Cup made in 1963 that champions receive, and a 1993 replica kept at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Roughly how much does the Presentation Cup, the Stanley Cup handed to champions, weigh?

It stands 89.5 centimetres tall.

In what year did the Stanley Cup become the de jure NHL championship trophy?

A 1947 agreement between the NHL and the Cup's trustees made it the league's championship trophy de jure; it had been so de facto since the Western Hockey League folded in 1926.

Which 1770s book contains the earliest recorded use of the word 'hockey'?

Richard Johnson's Juvenile Sports and Pastimes (1770s) holds the earliest recorded use of the word 'hockey'; its chapter XI was titled 'New Improvements on the Game of Hockey'.

Which 1527 Irish law banned a sport called 'hokie'?

The 1527 Statute of Galway outlawed 'hokie', described as the hurling of a little ball with sticks or staves.

The word 'puck' is thought to come from which language's verb meaning 'to poke'?

'Puck' is thought to derive from Gaelic — Scottish puc or Irish poc, meaning to poke or strike; hurlers call a strike of the ball with the camán a puck.

Which player finally passed Gordie Howe's NHL games-played record of 1,767 in 2021?

Patrick Marleau played his 1,768th game on April 19, 2021, passing Gordie Howe; Howe and Chris Chelios each played 26 NHL seasons.

How many Art Ross Trophies did Gordie Howe win, second most in NHL history?

Gordie Howe won six Art Ross Trophies: four straight from 1950-51 to 1953-54, then 1956-57 and 1962-63.

Who was the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a season, in 50 games in 1944-45?

Maurice Richard scored 50 goals in the 50-game 1944-45 season, and in 1957 became the first NHL player to reach 500 career goals.

What was the nickname of the Rocket's 1940s trio with Elmer Lach and Toe Blake?

The Punch Line — Maurice Richard, Elmer Lach and Toe Blake — led Montreal to Stanley Cups in 1944 and 1946.

How many consecutive Norris Trophies did Bobby Orr win as the NHL's best defenceman?

He remains the only defenceman to win the scoring title, doing so twice.

With which team did Bobby Orr finish his career after ten seasons in Boston?

Bobby Orr signed with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1976 and managed only 26 games there on ruined knees before retiring in November 1978.

Which Czech club does Jaromír Jágr own and played for into his 50s?

Jaromír Jágr bought his hometown club Rytíři Kladno in 2011 and kept playing for it past his 50th birthday in February 2022.

Which KHL club did Jágr play three seasons for after leaving the Rangers in 2008?

Jaromír Jágr spent 2008 to 2011 with Avangard Omsk in the KHL, then returned to the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2011.

Which goaltender is the only player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy three times?

Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe in 1986 and 1993 with Montreal and in 2001 with Colorado — three decades, two teams.

Which Canadiens goaltender later became a Liberal MP and federal cabinet minister?

Ken Dryden, Montreal's goalie through the 1970s, sat as a Liberal MP from 2004 to 2011 and served as Minister of Social Development under Paul Martin.

Which expansion team lured Jacques Plante out of retirement in 1968?

Jacques Plante joined the St. Louis Blues in 1968, sharing the 1969 Vezina with Glenn Hall; he ended his career with the WHA's Edmonton Oilers in 1974-75.

In what year did Jacques Plante first use a practical goalie mask in an NHL game?

Jacques Plante wore his fibreglass mask in a game on November 1, 1959 after a shot cut his face, and kept wearing it from then on.

How many career shutouts did Terry Sawchuk have, an NHL record at his death?

Terry Sawchuk retired with 103 shutouts, a record that stood from his 1970 death until Martin Brodeur passed it in December 2009.

Which award has gone to the goalies of the team allowing the fewest goals since 1981-82?

The William M. Jennings Trophy, introduced in 1981-82, goes to the goaltenders of the team allowing the fewest goals; the Vezina had been awarded on that basis before.

Georges Vezina died in 1926 of which disease?

Georges Vezina died of tuberculosis in March 1926, four months after collapsing during a game that ended his run of 327 consecutive regular-season starts.

What was Georges Vézina's nickname, a nod to his calm and his hometown?

Georges Vézina, the 'Chicoutimi Cucumber', came from Chicoutimi, Quebec and was famed for staying cool under fire; he played every Canadiens game from 1910 until he collapsed in 1925.

Which viceregal consort donated the NHL's sportsmanship trophy in 1925?

