Some of the biggest names in the history of the National Hockey League hit personal milestones on this date over the years. Plus, a handful of the best minds behind the bench had their moments in the spotlight. Nov. 3 has also been a pretty darn good day for goaltenders as well. So, let’s begin our daily trip back in time to relive all the great memories.
NHL Legends Make History
Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe played in his first NHL All-Star Game on Nov. 3, 1948. This was the first of his league-record 23 All-Star game appearances. He was on the winning side as the NHL All-Stars beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs at the old Chicago Stadium.
Maurice Richard scored the 300th and 301st goals of his career on Nov. 3, 1951, in the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 loss to Howe and the Red Wings. He joined Hall of Famer Nels Stewart, as the only player in league history, at that time to score 300 goals.
On Nov. 3, 1960, Jean Beliveau provided all the offense with his 10th career hat trick in the Canadiens 3-1 win over the visiting Maple Leafs. He became the fifth player in franchise history and ninth in the NHL to score 250 goals.
Related – Greatest Habs Player of All-Time
Phil Esposito scored his 350th career goal, on Nov. 3, 1972, in the Boston Bruins 6-6 tie at the Oakland Seals.
Exactly two years later, Esposito’s teammate, Johnny Bucyk, picked up two assists in the Bruins’ 10-1 beat down of the Minnesota North Stars. This gave him 1,153 career points, putting him ahead of the Blackhawks’ Bobby Hull as the highest-scoring left wing in league history. His 1,369 points are currently second all-time at the position after he was passed up by Luc Robitaille in 2004.
Marcel Dionne scored a goal on Nov. 3, 1987, to join Howe as the only two players to score 1,700 career points. His milestone goal wasn’t enough as his New York Rangers lost 5-3 to the Calgary Flames.
Jaromir Jagr scored twice on Nov. 3, 1993, to give him 100 career goals. He also added two assists to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 6-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres in a neutral-site game played in Sacramento, California.
Finally, on Nov. 3, 2002, Mark Messier played in his 1,616th career game to move past defenseman Larry Murphy for the second-most in NHL history. He scored a goal in the Rangers’ 3-2 loss on home ice to the St. Louis Blues. He played 1,756 games before retiring, just 11 fewer than Howe.
Coaching Greats Make Their Mark
Dick Irvin coached his first game for the Canadiens on Nov. 3, 1940, relacing Pit Lepine. His debut behind the bench ended with a 1-1 tie versus the Bruins. He coached 896 games over 15 seasons in Montreal, winning 431 games and three Stanley Cups.
Scotty Bowman became just the third head coach in NHL history to reach 1,000 games coached on Nov. 3, 1982, in the Sabres’ 3-2 loss to the visiting Bruins.
On Nov. 3, 1990, Bob Johnson led the Penguins to a 3-1 win over the Rangers to become the 32nd head coach in league history to win 200 games.
Hall of Famer Al Arbour came out of retirement on Nov. 3, 2007, to coach one game for the New York Islanders. He was the man behind the bench for all four of the team’s Stanley Cup wins between 1980 and 1983. This gave Arbour exactly 1,500 games as Islanders’ head coach, and he picked up his 782nd overall win as they beat the Penguins 3-2. After the game, a banner commemorating his 1,500 games was raised to the rafters of the Nassau Coliseum.
A Memorable Date for Goaltending
Bernie Parent made his NHL debut on Nov. 3, 1965, as he earned a tie for the Bruins against the Blackhawks. Bucyk and Ted Green both assisted on the two Boston goals. While Parent is best remembered for his success with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1970s, he played the first 57 games of his career with the Bruins. He also played 65 games for the Maple Leafs and spent one season with the Philadelphia Blazers in the World Hockey Association (WHA).
Dan Bouchard picked up his second consecutive shutout on Nov. 3, 1978, in the Atlanta Flames’ 2-0 win versus the Penguins. This extended Atlanta’s winning streak to a team-record 10 straight games.
One year later, Rogie Vachon made his first home appearance for the Red Wings and picked up his 46th career shutout in a 2-0 blanking of the Blackhawks.
