1984-85 Central Red Army Igor Larionov Jersey

Born on this date in 1960, Igor Larionov began his career with Khimik Voskresensk of the Soviet League in the 1977-78 season, scoring 3 goals in 6 games. He also appeared in the European Junior Championships that same season, igniting a long and illustrious international career.

He would three more seasons for Khimik, raising his point total to 7  in 1978-79 and 18 in 1979-80 before erupting for 45 points from 22 goals and 23 assists in 43 games in 1980-81. During that span Larionov would also appear for the Soviet Union in a pair of World Junior Championships, twice scoring 6 points in 5 games while earning gold medals in both 1979 and 1980, and then joining the senior national team for the 1981 Canada Cup tournament, which also saw the Soviets come home with the championship title as Larionov contributed 4 goals in 7 contests.

As was regularly the case, when a player began to stand out as an elite talent, he would find himself on the roster of the Central Red Army club, and Larionov was no exception. Identified by coach Viktor Tikhonov as just such a player, he began his career with CSKA Moscow in the fall of 1981. He immediately made his presence known by setting a career high with 31 goals on his way to 53 points in 46 games while centering a line with wingers Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makarov, the trio striking fear into the hearts of opponents as the KLM Line. Red Army would win the Soviet League championship in 1981, and for the next seven seasons, Larionov and Red Army were an unstoppable force, eventually winning titles during each of Larionov's eight seasons with CSKA.

A personal highlight for Larionov came during the 1987-88 season when he scored 32 assists and 57 points, both personal bests while in the Soviet League. His efforts were recognized when he was named the league's Most Valuable Player.

After joining CSKA in 1981-82, Larionov made his World Championship debut, immediately earning a gold medal thanks in part to his 10 points in 10 games. A second gold followed in 1983, a tournament which saw him rack up 12 points in just 9 games. He also toured North America as part of the 1983 Super Series, which saw the Soviets playing against NHL club teams.

His Olympic debut came in 1984, where Larionov quickly earned a gold medal in his first attempt, followed later in the year by his second Canada Cup. His streak of gold medals was interrupted with a bronze in the 1985 World Championships, but gold soon hung around his neck once again in 1986.

The famed Green Unit, which consisted of the KLM Line with the additions of Alexi Kasatonov and Slava Fetisov on defense

1987 saw a return to North America, has he participated in Rendez-vous '87, the two game series which pitted the Soviet National Team against a squad of NHL All-Stars. Later that spring, he added a silver medal to his collection at the World Championships. Prior to the start of the 1987-88 league schedule, Larionov took part in the third Canada Cup of his career.

Larionov guarded by Wayne Gretzky during the 1987 Canada Cup

After the calendar changed over to 1988, he captured his second Olympic gold medal following a fine effort, which saw him score 13 points in 8 games in Calgary.

Larionov then earned his fourth gold medal at the World Championships in 1989, but despite all the undeniable success he enjoyed in both the domestic league an international competition, all was not well behind the scenes, as Larionov had grown dissatisfied with the authoritarian rule over the players by Tikhonov, which extended into the players personal lives, as they were sometimes confined to barracks for training up to 11 months out of the year.

Finally, after having been drafted by the Vancouver Canucks back in 1985, Larionov was allowed to leave to play in North America for the 1989-90 season.

His North American career would run another 14 seasons and include time spent with not only the Canucks, but the San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils. he would even take a year away from the NHL, playing the 1992-93 season with HC Lugano in Switzerland prior to joining the Sharks.

While with Detroit, he enjoyed his greatest NHL success, winning Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998 and 2002, the first of which earned him membership in the exclusive Triple Gold Club for players who have won the World Championships, Olympics and Stanley Cup. He and long time Soviet National teammate Slava Fetisov became on the 7th and 8th members to join the club, which still numbers just 25 players, only six of which are Russians, now 15 years later.

