2024 was definitely one of the most memorable years for the hockey world. From many firsts, exciting fights, records broken, new arrivals and the ups and downs, there surely was plenty of action. Here are some highlights from this past year that will be etched in hockey history for years to come.
1. Seattle Kraken Shut Out Vegas Golden Knights to Win Winter Classic
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On the first day of 2024, the NHL kicked off the new year with a bang as the two youngest teams in the league took to the ice at the annual Winter Classic. The Kraken continued the longtime tradition of uniting hockey and baseball by turning the Seattle Mariners’ T-Mobile Park into an outdoor rink to host the Golden Knights, the previous year’s Stanley Cup Champions. Though the Kraken had a rough start to the 2023-24 NHL season, this game marked a turning point for them. Aided by their goalie Joey Daccord’s 35 saves, the Kraken were able to shut out the Golden Knights 3-0, making Daccord the only goalie with a shutout in Winter Classic history.
2. Team USA Wins Gold at World Juniors
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A few days later at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, Team USA defeated Sweden, the hosting team, in an exhilarating gold-medal game. Throughout the first period, both teams were tied 1-1. However, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect and Michigan State University left winger Isaac Howard scored twice in the second period to put Team USA in the lead. Zeev Buium, Gabe Perrault, Rutger McGroarty and Ryan Leonard also scored, while goalie Trey Augustine made sure the Swedes had no opportunities to get the puck in the net. Ultimately, Team USA defeated Team Sweden 6-2, winning their sixth World Juniors gold medal, 20 years after their first-ever gold medal win at the tournament.
3. MetLife Stadium Hosts Near-Record Attendance at Stadium Series
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Once again, the NHL went outside, but this time to the football field. MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Giants and the New York Jets, held a hockey double-header that drew crowds of over 150,000 people combined. 70,328 people came to watch the New Jersey Devils beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3, while 79,690 people came to watch the New York Rangers beat the New York Islanders 6-5. The games were the sixth largest and the third largest attendances at an NHL game, respectively.
4. Devils-Rangers Iconic Fight
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Every hockey fan loves a good fight. However, the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers game on April 3 had the most memorable fight – or fights – of the year. Only two seconds into their matchup at Madison Square Garden, the Devils and the Rangers erupted into a brawl involving all 10 skaters on the ice. Both teams have a deep rivalry that has lasted years, however, no one was expecting five fights to happen at once. All 10 players received five-minute fighting penalties. Rangers’ Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, and Barclay Goodrow, as well as the Devils’ Kevin Bahl, John Marino, Chris Tierney and Kurtis MacDermid were all ejected.
5. The NHL Welcomes Utah Hockey Club
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Last January, Smith Entertainment Group (SEG), the owners of the Utah Jazz, announced they had formally requested to bring an NHL team to Utah. SEG said that a team could start up in Salt Lake City and share the Delta Center with the Jazz until they have their own home. In April, the NHL announced it had approved of a team in Utah. Meanwhile, Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo sold the financially-struggling team to SEG. The team officially relocated to Utah and became the Utah Hockey Club. This marked the ending of one chapter and the beginning of another.
6. Denver Wins Frozen Four
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At the 2024 Frozen Four, the University of Denver shut out the number-one ranked Boston College to win their 10th Frozen Four title. Senior goalie Matt Davis led his team by stopping all 35 shots he faced, including 23 in the third period, while his teammates Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz scored one goal each to make the final score 2-0. While winning an NCAA championship is exciting for a college’s program, this Frozen Four title was extra special. The University of Denver is the only school to win 10 college hockey titles, giving them the most men’s ice hockey titles in NCAA history.
7. Hershey Bears Win Calder Cup
Courtesy of the AHL
In the AHL, the Hershey Bears capped off their season by winning the Calder Cup. The Washington Capitals’ affiliate won the cup in the sixth game of the series, 5-4 against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and in front of a franchise-record attendance of 11,013. 2024 was the second year in a row the Bears won the Calder Cup, marking the third time they’ve won it consecutively. The Bears are now the AHL’s most historic franchise, having 13 Calder Cup titles, making 25 Calder Cup Finals appearances and making 71 postseason appearances. The Bears have also officially won a championship in every decade ever since they won their first in 1947.
8. San Jose Sharks Draft Macklin Celebrini
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Last year, the San Jose Sharks won the draft lottery for the first overall pick. Though there was a deep prospect pool, one stood out among the rest. With their pick, the Sharks chose center Macklin Celebrini, who was just coming off his freshman campaign at Boston University. While playing for Boston, Celebrini became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award as the top men’s ice hockey player in the NCAA at 17 years old, as well as Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year for Hockey East. Since joining the Sharks this season, Celebrini has made waves and has become an integral part of their roster. It will be exciting to see what he continues to accomplish going into 2025.
9. Gaudreau Brothers are Honored and Never Forgotten
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On August 29, Johnny Gaudreau, alternate captain and left winger for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his brother Matthew, a Boston College standout, were on a bike ride the night before their younger sister’s wedding, when they were tragically struck and killed by a drunk driver. Fans from around the NHL were stunned by the sudden loss of the brothers, and the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets each held special games to honor Johnny as their former teammate and friend.
On December 3rd, the Flames hosted the Blue Jackets at the Scotiabank Arena, and made the game a special memoriam to the late brothers, holding a ceremony with their family on the ice. The Flames played a video tribute to honor Johnny’s nine seasons with the them, and both teams wore his number, 13, jerseys for warmups. The Flames ended up shutting out the Blue Jackets and honored Johnny as the first star of the game.
10. Florida Panthers Win First Stanley Cup
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Last, but not least, in one of the most wild finals ever, the Florida Panthers won their first Stanley Cup over the Edmonton Oilers. The Panthers had lost in the final to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 and were determined not to have history repeat itself. It looked like the odds were going to be in the Panthers’ favor when they won the first three games in a best-of-seven final. However, the Oilers won the next three games, surging back to force a seventh game. Fans were on the edge of their seats throughout game seven, but when right winger Sam Reinhart scored early in the second period to put the Panthers in the lead, they stayed tough to take the win.
Not only was the win exciting for the players, but also for head coach Paul Maurice. Maurice began his NHL coaching career in 1995 with the Hartford Whalers. He coached the most NHL games by anyone before winning the Stanley Cup with 1,985. Thus, his nearly 30 year wait for his first NHL title came to an end.
The NHL saw lots of action in 2024 and it’s looking like 2025 has a lot in store. Here’s a toast to a stellar year of hockey in 2024 and many more to come in the future!
Edited by Jenna Mandarano
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