Ice hockey news: Sports for Dummies — The National Hockey League (part three)
After previously covering game basics and must-know facts, it is time to kick things up a notch in part three of our Sports for Dummies guide to the NHL as Sports News Blitz writer Katie Ransome looks at five famous faces in the history of ice hockey.
Wayne Gretzky
Originally from Ontario, Gretzky competed in the NHL for 20 years and was instrumental in expanding ice hockey's presence within Canada itself as well as across the border into the United States.
By all accounts, the league's highest-scoring player to date was born into a family with ice hockey in its blood.
Indeed, Gretzky’s childhood consisted primarily of trips to his local ice rink, coaching sessions with his father, and daily stick-handling workshops.
Set to be denied by the NHL's minimum age policy at the time, Gretzky controversially wormed his way around the rules in 1978 as a result of the merger of the World Hockey Association with the NHL.
Initially under a personal services contract to Nelson Skabania and the Indianapolis Racers, his contract was later sold to the Edmonton Oilers after just eight games due to financial struggles.
Over the course of his career, Gretzky would also dress for the Los Angeles Kings, St Louis Blues, and New York Rangers.
The ‘Great One’ retired in April of 1999 and was promptly inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In recognition of his services to the game, Gretzky’s number 99 jersey was retired league-wide by the NHL.
READ MORE: Ice Hockey news: Sports for Dummies - The National Hockey League (part two)
Bobby Orr
Widely considered to have redefined the position of defenseman, Orr was equal parts aggressor, protector, producer, and opportunist in the rink.
After working his way through the ranks of the Boston Bruins junior programme, he was scouted at the age of 12 and signed his first NHL contract six years later.
Orr then dressed for Massachusetts for 10 years, making eight consecutive play-off appearances and collecting two Stanley cups on his way to becoming one of the most decorated players in the game.
Unfortunately, such accomplishments did not come without a price as Orr was plagued by a procession of knee injuries, reportedly undergoing surgery up to 14 times on his left side.
Nevertheless, the Ontario native went on to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame at just 31 years of age, the youngest to achieve the recognition at the time.
The highlight of a successful career came in the 1970 Stanley Cup when Orr’s match-winning goal against the St Louis Blues resulted in him flying through the air in an iconic moment that would be immortalised as a bronze statue outside the TD Gardens rink.
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Tim Horton
Long before the current association with coffee and donuts, the name Tim Horton referred to a legendary NHL defenseman.
Hailing from Cochrane, Ontario, Horton built up a reputation for physical flair and consistency from an early age.
He first signed for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1947 and later joined the roster at St. Michael's College as well.
Despite a rocky start that saw him fail to secure a full-time jersey until 1952, Horton eventually played 1,446 games over 24 seasons with three different teams.
With a final tally of 115 goals and 403 assists, he ranks 64th on the all-time NHL tier list.
Due to his poor eyesight and thick-framed glasses, Horton was known to the world as the NHL ‘Superman’.
Beyond ice hockey, he was an entrepreneur, opening his first chain restaurant – Tim Horton Donuts – in Hamilton in 1964.
The name was later abbreviated to Tim Hortons following largely unsuccessful dabbles in burgers and sports cars.
After Horton threatened retirement in the wake of his MVP-winning 1972-73 season with the Buffalo Sabres, manager Punch Imlach successfully offered him a £150,000 contract and a De Tomaso Pantera to continue playing.
Tragically, Horton would go on to pass away in a car accident involving his new Pantera soon after.
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Wyatt Russell
Mostly known for being an actor, Russell did in fact have a previous life as a professional goaltender.
Before his days of shield-wielding stunts and supersoldier strength, Russell grew up wanting to play between the pipes.
He first suited up for a brief two-game stint with the Langley Hornets during the 2003-04 season when his family moved up to British Columbia.
Russell earned a much larger role the following season when he joined the Coquitlam Express as their reserve goalie, eventually posting a 6-8-0 record after 19 games.
A move to the Brampton Capitals in the Ontario Junior Hockey League subsequently yielded an impressive .920 save percentage.
Having impressed scouts from the United States Hockey League, Russell then played for the Chicago Steel in 2005.
After a final season at the Capitals, he shifted to collegiate hockey during his studies at the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
Sadly, Russell was forced to retire due to injury on the back of stints in Europe with EHC Timmendorfer Strand 06 and the Pecoma Grizzlies Groningen, and he turned his focus to acting.
Matthew Perry
Despite never playing at a professional level, Friends actor Perry was well known to the ice hockey community as a patron and devoted friend of the game.
A lifelong devotee of his home team, the Ottawa Senators, and later a fan of the Los Angeles Kings during his time on the set of Friends, Perry lived and breathed the sport.
He was regularly seen at events such as the annual NHL All-Star Game and played many a charity game for good causes.
Following his untimely death in 2023, several teams honoured his legacy by playing renditions of the Friends theme song before games.
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