Hockey is one of the more difficult sports to play that not everyone can just do what hockey players do without proper training and practice. Playing hockey professionally is impressive enough, but some players go the extra mile to create iconic moments by scoring extraordinary goals that fans can look back to.
These goals not just serve as a testament to a player’s skill, but are also milestones in the history of the sport. The feats these players have accomplished look like they came straight out of a movie, but these moments are bound to happen in such a thrilling sport like hockey. Players always find ways to make innovations and to use their superb skill to score astounding goals such as these.
Keith Primeau’s 5OT Winner in 2000
In any sport, nothing keeps fans on the edge of their seats more than going to overtime. Things even get more gripping when one overtime is not enough, just like when the Philadelphia Flyers faced off against the Pittsburgh Penguins on May 4, 2000. This 5OT game was the third-longest NHL game of all time.
After a seemingly perpetual stalemate at 1-1, Primeau weaved through the Pittsburgh defense and flicked in a goal without warning. After eight exhausting periods, Primeau came up clutch to win an exhausting game and earned his team a well-deserved breather.
The “Omark Flip” of Pavel Datsyuk in 2010
The flip goal was first pulled off by Linus Omark of Sweden in international competition, but Pavel Datsyuk was able to execute it perfectly in the best league in the world. Fans might think that nobody is daring enough to actually try a flip goal in an NHL game, but Datsyuk had it in him, and nobody else in the NHL is yet to recreate this feat.
Imagine expecting a zooming puck while defending the goal, only to see it flying and flipping in the air as it goes in? That’s what you get for trying to stop the Magic Man.
Yzerman Wins it at Double OT in Game 7 vs. the Blues in 1996
The Detroit Red Wings went on a tear in the 90’s, going to the Stanley Cup Final thrice in four years, and winning it all in their final two appearances. 1996 was the only year where the team didn’t make it all the way to the Final, but the Wings did not fail in providing fans with legendary moments.
With their season on the line at the conference semis against the St. Louis Blues, the Wings had their back against the wall. That was until Steve Yzerman appeared to just be skating through the blue line when he casually unleashed a howitzer into the goal. It almost looked as if the goaltender didn’t know what was happening until the puck made it to the goal.
Patrick Kane Wins the Cup at OT in 2010
With this marker in 2010, Patrick Kane won the Stanley Cup for the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks were facing off against the Philadelphia Flyers at the brightest stage in the sport, and almost the entire building thought that they were still in the middle of an intense matchup when Kane actually already threw a wrister to win it all.
It wasn’t until a few moments after the goal was scored that people realized that Kane had done it, in one of the more memorable moments of the Blackhawks dynasty.
Teemu Selanne Sets the Rookie Goal Record in 1993
The NHL is a man’s league, dominated by seasoned veterans who have played the sport at the highest level for years. However, once in a while there arrives rookies who play like they’ve spent most of their lives in the NHL. Teemu Selanne was one of them.
In the 1992-93 season, Selanne made his mark on the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, and in a matchup against the Quebec Nordiques, he placed himself in the record books by scoring two goals to match Mike Bossy’s rookie goal-scoring record with 53. In the same game, Selanne notched the hat trick to make history. That was however only the beginning, as Selanne ended up scoring 72 goals in his rookie season, a record that remains unbeaten until today.
Mike Bossy’s 50th in 50 in 1981
Mike Bossy has been a scoring machine since his rookie season, and in 1981, he was on his way to score 50 goals in 50 games which was only previously achieved by Maurice Richard. Bossy was able to score 48 goals in 47 games, but he, unfortunately, went scoreless for the succeeding two games.
On his 50th game and with his eyes set on making history, Bossy took over against the Nordiques after going scoreless for the first two periods. Bossy scored two beautiful goals to net 50 goals in 50 games to accomplish a near-impossible feat.
Wayne Gretzky Sets a New Record in 1994
There are many reasons why Wayne Gretzky is widely considered as one of the greatest of all time. Him being on the record books is just one of them.
On March 23, 1994, Gretzky’s Kings were matched up against the Vancouver Canucks, and after a dazzling sequence, Gretzky scored his 802nd career goal with a weak-side one-timer. Gretzky surpassed the record previously set by Gordie Howe, who’s probably the only reason why Gretzky isn’t considered unanimously as the greatest of all time. Nonetheless, Gretzky proved that he’s among the best to ever play the game and he finished his career with an incredible 894 goals.
Mario Lemieux’s Goal vs. the North Stars in the 1991 Final
When people think of Lemieux, this goal is perhaps one of the images that first come up in their heads. In Game 2 of the 1991 Stanley Cup Final, Lemieux took on a host of defenders with phenomenal stick work to guide the puck towards the goal as he was sliding on the ground.
Lemieux’s Penguins won the Cup that year, and this goal made a mark not just in Penguins’ history, but in the history of the entire NHL as well.
Bobby Orr Wins the Cup vs. the Blues in 1970
Bobby Orr created his legend by being one of the best players in NHL history, by putting up six straight 100-point seasons, and of course, by stepping up in the postseason. After completing his first 100-point NHL campaign in 1970, Orr’s Bruins went to the Stanley Cup Finals, where Orr scored one of the most seminal goals in NHL history as he led Boston to winning the Cup.
After a tight sequence against the Blues, Orr slid very closely to the goaltender as he put the puck in the goal. The image of Orr flying through the air in celebration of this legendary goal is likewise one of the most recognized images in NHL history.
Alex Ovechkin scores “The Goal” in 2006
In January 16, 2006, Alex Ovechkin was just a rookie who was on his way to becoming one of the deadliest scorers of all time. However, his immense skill was apparent right at the outset, and nothing could encapsulate this more than “The Goal” against the Coyotes.
After collecting the puck near the neutral zone, Ovechkin sped through the defence but he fell to the ice. In what would normally already be a dead play, Ovechkin maintained control of the puck as he was falling and managed to make an almost miraculous shot. Today, Ovechkin has solidified his spot among the greats, but “The Goal” remains one of his most amazing feats.
