1992-93 Revisited: A primer on hockey's greatest season
As the NHL prepares to blow out the candles on its 100th birthday, it's a fitting time to look back at what is widely considered the greatest season in the history of the league.
Just think about all the things that happened that season:
- A woman participates in a preseason game, becoming the first female in North American pro sports to do so.
- A journeyman forward signs on with an expansion team and scored four goals in that team's first game in NHL history.
- The All-Star Game is decided by a whopping 10 goals - and the MVP award is given to a guy who wasn't supposed to be there.
- A Finnish rookie takes the league by storm, scoring 23 more goals than any first-year player in the history of the league.
- One of the league's greatest players storms out to a record points pace, misses significant time after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease and not only returns to action, but rallies to win the scoring title.
- A dream Stanley Cup matchup is thwarted due to an uncalled Game 6 high stick by the greatest player in NHL history, who follows it up with what he calls the best game of his career in Game 7.
- A team with an average age below 25 wins a league-record 10 straight overtime games to become the most recent Canadian-based team to capture the Stanley Cup.
And that's not all. Not even close.
I've put together a 10-part series chronicling the greatest, craziest, and most memorable moments from that incomparable season. From start to finish, no campaign has provided more highlights, lowlights, astounding records, and heartbreaking near-misses as this one.
You will also be treated to a handful of interviews with key players from that season, including Hall of Famers Pat LaFontaine and Doug Gilmour, and several members of the Stanley Cup-winning Montreal Canadiens
For those who don't remember the 1992-93 campaign, or weren't around when it happened, this series is for you. And if, after reading it, you still aren't convinced that this was the greatest season in NHL history, then I hope you were at least entertained.
Here is the schedule of posts for the week:
- The trade that changed the NHL forever (July 24)
- Pat LaFontaine piles up the points (July 24)
- Pat LaFontaine recalls his greatest NHL season (July 24)
- A Wales of an All-Star rout (July 25)
- Manon Rheaume suits up for the Tampa Bay Lightning (July 25)
Chris Kontos recalls his historic night in Lightning opener (July 25)
- Mario Lemieux's most magnificent season (July 26)
- The Toronto Maple Leafs' roller-coaster season (July 26)
- The Leafs' season as remembered by Doug Gilmour - Part I (July 26)
- Teemu Selanne's sensational rookie season (July 27)
- Sad-sack San Jose Sharks set NHL futility record (July 27)
- The Leafs' season as remembered by Doug Gilmour - Part II (July 27)
- Rocket scientist Juneau was no ordinary Joe (July 28)
- 20 other cool things that happened that season (July 28)
- An oral history of the Cup-winning Montreal Canadiens (July 28)
Copyright (C) 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.