The NHL is over 100 years old. Most games are fairly normal – they usually end up about 3-2 and nothing really interesting happen besides the game. Once in a while, however, something truly unique happens. Here are a few of the strangest occurrences.
Patrick Roy Attempts to go End-to-End
In one of the best things that will ever happen, Patrick Roy decided to skate the puck out of his own end. The first guy is so surprised that Roy side-steps him easily, but the best part is when Roy pulls off the sweet spin-o-rama at centre ice. Inexplicably, there is a rule that says the goalie cannot skate over centre ice. Why that rule exists or they found it necessary to make it is beyond me, but it really sucks because the ref blew the whistle and gave Roy a penalty, stopping him from going coast-to-coast and scoring the best goal in hockey history.
Mike Milbury Beats Man With Shoe
What list of strange hockey moments would be complete without this sweet clip? For reasons unbeknownst to me, the Bruins (circa 1979) decided to ruin what was shaping up to be a perfectly good bench-clearing-brawl by climbing over the glass and into the stands to fight some Rangers fans one night at MSG.
RELATED: Mike Milbury’s Worst GM Moves
At around the 2:30 mark, noted hockey “analyst” and former “general manager” Mike Milbury stole a man’s shoe and proceeded to beat him with it. If there wasn’t video evidence, I would not believe this really happened. I know it’s wrong to beat a man with his shoe and I know it’s wrong for players to fight with fans, but a part of me loves this and is glad it happened. I’m sure everyone pretends it’s a “black-eye” for the sport and an “embarrassment,” but I think it’s the single greatest moment in NHL history.
Patrick Stefan Makes Worst Play in History
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen, Stefan should be embarrassed.” – Ray Ferraro
With the Stars about to defeat the Oilers 5-4, Patrick Stefan misses an empty-net tap in, falls down, and with less than ten seconds left in the game, the puck goes back up the ice and the Oilers’ Ales Hemsky scores an improbable goal to send the game to overtime.
Really, the only thing that could make this a better play was if, afterwards, the game erupted into another brawl.
Kings Dress a Chicken
Though his career was very short and he did not score a goal, the LA Kings dressed a Chicken one night in the 1988. He played 1:15, scored no points and had an even rating. Unfortunately, the Chicken’s career only lasted a single shift and his greatest contribution was in encouraging the use of a record amount of puns.
He is the only player (that I know of) to ever pee on the ice.
Have some other NHL Oddities? Drop a video or comment below, we’d love to see them.
Nelson Emerson throwing the puck into the net for an overtime winner against Chicago was definitely strange. Happened in 1993 in Winnipeg. Yes, the goal counted. Too bad I can’t find the video for it.