Slava Kozlov, Slava Fetisov, Sergei Fedorov, Valdimir Konstantinov
and Larionov, known as "The Russian Five" pose
after winning the 1997 Stanley Cup

Further, he is one of only four players, along with Fetisov, Joe Sakic and Scott Niedermayer, to have won not only the three championships of the Triple Gold Club, but also either a Canada Cup or World Cup as well as gold at the World Junior Championships, and one of only two, with Fetsov, to add the Soviet League title as well.

With the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990's, Larionov's international career would resume at the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996, only now for the Russia National Team.

Larionov's first appearance for the Russia National Team in 1996

With the continuing playoff success of the Canucks, Sharks and especially the Red Wings, Larionov was unavailable for the World Championships each spring, but had one final opportunity to skate on the international stage, that coming in 2002 at the Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he earned a bronze medal as team captain to close out his stellar international career, which included 8 gold medals (4 World Championship, 2 World Juniors and 2 Olympic), 2 silvers (1 World Championship and 1 European Juniors) , 2 bronze (1 World Championship and 1 Olympic) and a Canada Cup.

Larionov was inducted into both the Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2008 in recognition of his stellar career.

Today's featured jersey is a 1984-85 Central Red Army Igor Larionov jersey. Much more striking visually than the spartan Soviet National Team jerseys of the same era, the Red Army jerseys benefit from the addition of the blue shoulders and stripes as well as the red stars on the shoulders and of course the hammer and sickle contained within.

Despite the communist ideals of the Soviet Union and amateur status of it's national team players, Red Army was not above entertaining the the occasional sponsorship from time to time, as seen on the back of this particular sweater!

This beautiful jersey is finished off with Larionov's name on the back in Cyrillic lettering and the very European style #8 with it's multiple layers of outlines and drop shadowing completing the look.

Bonus jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1990-91 Vancouver Canucks Igor Larionov jersey as worn during the early days of his NHL career following the domination of the Soviet portion of his career.

The Canucks had retreated from the wild jersey styles they had worn from 1978 to 1989, returning to a more conventional white jersey at home in 1989 in time for Larionov's arrival in Vancouver. They would continue to use this style throughout the 1996-97 season when a change in ownership led to an entirely new look, including not only the team logo but it's colors as well.

Today's video section begins with perhaps Larionov's best known goals, his triple overtime game winner in the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals, his second of the game.

Here is a look at Larionov's playing career, which includes footage from his early career in the Soviet Union.

Finally, not a Top 10, but a Top 15 goals scored by Larionov.

2004-05 Cologne Sharks Dave McLlwain Jersey

On this date in 1992, Dave McLlwain played his first game with the Toronto Maple Leafs, tying Dennis O'Brien's NHL record, as it was McLlwain's fourth different team of the season!

McLlwain was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins 172nd overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft and began his tour of the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1987-88 by playing 66 games. He spent most of the following season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the IHL, but did get into 24 games with the Penguins.

The Penguins dealt him to the Winnipeg Jets for the 1989-90 season, in which he would have his best NHL season, scoring 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points. Limited to 60 games in 1990-91, his production declined to 25 points.

The 1991-92 season began with McLlwain playing three games for the Jets, but was traded on October 11th to the Buffalo Sabres. His stay in Buffalo was brief, as having played just five games, McLlwain was on his way to the New York Islanders as part of the blockbuster deal involving Pierre Turgeon that brought Pat Lafontaine to the Sabres on October 25th.

McLlwain played 54 games for the Islanders, scoring 23 points, but then was dealt yet again to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 10, 1992, where he played the final 11 games of the season and tied the NHL record by suiting up for his forth different NHL club of the season on this date in 1992.

In all, McLlwain played in 73 games that season, scoring 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points, no doubt affected by the constant upheaval and time spent integrating into each club's schemes and learning his ever-shifting linemates.

He was able to call Toronto home for the entirety of the 1992-93 season, but was claimed by the Ottawa Senators in the waiver draft for the following season. He responded with 17 goals and 26 assists for the second highest total of his NHL career of 43 points.

McLlwain was limited to just 43 games in 1994-95 and spent most of 1995-96 with the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the IHL, scoring 75 points in 60 games, as well as appearing in 18 games with the Penguins, who acquired McLlwain from Ottawa.

