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 - 24 - 7 - 9
February 20, 1919 - One of the founding clubs of the NHL, the Toronto Arenas have the need araise to cease operations due to financial difficulties. This club would later become Toronto St. Patricks who would in turn be known as the Toronto Maple Leafs.
February 20, 1926 - The Montreal Maroons and the Ottawa Senators hockey game ends in just the second scoreless tie in NHL history. Tending the nets were Clint Benedict of the Maroons and Senators goal keeper Alex Connell, Number 1. Ironically but less than a decade later Connell would be minding the crease of the Maroons. We are not quite sure what number Benedict wore on his sweater but we do know that he was one of if not the first goalie to wear a face mask in NHL history.
Photo of Clint Benedict in 1930 of the Montreal Maroons wearing the 1st goalie facemask. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons,taken by an unknown.
February 20, 1952 - Emmett Ashford becomes the first black umpire in organized baseball as he gained cerification on this day. The legendary trail bazing Ump had to wait until the 1966 season though to make it into the "Big Leagues" for his MLB debut on the field.
February 20, 1963 - The legendary Willie Mays, Number 24, a Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder of the future at the time, became the highest-paid player in MLB, signing a record $100,000 contract with the San Francisco Giants.
February 20, 1971 - The Boston Bruins legend, Phil Esposito became the record holder for NHL's quickest to score 50 goals in a season. Esposito wore the Number 7 proudly on his Bruins jersey.
February 20, 1971 - Not to be outdone that day, Number 9 of the Red Wings, "Mr. Hockey," Gordie Howe, scores a goal and adds 3 assists, including his 1,800th career NHL point, in 6-5 Red Wings' win over Buffalo in Detroit. Howe hit this milestone in his 1,670th game, so due the math...he was very productive in almost every game offensively.
February 20 , 1993 - The NY Islanders retired Billy Smith's Number 31 jersey digit from further use.
