Promoter Tex Rickard insists that the defending Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens must be the opponent, and the NHL obliges. He turns the first hockey game at the new arena into a high-society affair: The lower bowl is filled with men in tuxedos and women in evening gowns and furs.
The Americans delight the capacity crowd of 17,000 when
Shorty Green
scores 11:50 into the game for a 1-0 lead. But second-period goals by
Albert Leduc
and
Billy Boucher
put the Canadiens ahead, and Montreal star
Howie Morenz
finishes off
the 3-1 victory
when he scores at 8:00 of the third period.
Though the Americans finish 12-20 with four ties, hockey proves to be such a hit with New York fans that one year later, the Garden gets its own team. It's quickly dubbed "Tex's Rangers" by the newspapers and the second part of the name sticks.
MORE MOMENTS
1929: The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 in their first game at Chicago Stadium. The game draws 14,212 fans, about 6,000 more than the largest crowd at their previous home, Chicago Coliseum. The fans go home happy thanks to
Vic Ripley
who
scores twice in 35 seconds
during the second period.
1970:
Glenn Hall
of the St. Louis Blues becomes the second goalie in NHL history to reach 400 victories by
making 38 saves
in a 2-1 win against the visiting Minnesota North Stars.
Bill Sutherland
scores twice for St. Louis, and Hall allows only a second-period goal to
Charlie Burns
. He joins
Terry Sawchuk
in the 400-win club.
1979: The Detroit Red Wings play to
a 4-4 tie
with the Quebec Nordiques in their final game at Olympia Stadium, their home since 1927. A crowd of 15,109 watches the Red Wings rally from down three goals in the third period; defenseman
Greg Joly
ties the game with 1:25 remaining in the third. After a four-game road trip, the Red Wings open Joe Louis Arena on Dec. 27.
1992: Texas hosts its first NHL regular-season game when the New York Islanders defeat St. Louis
4-3 in overtime
at Reunion Arena in Dallas. It's one of a series of neutral-site games played by the League. One year later, Dallas gets its own team when the Minnesota North Stars relocate.
1995:
Deron Quint
, a 19-year-old rookie defenseman, ties one of the NHL's oldest records when he scores
two goals in four seconds
to help the Winnipeg Jets defeat the visiting Edmonton Oilers 9-4. Quint scores at 7:51 and 7:55 of the second period to match the mark set by
Nels Stewart
of the Montreal Maroons in 1931.
Teemu Selanne
leads the Jets by scoring four goals, and
Alexei Zhamnov
has four assists.
2001:
Mark Messier
becomes the third player in NHL history to reach 1,800 points when he has
a goal and an assist
for theNew York Rangers in a 4-2 victory against the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden.He joins
Gordie Howe
and
Wayne Gretzky
.