McLlwain while with the Lumberjacks

After splitting time between the Lumberjacks, 75 points in 63 games, and the New York Islanders, where he played in four games, McLlwain's NHL career came to a close. His NHL totals were 501 games played, 100 goals and 107 assists for 207 points.

Even though McLlwain's NHL career was at an end, his playing days were far from over, as he spent the 1997-98 season with the Landshut Cannibals of the German DEL and the following two seasons with SC Bern of the Swiss National League A where he averaged more than a point per game, with 103 in 84 games.

Having played for 21 clubs in 13 seasons, McLlwain finally found stability when he signed with the Cologne Sharks (Kölner Haie) of the DEL, where he played nine seasons, winning a championship in 2002 and leading the team in scoring four times, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007 (the latter two leading the entire DEL) and was also named team captain.

McLlwain as captain of the Cologne Sharks

Today's featured jersey is a 2004-05 Kölner Haie (Cologne Sharks) Dave McLlwain jersey. This jersey is very representative of the typical European club team jersey, with all the elements of the basic jersey being dye-sublimated and numerous sponsorship logos, with perhaps a few being sewn on from time to time.

Today's bonus jersey is a 1991-92 Toronto Maple Leafs Dave McLlwain jersey as worn when McLlwain tied the NHL record by playing with the Maple Leafs, his fourth different team in that season.

This jersey features the NHL 75th Anniversary patch as worn on all players jerseys during the 1991-92 season.

Extra Bonus jersey: Here is the jersey presented to Dave McLlwain in the occasion of this 500th game in the DEL.

Today's video section begins with a goal by McLlwain during his rookie season with the Penguins when he knocks a puck out of mid-air past John Vanbiesbrouck of the New York Rangers.

Next, we feature a tribute to McLlwain that recounts his entire career, from the Kitchner Rangers in junior hockey, to the Pittsburgh Penguins representing the NHL portion of his career and then his time with Cologne in the DEL.

Sorry about the Whitney Houston as the choice of music. Germans. What can you say? These are the same people who like David Hasslehoff.

To read more on McLlwain, here is an extensive interview with "the heart, soul and brain" of the Cologne Sharks from their own website.

1999-00 Jacksonville Lizard Kings Ray LeBlanc Jersey

Massachusetts native and goaltender Ray LeBlanc played junior hockey for the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League in Canada in 1983-84. He then crossed back into the United States for 1984-85 for two seasons in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, first with the Pinebridge Bucks and then the Carolina Thunderbirds for the 1985-86 season, where he had a stellar 33-9 record on the way to the playoff championship.

LeBlanc while with the Kitchener Rangers

He moved up to the IHL the next season, joining the Flint Spirits for the next three seasons, highlighted by being named Rookie of the Year in 1987 and posting a 27-19-8 record in 1987-88. After 15 games with Flint in 1988-89, he moved first to the Saginaw Hawks for 29 games and also made one appearance for the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL that same season.

He settled back into the IHL for 1989-90, splitting time between the Fort Wayne Komets and the Indianapolis Ice, where he found a crowded crease, as future NHLers Darren Pang and Jimmy Waite were also on the roster which would go on to win the Turner Cup that season. LeBlanc was 15-6-2 in 23 appearances for Indianapolis.

LeBlanc with the Ice

LeBlanc began the 1990-91 season with the Ice, but after 3 games he found himself back in Fort Wayne for the majority of the season where he was one of six goaltenders to see time for the Komets.

He had the highest profile season of his career in 1991-92 when he was with the United States National Team for the early part of the season in preparation for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. He played in 17 games in preparation for the Games, going 5-10-1.

The US was placed in Group A, which they won with a 4-0-1 record with a wins to open play over Italy, a shutout against Germany, a 4-1 win over Finland, another shutout, this time 3-0 against Poland and a 3-3 draw with Sweden, giving many hopes of a repeat of the gold medal of 1980. The US had an easy time of it in the Quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over France, but then a 5-2 loss to the Unified Team, consisting of several former members of the recently disbanded Soviet Union and a 6-1 thumping by Czechoslovakia left the US just shy of a medal in fourth place. Having started all 8 games, LeBlanc finished the tournament with a 5-2-1 record with a 2.20 goals against average and a .943 save percentage.

