Sports history is made every day of the year. We will preserve at least a small sampling from some great athletes every day based on the uniform number they wore.
1 - 7 - 9 - 17 - 4 - 99
April 1, 1920 - Jack Darragh, scored a hat-trick as Ottawa Senators of the NHL defeated the challenging Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association 6-1. This victory gave the Senators a 3-2 series win and the Stanley Cup Final. The fianl was played at the Mutual Street Arena, Toronto, Ontario.
April 1, 1926 - Clint Benedict, Number 1 who tended the goal for the Montreal Maroons became the first NHL goalie to record 3 straight playoff shutouts, in a 3-0 win against the visiting Victoria Cougars in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Championship series. If you remember, Benedict is famous for being the first man to wear a protective mask at the goalie position in ice hockey,
April 1, 1930 - A sideshow feat in baseball was accomplished in a stunt where Catcher Leo Hartnett, Number 7, also known as Gabby, of the Chicago Cubs, grandstanded by catching a baseball dropped from an airplane.
April 1, 1954 - The legend Gordie Howe, Number 9 of the Detroit Red Wings scored the fastest goal in NHL Stanley Cup playoff history as he sunk the puck into the opposition's net a mere 9 seconds into the contest.
April 1 1958 - Maurice Richard, Number 9, led the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-0 sweep of the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup playoff semi final series. In the final game, Richard scored an impressive hat trick, marking the seventh and final playoff hat trick of his career. His outstanding performance helped secure the Canadiens' victory and cemented his place in hockey history.
April 1, 1973 - In a stunning performance during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Boston Celtics player John Havlicek, Number 17 tied an NBA playoff record by making 24 field goals. This impressive feat, which he shares with basketball legends Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan, helped lead the Celtics to a decisive 134-109 victory over Atlanta. Havlicek's incredible performance earned him a total of 54 points by the end of the game.
April 1, 1981 - Number 99, the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, made history during a game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Colorado Rockies. He surpassed Bobby Orr's single season assist record of 102 by picking up his 103rd and 104th assists of the season. This was just the beginning of Gretzky's incredible career, as he went on to finish the season with a total of 109 assists and set numerous other records throughout his career.
April 1, 1999 - Joe Dumars, Number 4 for the Detroit Pistons, achieved a significant milestone in his career by becoming one of only ten players in NBA history to play 1,000 games with the same team. Even more impressively, he is one of only eight players to have played 1,000 games with his only team, demonstrating his loyalty and dedication to the Pistons throughout his career.