Dominik Hasek became the winningest goaltender in Sabres’ history on Nov. 3, 1998, as Buffalo beat the Bruins 4-2. He passed Don Edwards with his 157th win in a Sabres’ sweater.
Rookie Marc Denis stopped all 37 shots he faced to record his first career shutout on Nov. 3, 1999, as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the visiting Blues 5-0.
Pekka Rinne had a great 29th birthday on Nov. 3, 2011. He started the day by signing a new seven-year contract with the Nashville Predators worth a total of $49 million. Later that night, he made 35 saves to shut out the Phoenix Coyotes 3-0.
On Nov. 3, 2018, Marc-Andre Fleury led the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. He became the 29th goaltender in league history to record at least 50 career shutouts.
Odds & Ends
The Maple Leafs signed the future Hall of Famer, Ace Bailey, on Nov. 3, 1926. He scored 111 goals and 192 points in 316 games over the next eight seasons. He had three straight seasons of at least 22 goals, back when the NHL schedule was only 44 games. He was part of Toronto’s Stanley Cup championship in 1932.
Another Hall of Famer, Norm Ullman, scored two goals and added an assist on Nov. 3, 1960, in the Red Wings 8-5 win over the Bruins. This gave him 100 goals in his career. He left for the WHA in 1975 after 490 goals and 1,229 points in 1,410 games with Detroit and Toronto.
Camille Henry scored his seventh and final career hat trick on Nov. 3, 1968, in a 4-4 tie at the Red Wings. His hat trick was the first in Blues’ franchise history and helped erase a three-goal deficit in the third period.
On Nov. 3, 1987, Neal Broten scored his 500th career point in the North Stars’ 2-2 tie with the Red Wings.
Linesman Wayne Bonney did a double-dip on Nov. 3, 1990, as he officiated two NHL games on the same day. After working an afternoon game between the Blackhawks and Flyers, in Philadelphia, he took a short flight to Boston to be an injury replacement as the Bruins hosted the Sabres later that night.
Rookie Alexei Yashin set an Ottawa Senators’ team record for most points in a game on Nov. 3, 1993, with three goals and two assists in a 7-5 win at the Edmonton Oilers.
The Penguins added to their NHL record on Nov. 3, 1998, when they converted their 12th straight power play. However, the streak was snapped as they went 1-for-7 on the power play in a 4-4 tie with the Flyers. Maxim Galanov had two goals in the game, including the early strike on the man advantage.
Paul Kariya became the first member of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to ever score 600 points on Nov. 3, 2002, with an assist in a 4-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Kariya remains third all-time in team history in goals (300) and fourth in assists (369) and points (669).
The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted its newest members on Nov. 3, 2003, as Grant Fuhr, Pat LaFontaine, Red Wings’ owner Mike Illitch and Ottawa 67’s coach Brian Kilrea were all enshrined.
On that same night, Daniel Alfredsson scored a goal to become the first 500-point scorer in Senators’ history. The milestone came in a 6-3 loss at the Islanders. He is still the franchise’s all-time leader with 426 goals, 682 assists, and 1,108 points.
Happy Birthday to You
A total of 18 players who have skated at least one game in the NHL have been born on this date. The most notable birthday boys are Jim McKenzie (52), Doug Zmolek (51), Rinne (39), Jay Harrison (39), and the late Lionel Hitchman.
Greg Boysen has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks since 2010 and has been a site manager for both FanSided and SB Nation. He has been published in The Hockey News and was fully credentialed for the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. Among his various roles with The Hockey Writers are covering the Blackhawks, the AHL, writing the daily “Today in Hockey History” column, serving as a copy editor, and appearing and hosting multiple YouTube shows, including Blackhawks Banter. He is credentialed with the Chicago Wolves, Rockford IceHogs, and Milwaukee Admirals, while also being a regional scout for the NAHL. And, just because his plate isn’t full enough, Greg hosts trivia in the Chicago area two nights a week. For interview requests or to provide topic suggestions, follow Greg on Twitter and reach out.