In goal for the United States

Following the Olympics he was back with the Indianapolis Ice, but was called up by the Chicago Blackhawks, making his NHL debut at the age of 27 on this date in 1992, leading Chicago to a 5-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately for LeBlanc, the depth of the goaltending situation in Chicago was stacked against him, with no less than Waite, Ed Belfour and Dominik Hasek in line in front of him! Chicago's plan was to play LeBlanc in an NHL game so he would qualify to be the goaltender they exposed for the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft, allowing them to protect the three incumbents.

LeBlanc's NHL debut with the Blackhawks

Following his win for Chicago, it was back to Indianapolis for the rest of the season and all of 1992-93. He opened the following season with the Ice, but was sent to the Cincinnati Cyclones after just 2 games. With the Cyclones he was 17-9-3.

During his time with the Cyclones

For 1994-95, LeBlanc found a home back in Chicago, only this time with the Wolves of the IHL where he would spend the next four seasons.

LeBlanc back in Chicago, but still in the IHL

After 14 appearances with the Wolves in 1997-98, he joined the Flint Generals of the United Hockey League, where his veteran experience led to a 12-4-5 record.

For the final two seasons of his career, LeBlanc played for the Jacksonville Lizard Kings of the ECHL before retiring at the age of 35 with just the single game for the Blackhawks on his NHL resume.

Today's featured jersey is a 1999-00 Jacksonville Lizard Kings Ray LeBlanc jersey, which is based on the template of the Washington Capitals jerseys of the era with the "checkmark" waist striping.

The Lizard Kings lasted from 1995-96 through the 1999-00 season after moving south from Louisville, Kentucky where they were known as the Ice Hawks. The club suspended operations in hopes of returning when a new arena was completed in 2003, but never were revived.

Bonus jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1995-96 Chicago Wolves Ray LeBlanc jersey. The Wolves wore this classically styled jersey for the early years of their existence, having been founded in 1994-95 in the IHL. playing there until the league's demise in 2001, having won the Turner Cup in 1998 and 2000. They were one of the teams absorbed into the AHL, where they have won the Calder Cup in 2002 and 2008.

Today's video section are highlights of Czechoslovakia at the 1992 Olympics, which includes footage of the bronze medal game against the United States with LeBlanc in goal. Not much LeBlanc, but it's the best we could do.

The Team That Won the Stanley Cup Without Playing For It - The 1895 Montreal Victorias

The Stanley Cup was donated by Lord Stanley of Preston in 1982 and was originally called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup to be given to the top amateur club in Canada. The first era of the Stanley Cup from 1893 to 1914 was known as the Challenge Cup Era, as there was no playoff system to determine the holder of the cup.

The Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup

The first team awarded the cup was the Montreal Hockey Club, also known as the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association, or Montreal AAA for short, based on the club being the champions of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada over four other clubs, two also from Montreal (the Crystals and the Victorias) and one each from Ottawa and Quebec. They secured the AHAC tile on this date in 1893 with a 2-1 victory over the Crystals. That promoted the Montreal Hockey Club to a 7-1 record over Ottawa's 6-2 mark and the season title - and with it, the prestige of being the first team to possess what would come to be known as the Stanley Cup.

A championship ring from the 1893 Montreal Hockey Club

Haviland Routh would lead Montreal AAA and the AHAC in scoring that season with 12 goals in seven games played, while Billy Barlow contributed 7 goals and George Lowe and Archie Hodgson 6 each. Tom Paton in goal led the league with a 2.3 goals against average, allowing 18 goals in the Montreal Hockey Club's eight games.