Lady Byng of Vimy, wife of Governor General Lord Byng — who had commanded the Canadian Corps at Vimy Ridge — donated the sportsmanship trophy in 1925.

Which Ottawa player did Lady Byng choose as the first winner of her trophy?

Lady Byng presented her trophy to Ottawa's Frank Nighbor in 1925; Frank Boucher later won it seven times in eight years and was given the original outright.

Which Canadiens forward won the first four Selke Trophies from 1977-78?

Bob Gainey won the first four Selke Trophies from 1978 to 1981; Patrice Bergeron later set the record with six.

Which coach is the only one to win the Jack Adams Award three times, with three teams?

Pat Burns won the Jack Adams with Montreal in 1989, Toronto in 1993 and Boston in 1998; only Jacques Demers, in 1987 and 1988, has won it in consecutive seasons.

In which season was the Presidents' Trophy for the best regular-season record introduced?

The Presidents' Trophy was introduced in 1985-86 and first won by the Edmonton Oilers, who then lost in the second round to Calgary.

Which Presidents' Trophy winner was swept in the first round of the 2019 playoffs?

The 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning tied the record with 62 wins, then were swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round.

In which Ontario city was the Hockey Hall of Fame founded in 1943?

The Hall of Fame was established in Kingston in 1943, moved to Toronto in 1958, and opened its Brookfield Place home in 1993.

In what year was the first stand-alone Ice Hockey World Championship held?

The first stand-alone Ice Hockey World Championship was held in 1930, split between Chamonix, Berlin and Vienna; in Olympic years up to 1968 the Games doubled as the Worlds.

Which country won the Nagano 1998 men's gold, the first Olympics with NHL players?

The Czech Republic beat Russia 1-0 in the 1998 final on a Petr Svoboda goal, with Dominik Hasek in goal; Canada had lost the semifinal shootout to the Czechs.

What is the name of the trophy awarded to the KHL playoff champion?

The Gagarin Cup, named for cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, has gone to the KHL playoff champion since the league's first season in 2008-09.

Which KHL team lost almost its entire roster in a September 2011 plane crash?

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl's plane crashed on take-off on September 7, 2011 as the team flew to its season opener in Minsk; 44 of the 45 aboard died.

In which California city did Frank Zamboni build the first ice resurfacer in 1949?

Frank Zamboni built the Model A resurfacer in 1949 at Paramount, California, for the Iceland rink he had opened there in 1940.

In which state was Frank Zamboni born in 1901?

Frank Zamboni was born in Eureka, Utah on January 16, 1901, before the family moved to a farm at Lava Hot Springs, Idaho.

Up to how long can an NHL hockey stick be?

NHL Rule 10.1 caps the shaft at 63 inches from heel to end, with a waiver to 65 inches for players 6 feet 6 and taller.

Roughly how high are the boards surrounding an ice hockey rink?

Boards stand about 1.22 metres (4 feet) high; the NHL allows 40 to 48 inches and the IIHF 1.17 to 1.22 metres.

How long is an IIHF international-size hockey rink?

An IIHF rink is 60 metres long and 26 to 30 metres wide; the classic 60-by-30 sheet is about 4 metres wider than an NHL rink.

Which two teams played the first NHL Winter Classic in 2008?

It was played at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

Which 2003 game was the NHL's first regular-season outdoor game?

The Heritage Classic at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium on November 22, 2003 drew 57,167 fans in bitter cold; Michigan State's 2001 'Cold War' game had helped inspire it.

Who won the $1 million prize at the revamped 2024 NHL All-Star Skills competition?

Connor McDavid won the revamped 12-player skills competition at the 2024 All-Star weekend in Toronto, collecting the $1 million first prize.

What do hockey players call the unwritten rules that govern fighting?

The code is enforced by the enforcers, or 'goons', whose role is to fight and intimidate; the NHL, unlike European leagues, does not automatically eject players for fighting.

What is a player called whose job is to agitate opponents and draw penalties, not fight?

A pest, or agitator, needles opponents into taking penalties — Sean Avery and Brad Marchand are classic examples — and often rides the fourth line beside an enforcer.

Which company sponsored and named the national radio hockey show that began in 1931?

The General Motors Hockey Broadcast began on national radio in November 1931 with Foster Hewitt at the microphone; Imperial Oil took over the sponsorship in 1936, the year the CBC was founded.

Which co-host joined Don Cherry on Coach's Corner from 1986 to 2019?

