Canada forward Michael Pezzetta’s reaction to his crucial shootout goal in Monday’s 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabers caused a stir and provided an opportunity to bring the name of the resilient Dave “Tiger” Williams into the conversation.
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The latter is the initiator of the boisterous celebration to which the crowd at Pezzetta’s KeyBank Center were entitled. The two men also have one thing in common: they attract more attention with their fighting qualities and have little touch around the opposing nets … well, almost. Because the Habs striker beat goalkeeper Eric Comrie with a powerful shot that few observers had predicted. In the National League (NHL), he has 11 goals in 106 career games.
And unaccustomed to being in the limelight, number 55 mimicked “Tiger” Williams by sitting on his stick like a cowboy, then livening up the crowd by pointing to every corner of the arena. This is a nod to the circuit’s ex-brawler, who had done the same during a duel at Toronto’s old Maple Leaf Gardens. On December 10, 1980, he returned to Queen City in triumph and put the Vancouver Canucks ahead in the third period with an 8-5 win over his former team.
Here are other specific reactions that shaped the NHL.
Bobby Orr
It’s one of the most iconic images in all of professional sports. The famous jump of Bobby Orr, author of the winning goal in the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals against the St. Louis Blues. To cheers from the Boston Garden crowd, the number 4 fell on his stomach after hitting the net, giving the Bruins their first title since the spring of 1941. In this famous sequence, a big thank you to Montreal defender Noël Picard, who tripped the leg hero of the evening.
Theoren Fleury
The Alberta rivalry has many episodes and one of the most memorable is the conclusion of Game 6 of the 1991 first-round series. Known for his speed, Theoren Fleury intercepted a rare miss from Mark Messier to pass Grant Fuhr and score in overtime. The Calgary Flames forward then took a little ‘walk’ from one end of the Edmonton rink to the other to slide close to the boards and receive congratulations from his family. Unfortunately for him, the Oilers retaliated by winning Game 7, also in overtime.
mike bossy
The Quebecer became the second player in NHL history to score 50 goals in his first 50 games (or fewer) of the season on January 24, 1981 against the Quebec Nordiques, the first being Maurice Richard. And the New York Islanders’ past glory punctuated it all in grand style, amid applause from supporters gathered at the Nassau Coliseum. After tricking goaltender Ron Grahame, Mike Bossy literally ran onto the ice with his arms raised, knowing he had just rewritten history.
Mike Foligno
Hockey fans today know brothers Nick and Marcus Foligno, but those who followed the NHL in the 1980s and 1990s will remember their father, Mike, who can be recognized by his Stan Mikita-style hard hat. He used to feast in a very special way: He jumped onto the icy surface with both feet. After playing with the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabers, Toronto Maple Leafs and briefly the Florida Panthers, the forward hit the target 355 times in 1,018 games.
Teemu Selanne
Here we see a forward-looking gesture without the client concerned knowing it at the time. Teemu Selanne went duck hunting after defeating Nordique goalkeeper Stéphane Fiset to break the record for most goals scored by a rookie in a season on March 2, 1993. He finished the schedule with 76 goals en route to the Calder Trophy. Except that spectators in the Winnipeg Jets arena still remember his repeated statements as a Chaser. Oddly enough, the Finn eventually developed with the Anaheim Ducks.