This Day in MN Hockey History: Oct. 15

1939:  Former minority owner of the Minnesota North Stars; Gordon Gund, born in Cleveland, Ohio.

1970:  Walt McKechnie scored his first NHL hat trick and Bill Goldsworthy added three assists to lead the Minnesota North Stars to a 4-2 win against Pittsburgh, at the Met Center.

1972:  The Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA first franchise win against the Chicago Cougars (3-2).  Mike Antonovich scored the teams 1st winning goal in the victory, where-as Goaltender Jack McCartan became the teams first winning goaltender.

1975:  Minnesota’s Bill Goldsworthy scored twice to become the first player from a 1967 expansion team to get 250 career goals as the North Stars won 4-1 over the visiting California Seals.

1977:  The US Hockey Hall of Fame enshrined it’s fifth-year members since opening in 1973 on this date in Eveleth, MN.  Inducted were:  Players: Earl Bartholome Edward Olson & William Riley.

1980:  Bobby Smith scored twice to lead the Minnesota North Stars to a 3-2 win over the visiting Boston Bruins.

1983:  The US Hockey Hall of Fame enshrined it’s eleventh-year members since opening in 1973 on this date in Eveleth, MN.  Inducted were:  Coach:  Oscar Almquist Player:  John McCartan.

1988:  Dave Gagner scored two goals and added two assists to lead the North Stars to a 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins, in Minnesota.

1988:  Dave Christian scored his 4th career hat trick and added an assist to lead the Capitals to an 8-5 win over the Devils in Washington.

1991:  Bobby Smith became the 5th player to score 500 points as a member of the Minnesota North Stars, with an assist in a 6-3 loss at Calgary.

1992:  Defenseman Jim Johnson picked up 26 penalty minutes for the Minnesota North Stars in a 5-4 win at St. Louis.

1993: The University of Minnesota Gophers play their first game at the newly built Mariucci Arena.

2000:  Rookie Lubomir Sekeras became the first ever Minnesota Wild defenseman to score a goal when he picked up his first career goal in a 5-3 loss to the visiting Edmonton Oilers.

2002:  Jacques Lemaire became the 25th coach in NHL history to win 300 games, when the Minnesota Wild beat the visiting Florida Panthers 4-1.  Bill Muckalt scored twice to break a 75-game drought (going back to April 2001).

2005:  Coach Peter Laviolette won his 100th game with Carolina when Erik Cole and Matt Cullen scored in a span of :17 late in the first period to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-1 win at New Jersey.  Cullen added two assists later in the game.

2009:  Dustin Byfuglien and Tomas Kopecky scored 28 seconds apart in the second period and the Blackhawks defense held the Predators to only 13 shots on goal, in a 3-1 victory at Nashville.

2010:  Bemidji State University Hockey new home Arena – Sanford Center – opened on this date.

2012:  USA Hockey and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, MN inducted the 2012 class including: Louis ‘Lou’ Lamoriello,  Edward Walter ‘Eddie’ Olczyk and former Minnesota North Stars center Mike Modano.

Courtesy of Vintage Minnesota Hockey.com,
your No. 1 source for Vintage Minnesota Hockey History and Hockey Apparel!