Hockey history: September 25 delivers landmark NHL moments

September 25 has produced several defining moments in NHL history, from the arrival of two Original Six powers to a heavyweight Hall of Fame class and a milestone announcement by one of the game’s premier offensive defencemen. Spanning nearly a century, the date also touches All-Star festivities, trailblazing hires and a notable list of player birthdays.

Blackhawks and Red Wings officially join the NHL

On Sept. 25, 1926, the NHL confirmed that Chicago and Detroit would ice new franchises for the 1926-27 season. The New York Rangers had already been added earlier that year, giving the league 10 clubs split into two divisions. The moves laid the groundwork for some of the most recognizable brands and rivalries in hockey.

Chicago’s team was owned by Major Frederic McLaughlin, who chose the name "Black Hawks" in reference to the 86th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in which he had served during the First World War. The spelling was updated to Blackhawks in 1986, long after the club captured its first of six Stanley Cups in 1934.

Detroit’s entry grew out of the Victoria Cougars of the Western Hockey League, which folded after the 1925-26 campaign. The new NHL outfit bought the Cougars’ roster and kept the Cougars name for four seasons, rebranding as the Falcons in 1930 and finally as the Red Wings in 1932. The franchise claimed its first of 11 Stanley Cups in 1936.

The Blackhawks and Red Wings have since met 832 times, the third-most head-to-head games between any two NHL teams. Only the Montreal Canadiens versus the Boston Bruins (934 meetings) and the Canadiens against the Toronto Maple Leafs (843 games) top that total. Detroit leads the all-time series with Chicago at 411-320-84-17.

Star-studded Hall of Fame class of 1984

Sept. 25, 1984, brought a major Hall of Fame induction class. Goaltender Bernie Parent and forwards Phil Esposito and Jacques Lemaire were honoured as players, while Punch Imlach and Jake Milford entered as builders.

Parent backstopped the Philadelphia Flyers during their most successful era. After appearing in 57 games for the Boston Bruins, he was claimed by Philadelphia in the 1967 Expansion Draft, traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1971 and spent 1972-73 in the World Hockey Association. Dealt back to the Flyers ahead of 1973-74, he posted seasons of 47 and 44 wins, captured the Vezina Trophy in 1974 and 1975, and earned back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophies during Philadelphia’s two Stanley Cup runs. Across those playoffs he combined for a 1.95 goals-against average and .928 save percentage, and he still holds the franchise record with 50 shutouts.

Esposito broke into the league with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1963 and was traded to the Boston Bruins in 1967 after a money dispute. In Boston he emerged as one of the most prolific scorers in NHL history, highlighted by a 76-goal campaign in 1970-71 that kicked off a streak of five straight seasons with at least 55 goals. On Nov. 7, 1975, he was dealt to the New York Rangers in a blockbuster for Brad Park and Jean Ratelle and spent five productive seasons there. He retired in 1981 after 18 seasons with 717 goals and 1,590 points in 1,282 games, two Stanley Cups (1970, 1972), five Art Ross Trophies and two Hart Trophies.

Lemaire spent his entire 12-year NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens, amassing 366 goals and 835 points in 853 games. His best offensive season came in 1972-73 with 44 goals and 95 points, and he was part of eight Stanley Cup-winning teams in Montreal. Remarkably, Parent, Esposito and Lemaire all played central roles on the only three franchises—the Flyers, Bruins and Canadiens—to win the Stanley Cup during the 1970s.

Among the builders, Imlach served as both general manager and head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs and was behind the bench for all four of their Stanley Cup wins in the 1960s. After being dismissed, he became the first head coach and general manager of the Buffalo Sabres when they joined the league in 1970. Milford turned the Brandon Wheat Kings into a powerhouse junior program in the 1960s before moving on to general manager roles with the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks.

Potvin’s final season, All-Star showcase and modern milestones

On Sept. 25, 1987, New York Islanders defenceman Denis Potvin announced that the 1987-88 campaign would be his last in the NHL. He finished that season with 19 goals and 51 points and retired with 310 goals and 1,052 points, the most ever by a defenceman at the time. His resume also includes four Stanley Cups and three Norris Trophies.

Another late-September note came on Sept. 24, 1997, when the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Russian goaltender Peter Skudra. Over three seasons primarily in a backup role, he appeared in 74 games, earning 26 wins with a .894 save percentage and 2.71 goals-against average, before later stints with the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks and a return to Russia in 2003.

On Sept. 25, 2002, the NHL announced that the Minnesota Wild would host the 2004 All-Star Game. Played on Feb. 8, 2004, the event saw the Eastern Conference defeat the Western Conference 6-4. Despite skating for the losing side, Colorado Avalanche star Joe Sakic was named MVP after recording a hat trick. It proved to be the final All-Star Game before a hiatus that lasted until 2007.

September 25 also ties into a landmark hiring off the ice. In 2019, the Seattle Kraken made history by naming Cammi Granato the first female professional scout in NHL history. Already a Hall of Famer since 2010, she had built a decorated playing career that included an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 1998 Winter Games.

The date is notable on the calendar as well: 20 current and former NHL players were born on Sept. 25. The earliest to debut was defenceman Ed Gorman, born in 1892, who played 111 games for the original Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs between 1924 and 1928. The most recent is Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary, who made his NHL debut last season and turns 25 today. Other familiar names with Sept. 25 birthdays include Toni Lydman (49), Matt Carle (42), Calle Jarnkrok (35) and the late Carol Vadnais, who was part of the major trade that sent Esposito to the Rangers.