Ron MacLean sat beside Don Cherry on Coach's Corner from 1986 until Cherry's firing in November 2019; Cherry himself played just one NHL game, a 1955 playoff game for Boston.

Which Toronto radio station carried the first hockey broadcast on February 8, 1923?

CFCA, the Toronto Star's station, aired the third period of an OHA game on February 8, 1923, called by Norman Albert; Foster Hewitt made his first call later that winter.

How many players does each team field in field hockey?

Eleven a side — ten outfield players and a goalkeeper — with rolling substitutions from the bench.

Which nation won the men's field hockey World Cup four times between 1971 and 1994?

Pakistan won the men's World Cup in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994; the tournament had been proposed by Pakistan's Air Marshal Nur Khan.

Which Indian field hockey legend's birthday, August 29, is India's National Sports Day?

Dhyan Chand, born August 29, 1905, won Olympic gold with India in 1928, 1932 and 1936; India marks his birthday as National Sports Day.

Who was the first woman to play full-time pro men's hockey as a skater?

Hayley Wickenheiser skated for Finland's Kirkkonummi Salamat in 2003, the first woman to play full-time pro men's hockey as a skater; she won four Olympic golds and played softball at Sydney 2000.

Which Canadian scored the winner in three Olympic finals, earning 'Captain Clutch'?

Marie-Philip Poulin scored the gold-medal-winning goal in the 2010, 2014 and 2022 Olympic finals, earning the nickname 'Captain Clutch'.

Since which year has the NCAA men's hockey semifinal round been branded the 'Frozen Four'?

The NCAA adopted the 'Frozen Four' name in 1999, echoing basketball's Final Four; the tournament itself dates to 1948, when Michigan won the first title.

Whom did the Memorial Cup originally honour when donated in 1919?

It was rededicated in 2010 to all Canadians who died in conflict.

In which Swiss town is the Spengler Cup, hockey's oldest invitational tournament, held?

HC Davos hosts it every year between December 26 and 31.

Under what name did the Maple Leafs franchise begin in 1917-18?

The club began as the Toronto Arenas and won the 1918 Cup; it became the St. Patricks in 1919 and the Maple Leafs in 1927 after Conn Smythe bought it.

Under what name were the Red Wings founded in 1926?

Founded in 1926 as the Detroit Cougars, with players bought from the WHL's Victoria Cougars, the club became the Falcons in 1930 and the Red Wings in 1932.

Which arena did the Red Wings call home for 52 years before Joe Louis Arena?

Olympia Stadium, the 'Old Red Barn', housed the Red Wings from 1927 to 1979; they then played at Joe Louis Arena until moving to Little Caesars Arena in 2017.

Which team did the Avs sweep in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final, their first Denver season?

Colorado swept the Florida Panthers in 1996, Uwe Krupp scoring in triple overtime of Game 4, to become Denver's first major-league champion.

In which year did Jon Cooper become head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning?

Jon Cooper took over the Lightning in March 2013 and won back-to-back Cups in 2020 and 2021, making him the NHL's longest-tenured head coach by the mid-2020s.

What was the nickname of the Pittsburgh Penguins' former home, the Civic Arena?

The Civic Arena's retractable domed roof earned it the nickname 'The Igloo'; the Penguins left it in 2010 for Consol Energy Center, later renamed PPG Paints Arena.

Which Florida city hosts the Panthers, the NHL's southernmost franchise?

They played at Miami Arena until 1998.

Which defending champion did the Kraken upset in their first playoff series, in 2023?

The Seattle Kraken, in their second season, beat the defending champion Colorado Avalanche in seven games in 2023 for their first playoff series win.

Which arena did the Quebec Nordiques play in from 1972 to 1995?

The Nordiques played at the Colisée de Québec from their 1972 WHA debut until the franchise moved to Denver in May 1995 to become the Avalanche.

Hartford's NHL franchise, later the Hurricanes, played in the WHA under what name?

The New England Whalers won the first WHA title in 1973; on joining the NHL in 1979 they became the Hartford Whalers after the Bruins objected to a second 'New England' club.

How many seasons did the WHA play before four clubs joined the NHL in 1979?

The WHA played seven seasons, from 1972-73 to 1978-79, before Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebec and Hartford joined the NHL in 1979.

By what score did the United States upset the four-time defending gold medalist Soviet Union in the 1980 'Miracle on Ice'?

4-3 to the United States: the Soviets had won gold at five of the previous six Winter Games.

Which 20-year-old Soviet goaltender starred against Canada in the 1972 Summit Series?

