On this date, the Los Angeles Kings brought back one of its great players in history for the third time. In addition, a dramatic coaching move was finally officially taken. Plus, some talented Stanley Cup champions are celebrating their birthday today. Let’s start our daily trip to relive all the wonderful memories that July 24 gave us.
Robitaille returns to Hollywood… Again
The Kings signed free agent forward Luc Robitaille on July 24, 2003. This marks the third time that Roberto has worn a king’s sweater. He was initially one of the best draft picks in franchise history when he was drafted in the ninth round (171Yingshi Overall) 1984 NHL Introduction Draft.
His first tenure with the Kings set the stage for his Hall of Fame career. He won the Calder Trophy with 45 goals and 84 points. He scored at least 44 goals in each of his first eight seasons in Los Angeles, including 63 goals in 1992-93, ending with a trip to the Stanley Cup final.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
In July 1994, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins (Rick Tocchet) and a second-round draft pick, becoming Pavel Rosa. After a season with the Penguins, he was handed over to the New York Rangers.
Robitaille returned to Los Angeles when the Kings traded Kevin Stevens for him in the 1997-98 season. He played four seasons in his second season, scoring 128 goals and 276 points. He signed with the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 2001. He scored 30 goals and 50 points in the regular season and won the only Stanley Cup in the spring of 2002.
His third spin with the Kings lasted two seasons, the last two seasons of his NHL career. Before retiring in 2006, he scored 37 goals and 75 points. Robitaille is the team’s 557 goals ever. He ranked fifth with 597 assists with a score of 1,154. Marcel Dionne is the only player to score higher than Robitaille in the Kings uniform.
Keenan Mobile finally confirmed
The drama of the 1994 great Mike Keenan finally ends on this date. Keenan resigned as the Rangers’ head coach on July 15, 1994, weeks after leading them to the Stanley Cup title. Two days later, the St. Louis Blues announced he was hired as the new head coach and general manager.
The move was officially launched on July 24, 1994, when Gary Bettman finally approved the move. The Wanderers acquired the Petr Nedved Center and brought Esa Tikkanen and defenseman Doug Lidster to St. Louis to finalize Keenan’s employment.
In the 1994-95 season, Nedward scored 11 goals and 23 points in 46 games. In August 1995, he was traded to the Penguins with defender Sergei Zubov, for Robertaille and defender Ulf Samuelsson. Penguin traded in 1998 as Alex Kovalev’s deal.
Tikkanen played 54 games for the Blues over the next two seasons, scoring 13 goals and 40 points. Early in the 1995-96 season, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils for a draft pick. Lidster played only 37 games in the 1994-95 season. In the offseason, he was replaced by the Rangers for Jay Wells’ defense attorney.
Like most of his stay in the NHL, Keenan’s work in the Blues didn’t last long. In his third season, he had to leave him with only 33 games.
Odd number and ending
On July 24, 1995, the Florida Panthers appointed Doug MacLean as the new head coach. He replaced Roger Neilson as the second head coach in team history. In his first season behind the bench, he brought the Panthers all the way to the Stanley Cup final. They missed the 1997 playoffs and he was fired after the 1997-98 season started with a 7-12-4 run.
The San Jose Sharks acquired former playoff hero Stephane Matteau from the Blues on July 24, 1997 in exchange for Darren Turcotte. Matteau spent the next five seasons, scoring 55 goals and 119 points in 345 games. It was the longest team in his 13-season NHL career, which also stayed with Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Rangers and Panthers.
The Flame signed free agent Dave Lowry on July 24, 2000. Veteran forward was appointed captain of the 2000-01 season, 17Th Captain in the history of franchise. His first season in Calgary was one of the best of his career, with 18 goals and 35 points. He spent a total of four seasons in the flames, captaining in two of them.
Happy birthday to you
On July 24, a total of 25 current and former NHL players were born. Jamie Langenbrunner was born in 1975 and has competed in 1,109 games with Dallas Stars, Devils and Bruce during his career. He scored 243 goals and 663 points, winning the Stanley Cup in 1999 with the Stars and the Devils in 2003.
Patrice Bergeron was born on July 24, 1985 and he competed in the most games at the beginning of the 2020-21 season. He was the highest-scoring player born on this date, with 427 goals, 613 assists and 1,040 points in 1,294 games.
(Jesse Starr/Hockey Writer)
He won the Frank J. Selke record for six games because he was the best defensive forward in the league. Bergeron won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Boston Bruins. He was also an important part of the Eastern Conference Championships held by Bruins in 2013 and 2019.
Other notable players born on this date include Jack O’Callahan, 68, Nathan Gerbe (38), Trevor van Riemsdyk (34), Robin Lehner (34) and Tanner Kero (33).
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