Feb. 29: Howe scores 800th NHL goal

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Feb. 29

1980: Gordie Howe makes more history by becoming the first player in NHL history to score 800 goals.

The 51-year-old forward gets No. 800 when he beats Mike Liut at 1:27 of the third period in a 3-0 win by the Hartford Whalers against the St. Louis Blues at the Civic Center.

It's the 14th goal of the season for Howe, and the next-to-last regular-season goal of his career. He retires after the 1979-80 season with 801, which stands as the NHL record until Wayne Gretzky comes along.

MORE MOMENTS

1936: Henri Richard is born in Montreal. The younger (by 15 years), smaller (three inches) brother of Maurice "Rocket" Richard isn't expected to make the Montreal Canadiens when he reports to training camp in the fall of 1955, but he does and helps them win the first of five consecutive Stanley Cup championships. He goes on to play 20 seasons in the NHL and an NHL-record 11 of them end with his name on the Cup. Richard retires in 1975, is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 and is named to the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017.

1984:Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player and Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player, opponents at the recent Sarajevo Olympics, begin their NHL careers on the same line with the New York Islanders when the four-time defending Stanley Cup champions visit the Winnipeg Jets. Flatley scores 5:53 into the game and has a second-period assist in Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player. LaFontaine goes scoreless in his NHL debut but goes on to an NHL career that sees him score 468 goals and finish with 1,013 points in 865 games, earning induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

1988: Another future Hall of Famer, defenseman Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player, makes his NHL debut with the New York Rangers. Leetch joins the Rangers after he and goalie Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player play for the United States at the 1988 Calgary Olympics and has an assist on a second-period goal by Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player in New York's Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player at Madison Square Garden.

1992: Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player of the Boston Bruins joins the NHL's 1,000-point club when he has a goal and two assists in a Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player at Boston Garden. Bourque becomes the 34th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 points. He retires in 2001 with 1,579, most by a defenseman in NHL history.

1996: Gretzky debuts with the St. Louis Blues after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings. He scores a second-period goal that gives the Blues a two-goal lead in their game against the Vancouver Canucks at Pacific Coliseum, but Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player scores his 50th and 51st goals to earn the Canucks a Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player.

2004: Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player plays in his 1,000th NHL game for the Detroit Red Wings, who Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player at Joe Louis Arena. Lidstrom reaches the milestone in his 13th NHL season by missing just 17 games. He finishes his NHL career in 2012 with 1,564 games played, all with Detroit, on the way to induction into the Hall of Fame.

2016: Patric Hornqvist celebrates Leap Day with his first NHL hat trick, scoring three goals for the Pittsburgh Penguins in their Video: Henri Richard won Cup a record 11 times as a player at Consol Energy Center. Hornqvist scores twice in the first period and once in the second for his hat trick, which comes after he's had 18 two-goal games in the NHL.