Hockey has never been anywhere near baseball in my Pantheon of Sports, but I did follow it for a while in the early to mid-70s and pay (very) casual attention to it today. I think these are generally good questions to distinguish the Casual from the Serious.
Here are the ones that I knew:
Well, actually, I knew the goals against average and figured that the other had to be save percentage.
Like someone else, I couldn’t have begun to tell you the date of the Gretzky trade, but I was reasonably confident going the other way (from date to event).
This was “my era,” to the extent I had one, and I could actually have told you Rene Robert and Ric Martin as well, had you asked, which you didn’t.
Cycling the puck. I guessed and was more or less accurate.
I was about 85% sure I was right, and I was, though the terminology “fight strap” was new to me.
I knew it was the trap and I knew it was the Devils. The modifier…no idea.
The octopus! Eight arms for the eight games you used to have to win to get the Cup. The easiest of all, other than 8 and 16.
I’ll go even further back. They were the New England Whalers while in the WHA. (I used to see the Chicago Cougars occasionally back in the old Amphitheater.) And they played in Springfield, Mass for a while. Did they ever play in Boston? I’m not sure.
The all-star question. I was surprised that I knew this one, but I did get all three.
The shorthanded team and the delayed penalty. Took a while to decipher. Again, I was about 85% sure I was right, and I was.
So that’s ten, half of the list, but there were only about five that I knew --and knew I knew, if that makes sense. In the meantime, I never heard of the things referenced in 2, 4, 11, or 12; had no idea about the rules questions 3 and 20; didn’t have any recollection of what Dryden used to do (6), though I know who Dryden was; had no clue about the Russian player (15) (though I believe it was Inge Hammarstrom and Borje Salming who were the first Europeans to join the NHL, any credit for that??); have never heard of Don Koharski (19); and might conceivably have gotten 5, the Olympics question, but didn’t.
Big hockey fan here (Habs) and I’ve got 15/20, missing #4, #10, #15, #17 and #20.
#4 Didn’t know that line was named the Triple Crown, but I knew the players. Could have named all three if given a clue and a year.
#10 Wow, I didn’t know that. Doesn’t happen often.
#15 I figured it would be one of the KLM, but I guess you’re right, you gotta be a Flames fan to know that one.
#17 Koharski’s favourite food according to Jim Schoenfeld. Meh, what’s up with that one? Is this based on something that actually happened? It’s out of my hockey lore.
Thanks Ulf, that’s great feedback. Full marks for knowing Hammarstrom and Salming. I remember how the NHL thought the Europeans were too soft to play in the league and Salming in particular proved everyone wrong in a hurry. It was always the Habs, Leafs or Canucks on Saturday night back then so I saw him a lot as a kid.
I’m a regular poster on a hockey forum in an addition to this place. I’m writing an M.A. thesis in music on the history of the hockey organ. I’m still watching the Ottawa Senators in spite of their lowly standing in the league. But I just can’t do stats and numbers, especially with the old timer stuff. I admit that I only know bits and pieces of the league pre-1993.
The altercation and subsequent events are very deeply entrenched in Devils lore and mythology and so gets mentioned in one way or another, usually through some meme about doughnuts, on Devils message boards fairly frequently.
It was made all the funnier two years ago, when Torts got benched for a game for that crap with a fan during the Caps Rags series, becoming the first coach since Jim Schoenfeld to get suspended for a playoff game.
And then, who should take over for Tortorella? None other than his assistant coach…Jim Schoenfeld. :D:D
What is the Triple Gold Club?
WJHC (or any worlds?), Stanley Cup and Olympic wins
What is it called when a player gets an assist, a goal, and a fight, all in one game?
Gordie Howe hat trick
Who was the first Latino to play in the NHL?
Don’t know about Latino; I know Scott Gomez was the first Alaskan, and he’s of Mexican-Columbian descent. Which is totally not the answer you’re looking for, but a fun fact nonetheless
There is a name on the Stanley Cup that had to be “X-ed” out. Who was it and why was it corrected?
Dammit I feel like I know this one but can’t place it… something to do with a team owner’s name.
Who was Bill Barilko and what was his significance to Toronto?
[Tragically Hip]“Bill Barilko disappeared last summer…he was on a fishing trip…the last goal he ever scored…won the Leafs the cup. They didn’t win another, 'til 1962…the year he was discovered!”[/Tragically Hip]
Who is the only individual ever to win the Stanley Cup as both a player AND an owner?
Mario Lemieux
Why did Sidney Crosby choose #87?
His birthday; he was born on 8/7/87
(BTW, do they throw LIVE octopuses/octopi on the ice? Isn’t that kind of cruel?)
The ones I’ve seen were dead.
That’s a good one. If not the numbers, something like “Who drafted Teemu Selanne?” (And what exactly is the nature of his pact with the devil that has him at a point-per-game at age 40?)
[ol]
[li]Wild guess: IIHF World Junior gold medal, Olympic gold medal, Stanley Cup?[/li][li]Gordie Howe Hat-trick.[/li][li]Pure guess: Scott Gomez?[/li][li]Peter Pocklington’s father. Pocklington put it on there in tribute to his dad, but only team members get that honour.[/li][li]I only him from the Tragically Hip song. Leafs player who disappeared (and died?).[/li][li]Super Mario.[/li][li]Hmm, no idea. One less than Lemieux’s 88?[/li][/ol]
Imma guess you’re from Pittsburgh. I like these. Good questions.
