What is the most bizarre hockey fact?

Question

While some aspects of hockey are painfully obvious (Wayne Gretzky is the greatest player, Sam Pollock was the most shrewed general manager, the Detroit Red Wingsl play in the Joe Louis Arena, etc.), there are nuggets of information that are not only correct, but just seem unusual. Which of these facts stands out as the most bizarre?

Answer 1

I like the Bill Barilko story.
Barilko scored the overtime goal against the Montreal Canadiens' Gerry McNeil in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final on April 21, 1951 to clinch the Cup for the Maple Leafs. Four months later, on August 26, 1951, he joined his dentist, Henry Hudson, on a flight aboard Hudson's Fairchild 24 floatplane to Seal River, Quebec for a fishing trip. On the return trip, the single-engine plane disappeared and its passengers remained missing. On June 7, 1962 a helicopter pilot (Ron Boyd) discovered the wreckage of the plane about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Cochrane. The Maple Leafs finally won the Stanley Cup that year, after not winning it at all during the eleven years that he was missing. The Tragically Hip's song "Fifty Mission Cap" (from their 1992 album Fully Completely) features Barilko's tragic story and the absence of the Leafs championship until the year he was found (1962).

<<<<<< And did you hear? Leafs shutout the Sens 3-0!!!

Answer 2

Pyramid Power-Kelly coaxed the Leafs to a fourth place finish in the NHL's East Division in 1973-74, although they stumbled in the first round of the playoffs. The next season, Toronto advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing to Philadelphia. Then, in 1975-76, Kelly led the Leafs to a modest regular season finish, but it was his inspiring pyramid power that helped guide the Leafs first past Pittsburgh, then into a hard-fought seven game series eventually lost to the arch-rival Flyers. Red distributed pyramids throughout the dressing room and under the players' bench, hoping to harness power. Placebo? Likely, but the psychology had a positive effect on the Toronto team that spring.

Answer 3

That the teams who moved from 1993 on still have at least one player on their roster who played in the old city each team is from.

Minnesota/Dallas: Mike Modano
Quebec/Colorado: Joe Sakic
Winnipeg/Phoenix: Shane Doan
Hartford/Carolina: Glen Wesley

Also before last season started, there was at least one member from the inagural season from the four recent expansion teams.

Atlanta: Patrik Stefan
Nashville: Tomas Vokoun, Kimmo Timonen, David Legwand
Columbus: David Vyborny
Minnesota: Marian Gaborik, Wes Walz

Answer 4

Ray Emery made $500 in the locker room after one of his teammates dared him to eat a cockroach that was crawling around on the floor

Answer 5

Wayne Gretzky was recorded as using more than 700 hockey sticks a year; however, he rarely broke his sticks. So why did he do it? Superstition

EDIT - Holy Flying Pucks, 13 thumbs up?

Answer 6

Glen Hanlon is still an NHL coach. It may not seam weird to you, but if you follow the caps it's a real head scratchier.

Answer 7

Georges Laraque bustin out and scoring a game-winning goal.

Figure you'd appreciate this one Snoop!

Answer 8

It wasn't until the 1930's that a forward pass was allowed in hockey. Until then it was played like rugby - always passing it backwards to your teammates.

Answer 9

Butch Goring wearing the same helmet for every game from the time he was 12 until his career ended

Answer 10

Clint Malarchuk almost bleeding to death on the ice. His life was pretty interesting too.