Year in Review: Most Memorable Short Shifts Stories of 2024

It was an incredible and memorable season on the ice around the NHL in 2024 and the same could be said off of it. Our Short Shifts department has compiled the most memorable, emotional, sweetest and funniest moments of the calendar year to bring you our official Year in Review:

1. The hockey world remembers Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau

The news of the tragic death of seven-time NHL All-Star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew shocked and saddened the League and entire hockey world.

Gaudreau, forever remembered as the undersized yet iron-willed and super-skilled forward for the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets, was almost always sporting his 1,000-megawatt smile.

Memorials for the Gaudreau brothers – Matthew was a star alongside Johnny at Gloucester Catholic – were necessary from the very start of the season, with the League commemorating them with helmet decals to teams honoring their memory to players finding ways to celebrate the lives of Johnny and Matthew in any unique way they could, including the Blue Jackets showing up to Johnny's daughter's birthday party.

In an especially touching memorial, sticks left out in memory of the Gaudreau brothers were turned into beautifully crafted benches and donated to local youth hockey rinks.

2. Dakota Joshua returns from cancer

Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua was diagnosed with testicular cancer in September and missed the team’s training camp, leaving his very promising future completely up in the air.

Just two months later, the 28-year-old who had set career highs in goals, assists and points the previous season was back out on the ice.

Joshua took the ice at Rogers Arena to a prolonged cheer from Canucks fans in attendance, recognizing the moment and happy to have him back.

File this one under things you love to see.

3. Jagr bobbleheads stolen, then found

It was almost the heist of the century.

A truckload of Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads – headed to PPG Paints Arena for a special fan giveaway back in March - was boosted before it ever hit the Steel City.

The memes from fans materialized fast and furious and then the hockey legend himself got involved.

Thankfully, less than two weeks later, the truck was recovered and the bobbleheads were unharmed and rightfully returned to the arena where they were distributed to fans.

4. The Stanley Cup travels well again

There is only one thing to do when you win the first Stanley Cup in your franchise’s history: Everything.

Not only did the Florida Panthers party hardy with Lord Stanley this offseason, the celebration began almost immediately with forward Matthew Tkachuk taking the trophy for a dip in the ocean.

From helicopter rides above Scandanavia to local beer league games, The Greatest Trophy in All of Sports saw it all again this year.

5. Young Panthers fans go all out during Cup run

Florida Panthers fans got pretty pumped on their way to a Stanley Cup championship and perhaps no one flexed harder than a shirtless young fan who videobombed New York Rangers coach Peter Laviolette during a playoff game on ESPN.

As the coach was conducting an interview with reporter Emily Kaplan, the intrepid fan was showing off behind the glass to the delight of surrounding fans, viewers at home and even Laviolette, who couldn’t help but crack up.

That was hardly the only excitable young Panthers fan on the scene in 2024. There were countless others, including a young fan at the pediatric cancer center at Joe Dimaggio Children’s Hospital who wrote her own song in tribute to the team during the Stanley Cup Final.

6. Panarin drinks mystery mix from Pang’s cup

Hey sometimes you need a little extra fuel during a shift.

Rangers forward Artemi Panarin knows this, that’s why he just took whatever drink was closest to him, even though it belonged to NHL on TNT analyst Darren Pang.

The concoction was the brainchild of Pang's colleague, Brendan Burke, a mix of blue and yellow sports drinks.

Eventually it became kind of a regular thing for Panarin and Pang.

7. Tom Brady does hockey, gets assist from Tie Domi

It’s never too late to start practicing for your third (?) career.

Legendary NFL quarterback-turned football analyst Tom Brady laced up some skates with former NHL player Tie Domi, learning the basics of skating and shooting.

Brady started out on the training wheels, pushing one of those skate helpers around the ice, but eventually he graduated to carrying the stick around.

Earlier this year he looked pretty good on a dry surface, firing pucks at Fanatics Fest NYC, the same event where his old New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers target Rob Gronkowski also got some shots in.

8. Fleury ends prank war with Duhaime

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. And you don’t get in prank war with Marc-Andre Fleury .

Washington Capitals forward Brandon Duhaime learned this lesson and then some.

After saying Fleury was “50” years old and replacing his goalie stick with a cane while the two were teammates with the Minnesota Wild, Fleury took his time getting revenge.

In April, when Duhaime, then with the Colorado Avalanche, Fleury went the extra mile to make sure Duhaime’s car would not, going as far as removing the tires and chaining them up to a parking garage fence.

Even with that information former Penguins teammate Max Talbot decided to test his hand going at the master in October. We only know one thing: It’s never over for Flower.

9. “Shaq Hyman” and the Oilers

As the Edmonton Oilers rolled to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, NBA legend-turned “NBA on TNT” analyst Shaquille O’Neal got in the mix, giving himself the nickname “Shaq Hyman” as a play on Oilers forward Zach Hyman.

It started when O’Neal visited the “NHL on TNT” set and shot some pucks with Henrik Lundqvist. Eventually he was gifted a signed jersey from the forward, only to return to the TNT studio on some really large makeshift skates.

It wasn’t the only time the Oilers aligned themselves with the “NBA on TNT” crew. And they still had time for some Mario Kart.

10. Tennessee State Universiry shows off inaugural unis

The first-ever hockey team at a Historically Black College (HBCU), Tennessee State University, showed off its first-ever home sweater in 2024 and they were pretty sweet.

Coach Duante Abercrombie unveiled the blue jersey on social media earlier this year in advance of the school's groundbreaking new team.

The team’s debut is set for the 2025-26 season.

HONORABLE MENTION

- The PWHL got their nicknames, new jerseys and slots in the popular EA Sports NHL2K franchise.

- Connor Bedard is definitely not old enough to have seen the iconic Chicago comedy “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” but don’t let that stop you from enjoying this.

- Jacob Trouba showed off his off-ice talents in a special gallery showing earlier this year.

- The Jonas Brothers brought down the house at the 2024 Stadium Series.

- Connor McDavid continued to be ridiculously good and his team got T-shirts made to show it.

- The hugs were back when Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman were reunited.

- It’s just like full-sized Auston Matthews , but in a miniature size.

- The Prime Video docuseries “Faceoff: Inside the NHL” gave fans a glimpse of teams and players off the ice and it was revealing.

- The Nashville Predators penalty kill got pretty creative handing out famous villain action figures as rewards.

- Anytime Rick Tocchet gets mentioned, the internet goes back to his famous spaghetti cooking video and 2024 was no different.