Vladislav Tretiak, just 20, stunned Canada in Game 1 of the 1972 Summit Series — a 7-3 Soviet win in Montreal — and played every game of the series.

Which junior club did Sidney Crosby lead to the 2005 Memorial Cup final?

Sidney Crosby scored 66 goals for the Rimouski Océanic in 2004-05 and took them to the Memorial Cup final, where they lost 4-0 to the London Knights.

Which Russian club did Alexander Ovechkin play for before joining the Capitals?

Alexander Ovechkin played for Dynamo Moscow from 2001 to 2005, staying through the lockout after being drafted first overall in 2004; he won the Calder in 2005-06.

Which OHL team drafted Connor McDavid first overall in 2012?

The Erie Otters took Connor McDavid first overall in the 2012 OHL draft after Hockey Canada granted him exceptional-player status to play junior at 15.

In which Ontario city was Wayne Gretzky born and raised?

Wayne Gretzky was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1961 and learned the game on the backyard rink his father Walter flooded each winter.

How many NHL records did Wayne Gretzky hold when he retired in 1999?

Wayne Gretzky retired in 1999 holding or sharing 61 NHL records: 40 regular-season, 15 playoff and six All-Star Game marks.

Which distinction does Mario Lemieux hold regarding the Stanley Cup?

He bought the Penguins in 1999 and they won three more titles under him.

At what age was Steve Yzerman named captain of the Detroit Red Wings?

Steve Yzerman was named Red Wings captain in October 1986 at 21 and wore the C until 2006, the longest captaincy in NHL history.

Which Swedish defenceman, 'the Perfect Human', won seven Norris Trophies with Detroit?

Nicklas Lidström won seven Norris Trophies between 2001 and 2011 and in 2002 became the first European to win the Conn Smythe.

How tall is Zdeno Chára, the tallest player in NHL history?

He captained the Bruins for fourteen seasons.

In which country were bandy's first organised rules published in 1882?

Bandy's first rules were published in England in 1882 by Charles Tebbutt of the Bury Fen club; the game is played on a rink about the size of a football pitch.

Which Finnish winger, 'the Finnish Flash', is the highest-scoring Finn in NHL history?

Teemu Selänne finished with 1,457 points and 684 goals, the most by a Finn; the Ducks retired his number 8 in January 2015.

Which Rangers goaltender was crowned 'King' by fans during his rookie season?

Henrik Lundqvist became 'King Henrik' during his 2005-06 rookie season and retired with 459 wins, the most by a European-born NHL goaltender.

Which title did Lord Stanley of Preston later inherit?

Frederick Stanley became the 16th Earl of Derby in 1893 on his brother's death, cutting short the term as Governor General of Canada he had begun in 1888.

In the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off final, which replaced that year's NHL All-Star Game, Canada beat the United States by what score?

3-2 in overtime; the tournament replaced the NHL All-Star Game that year.

Why are NHL pucks frozen before a game?

A frozen puck slides instead of hopping, so game pucks are kept in a freezer to reduce bouncing and swapped for fresh cold ones at stoppages.

What is the diameter of a standard ice hockey puck?

A standard puck is 3 inches (7.6 cm) across, 1 inch thick and weighs 5.5 to 6 ounces; training pucks are made heavier or lighter.

The first recorded hockey goaltender to wear a mask, in 1927, borrowed it from which sport?

Queen's University netminder Elizabeth Graham wore a metal fencing mask in a 1927 game, mainly to protect her teeth — the first recorded mask in hockey.

Which NHL goalie wore the first crude leather mask in 1930, to protect a broken nose, decades before Jacques Plante's?

Clint Benedict of the Montreal Maroons wore a leather mask for a few games in 1930 after a Howie Morenz shot broke his nose, then discarded it because it blocked his view.

In which season did the standard minor penalty shrink to its familiar two minutes?

Minor penalties were cut from three minutes to two for the 1921-22 season, the same year goaltenders were first allowed to pass the puck forward to their own blue line.

Hockey Night in Canada began on national radio in 1931 featuring which team?

It was called the General Motors Hockey Broadcast then, and added Montreal games in Quebec by 1933.

Hockey Night in Canada became a Saturday-night TV fixture with the launch of CBC Television in which year?

CBC Television launched in September 1952, and Hockey Night in Canada made its TV debut that fall — a Leafs-Bruins game on November 1, 1952 — having been a CBC radio fixture since 1936.