Hockey is easily one of the most popular games in the world. However, the history of the sport is also quite fascinating. Below we share some of the most interesting events that changed the game forever:
- NHL Betting History
It’s possible that you aren’t new to sports betting and bet on ice hockey and other hockey games all the time. However, you may not know about a fan who won a whopping $100,000 when Blues took the Stanley Cup!
It was Scott Berry who was in Las Vegas on a business trip when he saw that Blues were listed at 150-1 and he decided to bet $400 on the team winning the Stanley Cup. Naturally, his friends were shocked and asked if he really was that crazy to bet on one of the worst teams in the league. However, when the unthinkable happened and the team did win the cup, it was Berry who was left smiling.
- The Curved Stick
The history of the standard hockey stick is pretty fascinating. When the sport was newly invented, it involved ordinary sticks and stick blades. However, Stan Mikita or Andy Bathgate then came up with the concept of a curved blade, and that changed everything!
In the late 1950s, Mitika of Chicago Black Hawks came up with the idea of a curved blade when he hit a puck with a broken stick that was twisted at one end. Similarly, Andy Bathgate of New York Rangers curved the blade of his stick to make shots that were unpredictable. Needless to say, a simple idea changed everything!
- 1972 Summit Series
Just like other games, hockey is glorious because of some of the biggest rivalries that can be found in its history. However, there is one, in particular, that takes the cake. Yep, we are talking about Team Russia and Team Canada.
In the 1972 Summit Series, the sports war between the two top teams was pretty evident. However, one of the most iconic moments of the series was when Paul Henderson scored the 6-5 goal at the 19:26 mark of the third period. He essentially took Canada to victory and showed the world that there are better teams than the Soviet Union.
- Great Britain Team that Comprises Canadians?
It’s hard to say exactly what’s behind the growing popularity of ice hockey in the UK. However, there are many interesting events to consider for that. For instance, in the 1936 Winter Olympics, Great Britain won the gold medal. However, 8 players on the 12-man team were actually raised in Canada. What’s even more interesting is that the team actually caused Canada to lose out of the competition. Edgar Brenchley scored when there were only 6 minutes for the game to end, and that led to Great Britain win with a score of 2-1.
- Team USA Surprises Everyone in 1980
In the 1980 Winter Olympics that was held in Lake Placid, Russia appeared to be an easy team that could win the Gold Medal in hockey. It defeated Team USA at an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden already. However, when it played against the team on February 22, 1980, it struggled to keep up and eventually lost the game after an expected turn of events.
So, there you have it- some of the most interesting events from the world of hockey. Which ones fascinated you the most? Let us know in the comments section below!