The original Stanley Cup holders, the 1893 Montreal Hockey Club

Things were more complicated the following season when four of the five clubs in the AHAC tied for first place with identical 5-3 records! There was no tiebreaker system in place at the time, so an agreement was made for a playoff to occur. First, Quebec dropped out of consideration and it was then determined that the Montreal Hockey Club would play an elimination game against the Montreal Victorias, with the winner to face the Ottawa Hockey Club simply because Ottawa was given special consideration because they were from out of town! The Montreal Hockey Club prevailed 3-2 over the Victorias and then defeated Ottawa 3-1 to retain the cup for another year.

The 1894 Montreal AAA club with the AHAC trophy

dwarfing the original Stanley Cup bowl

Herbert Collins was in goal for Montreal AAA that season and he too led the league with a 1.875 goals against average. Routh and Barlow led the club in scoring with 8 goals apiece, which was tied for third in the league.

The following season saw another unusual set of circumstances arise as the trustees of the cup were still finding their way when it came to the rules regarding possession of the cup, as the 1895 AHAC regular season champions were the Montreal Victorias with a record of 6-2, who expected to be awarded the cup as champions of the league of the current cup holders.

But not so fast.

Unusually, the trustees ruled that the Montreal Hockey Club would first have to defend the AHAC's rights to the cup against a challenge from the Queen's University Golden Gaels of the Ontario Hockey Association to determine if the cup remained with the AHAC.

In a game played on this date in 1895, the Montreal Hockey Club defeated Queen's University 5-1 in the first official challenge for the Stanley Cup in a game played at the Victoria Rink in Montreal thanks to goals by Clarence Mussen, Clarence McKerrow, Hodgson and a pair by Routh.

The Victoria Rink

Thanks to Montreal's defeat of Queen's University, the cup remained with the AHAC, but not with the Montreal Hockey Club, as the Monreal Victorias were now holders of the Stanley Cup as the 1895 league title holders thanks to a playoff game they were not involved in!

The 1895 Montreal Victorias pose with the Stanley Cup

won for them by the Montreal Hockey Club!

Today's featured jersey is a 1894-95 Montreal Victorias jersey. The Victorias represented the Scottish population of Montreal and wore burgundy sweaters with a "V" logo in various fonts during their early days. Like many clubs in the late 1800's the Victorias were named after Queen Victoria of England.

Today's video is a look at Lord Stanley, the origins of the cup and other related facts about the cup.

Larry Murphy Career Jersey Retrospective

Born on this date in 1961, defenseman Larry Murphy, played in 1,615 games over 20 NHL seasons and currently ranks 8th in career games played despite having retired 15 years ago.

After being drafted fourth overall in 1980, Murphy began his career with the Los Angeles Kings in 1980-81 scoring 16 goals and set NHL records with 60 assists and 76 points for a rookie defenseman.

After posting 66 and 62 point seasons in Los Angeles, Murphy would be traded early in the 1983-84 season to the Washington Capitals where he would continue to put up strong numbers, the best of which was in 1986-87 when he set a career high with 23 goals plus 58 assists for 81 points.

Murphy was dealt to the Minnesota North Stars along with Mike Gartner in a blockbuster deal for Dino Ciccarelli and Bob Rouse in March of 1989 after six seasons with the Capitals. After finishing up the 1988-89 season with Minnesota, he would play one full season with the North Stars, scoring 68 points, and then a half a season in 1990-91 before once more being traded, this time to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The move to Pittsburgh would allow Murphy to experience a deep run into the playoffs for the first time in his career, never having made it past the second round during his ten previous seasons. As the Penguins progressed through the 1991 playoffs, they first defeated the New Jersey Devils in seven games, the Capitals in five and Boston Bruins in six, giving Murphy the chance to skate for the Stanley Cup against his former club, the North Stars. The Penguins dispatched Minnesota in six games, earning him the first Stanley Cup of his career as he contributed 23 points in 23 games.

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In his first full season in Pittsburgh, Murphy scored 77 points in 77 games, thanks in part to the fourth 20 goal season of his career. He would add another 16 points in 21 playoff games as the Penguins would capture their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

The following season Murphy had his career best offensive season with 85 points and another 20 goal season with 22. After two more seasons with the Penguins, Murphy was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 1995-96 season. His stay was not a long one however, as he was shipped to the Detroit Red Wings at the trading deadline during his second season with Toronto.

