Sporting News Hockey Cover of the Week

St. Louis Blues Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull

March 11th 1996

Today in Hockey History (December 22nd 2016)

December 22, 1996

Brett Hull became the 24th player in NHL history to score 500 goals, notching a hat trick in a home game against Stephane Fiset and the Los Angeles Kings.  

Brett and his father Bobby became the first father and son to join the 500-goal club.

Sports Illustrated Hockey Cover of the Week

Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche with the Stanley Cup

June 17th 1996

Today in Hockey History (December 22nd)

December 22nd 1996

Brett Hull became the 24th player in NHL history to score 500 goals. Brett and his father Bobby became the first father-son combination to score 500 goals apiece. 

1996 NHL Awards

Winner of the 1996 Hart Trophy as NHL regular season MVP and winner of the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's league scorer in 1996. 

Mario Lemieux

 Pittsburgh Penguins.

161 points, 69 goals, 92 assist

St. Louis Blues VS Toronto Maple Leafs 1996 - Game 6

1996 Stanley Cup Finals

June of 1996 saw the first Stanley Cup in the "Modern Era" of the Finals (since 1927 when the NHL gained full control over the Cup) in which 2 franchises were in their first Stanley Cup finals appearance.
The Colorado Avalanche faced off against the Florida Panthers in a 4 games finals that saw the Avalanche sweep but game 4 quickly became a classic as it went 3 overtime periods before being decided.


The Avalanche were in their first season in Colorado after moving from Quebec the previous off season, while the  Florida Panthers in their 3rd season had knocked the heavy favorite Mario Lemieux led Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals.  The Panthers had beaten the #1 seeded Philadelphia Flyers in the conference semi finals.
Colorado beat the regular season champion Detroit Red Wings in the wicked and rough Western Conference finals to make their first Stanley Cup finals appearance.


The first 2 games of the Finals weren't even close as Colorado took both games at home by 3-1 and 8-1 scores.  Patrick Roy early making a case for the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.  He was challenging teammate and team captain Joe Sakic.
Sakic would win the MVP award with 18 goals, 16 assist and 34 points.


Defenseman Uwe Krupp would become a hero for the Avalanche fans as he scored the Cup winning goal.

2 Stats of the Night

The first Stat

The Most Stanley Cup playoff points by a USA-born players 
(The Top 5)

1 - Brett Hull (202 games) = 190 
2 - Mike Modano (176) = 146
3 - Chris Chelios (266) = 144
4 - Jeremy Roenick (122) = 122
5 - Craig Janney (120) = 110

2nd Stat
There have only been 2 Stanley Cup final series since 1927(when the NHL took sole possession of the Stanley Cup Trophy) that featured 2 teams/franchises that were in their first finals appearance.  


1996 - Colorado Avalanche vs Florida Panthers
2007 - Anaheim Ducks vs Ottawa Senators (expansion franchise with no connection to the original)