Headlines: We Remember, All-Star Balloting, Ducks Get Maxwell

Rick Stephens

13 years ago

All Habs Headlines: Friday November 11, 2011

On this day in hockey history… 1989 – Quebec’s Guy Lafleur scored his 544th career NHL goal to tie Maurice Richard for eighth All Time in NHL goals.

►We remember: It’s Remembrance Day here in Canada, Veterans Day in the U.S. We’ve heard stories of war passed down by elders, but in the pampered world that we live in, it’s hard to appreciate what life was like for those who went into battle, and those who remained at home. What might be surprising to some, there was hockey — although there was some debate about shutting the league down, the NHL played on through World War II.

It may be hard to believe that 80 NHL players went off to war. In a six team league, with an average of more than 13 players per team missing, rosters were decimated. However, this impact also meant opportunity for many, including Bep Guidolin, at 16, the youngest player ever in league history.

The reduced talent level required rule changes to improve the pace of games — one innovation was that for the first time players were allowed to pass the puck out of their zone across the blueline. Overtime was discontinued to accommodate curfew restrictions. And fans were required to return stray pucks that made their way into the stands due to a shortage of rubber.

The Montreal Canadiens were an attractive destination for talent as the organization found off-season jobs for players and prospects in shipbuilding and other industries supporting the war effort. Can you imagine current players working in factories over the summer? But perhaps there is a valuable lesson to be learned here — Canadiens’ brass could be doing much more to assist with a player’s off-ice transition to professional hockey.

On this Novemeber 11th, remember in your own way: wear a poppy, attend a service, thank a veteran. And for those of you who will be attending a hockey game, sing the anthem loudly with gratitude and pride.