Murphy ended up playing more playoff games with Detroit than regular season games as the Red Wings charged through the playoffs that season and defeated the Philadelphia Flyers for the 1997 Stanley Cup, the third of Murphy's career.

Motivated by the injuries suffered by Vladimir Konstantinov while still celebrating their Stanley Cup victory in 1997, the Red Wings followed up that success with another championship in 1998, giving Murphy four Stanley Cup championships, and making Murphy the only player to win four Stanley Cups in the decade of the 1990's.

He would close out his career with three additional seasons with the Red Wings, which included playing 57 games in his final season of 2000-01, one of which was the 1,600th game of his 21-year career, only the second player to reach that mark after Gordie Howe. His final total of 1,615 games was an NHL record for defensemen at the time. He would complete his career with 287 goals and 929 assists for 1,216 points, third all time for defensemen when he retired behind only Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey.

In addition to his four Stanley Cup titles, Murphy also won a Memorial Cup in Canadian junior hockey with the Peterborough Petes.

Internationally, Murphy played for Canada in the 1980 World Junior Tournament and the 1985, 1987 and 2000 World Championships, earning a silver medal in 1985.

Murphy scored a goal and two assists in the final game of the 1987 Canada Cup as Canada took the championship. He was also a member of the championship winning Team Canada squad in the 1991 Canada Cup as well.

Today's first featured jersey is a 1982-83 Los Angeles Kings Larry Murphy jersey. The Kings wore this style from 1980-81 through 1987-88 until adopting the black and silver of the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL.

Today's second featured jersey is a 1987-88 Washington Capitals Larry Murphy jersey. The original style of Capitals jersey was used from their inaugural 1974-75 season through the 1994-95 season until the club changed to a new blue, white and black color scheme. This jersey would return in 2015-16 as a throwback alternate jersey.

Today's third featured jersey is a 1989-90 Minnesota North Stars Larry Murphy jersey. One of the oddities of the North Stars jersey history, their white jerseys would receive the added black trim way back in 1981-82, but the road green jerseys did not get the same treatment of the added black until the 1988-89 season - seven years later! This style, finally with the added black stripes, would only be used from three seasons until a new look arrived for the 1991-92 season which saw the end of the green jerseys and the beloved N-Star logo.

 

Today's fourth featured jersey is a 1994-95 Pittsburgh Penguins Larry Murphy jersey. After winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Penguins could not leave well enough alone and debuted a new pair of home and road jerseys for the 1992-93 season. This diagonally lettered jersey draws it's inspiration from the Penguins original jerseys from the 1967-68 season, which were lettered in the same manner and only lasted one season. This new black jersey would remain in used through the 1996-97 season.

 

 

Today's fifth featured jersey is a 1996-97 Toronto Maple Leafs Larry Murphy jersey. After the success of their Turn Back the Clock jerseys used during the 1991-92 season on the occasion of the NHL's 75th anniversary, the Maple Leafs debuted this style for the 1992-93 season, which had the TBTC jersey's throwback leaf logo now used as this jerseys secondary shoulder patches.

The 1996-97 season, during which this jersey had the Maple Leaf Gardens 65th Anniversary patch, was the final season for this exact style, as the font for the name and numbers would change to an unfortunate modern font, which looked out of place on the otherwise classic jersey. Another font change, which included the addition of silver trim and a new shoulder monogram "TML" logo arrived in 2000-01.  Eventually, the team would return to this style with the one color name and numbers in 2010-11 with the addition of a lace-up collar.

 

Today's sixth featured jersey is a 1999-00 Detroit Red Wings Larry Murphy jersey. The Red Wings debuted their first white jersey in 1934-35, with white arms adorned with a red stripe. They would change to red sleeves with a white stripe in 1961-62, which has remained essentially unchanged ever since. This jersey has the NHL 2000 patch worn by all teams in one of their colors.

 

Today's first video is Murphy scoring his 1,000th NHL point while with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Next, Murphy teaches you how to properly kill a penalty in a session of "Lessons with Larry".