Oct. 16: Howe makes quick impact in NHL debut with Red Wings

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Oct. 16
1946:
Gordie Howe
makes an instant impact in his first NHL game.

The 18-year-old scores a goal and is a physical presence during the Detroit Red Wings'
3-3 tie
with the Toronto Maple Leafs at Olympia Stadium.
Howe scores the first of his 801 NHL goals while wearing No. 17. He switches to No. 9 the following season. His final NHL goal comes April 9, 1980, when Howe, now 52, is playing for the Hartford Whalers.
MORE MOMENTS
1926:The 10-team NHL realigns into two divisions. The Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Maroons, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and New York Americans are placed in the Canadian Division. The American Division includes the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Pirates, as well as the League's three newest franchises -- the New York Rangers, Detroit Cougars (later the Red Wings) and Chicago Black Hawks (then two words).
1960:
Jerry Toppazzini
of the Bruins, a forward, becomes the last non-goaltender to play goalie in an NHL game. He steps in after
Don Simmons
is injured with 30 seconds remaining in the third period of a
5-2 loss
at Chicago but does not face any shots.
1971:
Norm Ullman
of the Maple Leafs becomes the fourth NHL player to reach 1,000 career points. Ullman
has two assists
during a 5-3 loss to the Rangers at Maple Leaf Gardens.
1979:
Mike Gartner
scores his first NHL goal in the Washington Capitals'
8-6 victory
against the visiting Los Angeles Kings. The rookie forward scores 36 goals in his first season; he finishes his career with 708.

1982:
Victor Nechayev
becomes the first Soviet-trained player to appear in an NHL game. He
went scoreless
for the Kings in a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. The 27-year-old forward scores one goal in three games with the Kings; they are his only appearances in the NHL.
1986:
Denis Potvin
is credited with the 684th assist of his NHL career, breaking a tie with
Brad Park
for the most by a defenseman in League history. He reaches the milestone during the Islanders'
7-4 win
against the Capitals at Nassau Coliseum. The record-setting assist comes exactly 13 years after Potvin's first NHL point.

1988: Hockey Hall of Famer
Guy Lafleur
scores his first NHL goal in nearly four years. It's also his first with the Rangers after spending 14 seasons with the Canadiens before retiring in 1984. Lafleur

to help the Rangers defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 at Madison Square Garden.
2015:Mike Babcock gets his first win as coach of the Maple Leafs,
6-3 against the Columbus Blue Jackets
at Nationwide Arena. The Maple Leafs start the season 0-2-1 under Babcock, who comes to Toronto after coaching the Red Wings for 10 seasons. Captain Dion Phaneuf presents him with the game puck.
2018:Connor McDavid sets an NHL record by having a point on each of the Edmonton Oilers' first nine goals of the season. McDavid scores two goals and assists on two more during a
5-4 overtime win against the Winnipeg Jets
at Bell MTS Place. He is involved in the Oilers' first four goals, three in the third period, before Darnell Nurse scores the game-winner at 1:25 of OT. McDavid breaks the record of seven games set by
Adam Oates
with the Detroit Red Wings in 1986-87.
2019:McDavid has the first five-point game of his NHL career when he scores one goal and assists on four others in the Oilers'
6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers
at Rogers Place. McDavid joins
Wayne Gretzky
(five times) as the second Oilers player to have at least 17 points through Edmonton's first seven games of an NHL season. The Oilers win despite being outshot 52-22; Edmonton goalie Mikko Koskinen makes 49 saves.