He shoots, he scores
NHL goaltender Billy Smith scores a goal instead of saving it
Sports History 101
Colton Hordichuk
Contributor
Some really bizarre historical moments have their anniversary this week in sports. First, the Philadelphia Flyers stood still with the puck in their own end not once, not twice, but three times to counter the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 1-3-1 style for checking. Then, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats upset the defending Grey Cup champions, the Montreal Alouettes, 52-44 in overtime.
Although some of these weird scenarios will be soon forgotten, a one-man NFL effort, a professional team that has only won one game in franchise history, and the first goal ever scored by an NHL goaltender will live on in this week’s Sports History 101.
Nov. 24, 1996 – Australian golfer Karrie Webb wins her first Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) championship. Webb seals the victory on the fourth hole in a sudden death playoff. The LPGA also named Webb rookie of the year in 1996.
Nov. 25, 2010 – Three University of Regina Rams are named all-Canadians. Adrian Charles and Jamir Walker are named first-team all-Canadians, while Brendan Owens is named a second-team all-Canadian. Other U of R alumni to be announced to the All-Canadian teams are Jason Clermont, Teale Orban, and Chris Getzlaf.
Nov. 26, 1989 – The 77th CFL Grey Cup takes place at SkyDome in Toronto. The Saskatchewan Roughriders defeat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats by a final score of 43-40. Saskatchewan kicker David Ridgway kicks a field goal in the last minute of the game to secure a win for Saskatchewan. Ridgway’s field goal winner also went on to be called “The Kick,” after giving Saskatchewan its first Grey Cup in 23 years.
Nov. 27, 1952 – The Dallas Texans win their only NFL game in franchise history, since the team was founded in 1951. The Texans defeated the Chicago Bears 27-23 and finished the season with a 1-11-0 record. After the 1952 season, the Texans were relocated to Baltimore, where they became the Baltimore Colts (present day Indianapolis Colts).
Nov. 28, 1929 – Ernie Nevers, a fullback for the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals, scored 40 points in one game all by himself to lead the Cardinals to a victory over their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Bears. Nevers scored six touchdowns and kicked four extra points in the game.
Nov. 29, 2000 – Miami Heat power forward Don Maclean is the first-ever NBA player to test positive for the use of steroids, and the NBA gives him its first ever steroid-related suspension. Maclean receives five games for doping.
Nov. 30, 2005 – Centre Joe Thornton is traded to the San Jose Sharks in return for Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart, and Wayne Primeau after seven years with the Boston Bruins. Though Thornton was the highest-scoring Boston Bruin at the time, he obtained his career high for points with the Sharks during the 2006-2007 season, scoring 22 goals and tallying up 92 assists for 114 total points.
Honourable Mention
Nov. 28, 1979 – New York Islanders netminder Billy Smith may not have shot the puck into the opposing teams net, but he is the first goaltender in NHL history to be credited with a goal.
While playing the Colorado Rockies, the referees had their hand up for a delayed penalty against the Islanders. It was at this time that one of the Rockies defencemen took a shot at Smith during the sequence and hit him in the chest. As the puck bounced off of Smith and rolled to the corner, Rockie defenceman Rob Ramage blindly threw the puck back to the point were nobody was there to receive his pass. The puck sailed the distance of the ice into the net. Since Smith was the last player on the ice to touch the puck, he was officially rewarded with the first goal scored by an NHL goaltender.
