• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Los Angeles Kings
Kings History

Today in Hockey History: Aug. 4

By Greg Boysen August 4th, 2020

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

A legend of the National Hockey League was born on this date and one of the biggest stars of the 1990s found a new home out west. Aug. 4 also saw plenty of coaching moves and some goaltending changes in Alberta.

JR Heads West

The Los Angeles Kings acquired center Jeremey Roenick, on Aug. 4, 2005, along with third-round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, from the Philadelphia Flyers for future considerations. Roenick became a star during his eight seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring 267 goals and 596 points in 524 games.

Roenick was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996 and had five productive seasons there before signing with the Flyers in the summer of 2001. His season with the Kings was not a memorable one. He scored just nine goals and 22 points in 58 games. He re-signed with the Coyotes the following offseason before playing his final two NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks.

A Trio of Coaching Changes

Aug. 4, 1977, was a busy day behind the benches. The Kings hired Ron Stewart as their new head coach. He was the seventh coach in franchise history and replaced Bob Pulford, who had led the team for the previous five seasons.

Stewart played 1,353 games as a right wing between 1953 and 1973, winning three straight Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1960s. He coached the New York Rangers for 39 games during the 1975-76 season. He lasted just one season with the Kings, going 31-34-15 and losing the Maple Leafs in the Preliminary Round. He was replaced by Bob Berry.

Also, on this date, the Buffalo Sabres hired Marcel Pronovost as their new head coach, replacing Floyd Smith.

Marcel Pronovost – Red Wings’ Underrated Star https://t.co/xdshmAC79s #THW #LGRW #NHLHistory #NHL pic.twitter.com/PvEnTvCEOW

— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) August 30, 2019

He is the fourth coach in franchise history and went 44-19-17 in his first season. The Sabres beat the Rangers in the Preliminary Round before losing to the Flyers in the Quarterfinals. Pronovost was fired just 24 games into the 1978-79 season after an 8-10-6 start.

On Aug. 4, 1982, the Detroit Red Wings named Nick Polano their new head coach. He replaced Billy Dea, who coached the final 11 games of the 1981-82 season after Wayne Maxner was fired. Polano went 79-127-34 in his three seasons as head coach. He got the Red Wings into the playoffs twice but lost in the first round both times.

Polano was replaced by Harry Neale in 1985 and remained with the team as an assistant general manager. He played a big role in the Red Wings landing some key players from Russia including Petr Klima, Slava Kozlov, and Sergei Fedorov.

Oilers Nab a Pair of Netminders

The Edmonton Oilers were busy on this date as they brought in two different goaltenders. On Aug. 4, 1995, they traded their first-round picks in both the 1996 and 1997 NHL Entry Drafts for Curtis Joseph and Mike Grier.

Did you know Mike Grier was the first Black player born & trained in the United States to make the @NHL? He was originally drafted by St. Louis, but while he was playing for @TerrierHockey the #Oilers acquired him & Curtis Joseph via trade. pic.twitter.com/HcwEduJyav

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 19, 2020

Joseph went 76-76-20, in three seasons with the Oilers, posting a .902 save percentage (SV%), 2.90 goals-against average (GAA) and 14 shutouts. Grier played the first 448 of his 1,060 career NHL games in an Oilers uniform. He scored 81 goals and 183 points during his time in Edmonton.  The Blues used the 1996 draft pick to select Marty Reasoner. They eventually traded the 1997 pick to the Kings, who took Matt Zultek.

Four years later, on Aug. 4, 1999, the Oilers signed free-agent goaltender Bill Ranford. This was his second tenure with the team. He was with the team between 1988 and 1996 and was the starter for most of that time. He was between the pipes for the 1990 Stanley Cup championship.

Kevin Lowe Bill Ranford Edmonton Oilers
Ranford won a Cup with the Oilers in 1990.
(Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)

He returned to Edmonton after stops with the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning and Red Wings. He appeared in 16 games during the 1999-00 season, his 15th and final in the league. He went 4-6-3 with an .885 SV% and 3.59 GAA.

Odds & Ends

On Aug. 4, 1995, the Ottawa Senators traded a second-round draft pick in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft to the St. Louis Blues for veteran defenseman Steve Duchesne. In his two seasons with the Senators, Duchene had 31 goals and 83 points in 140 games. The Blues traded the draft pick to the Buffalo Sabres, who used it on Cory Sarich. The Senators traded Duchene back to the Blues, in 1997, for Igor Kravchuk.

The Lightning traded Niklas Sundstrom and a 2000 third-round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks, on Aug. 4, 1999, for Andrei Zyuzin, Bill Houlder, Shawn Burr and Steve Guolla. This marked the second time in six weeks that Sundstrom had been traded. He was sent from the Rangers to the Lightning, back on June 26, 1999, in a deal that included goaltender Dan Cloutier.

The Rangers acquired defenseman Sandy McCarthy, on Aug. 4, 2000, from the Carolina Hurricanes, in exchange for Rob DiMaio and Darren Langdon.

On this day in 2003, the @NHLBruins signed Sandy McCarthy #Hockey365 #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/adK1xJAxwQ

— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) August 12, 2019

McCarthy played in 245 games for the Rangers before signing with the Bruins in 2003. He returned for 13 more games during the 2003-04 season after the Rangers claimed him off of waivers from the Bruins. DiMaio and Langdon played in a combined 195 games for the Hurricanes.

Happy Birthday to You

There are 11 players who have skated in an NHL game born on this date. The first was Alex Wellington way back in 1893 and the most recent was Nicholas Baptiste in 1995.

One of the greatest players to ever play in the league, Maurice Richard, was born in Montreal on Aug. 4, 1921. He became a legend in his hometown, scoring 544 goals and 966 points in 978 career games for the Montreal Canadiens. Richard became the first player to score 50 goals in a season when he scored 50 in just 50 games during the 1944-45 season. He scored at least 20 goals in 14 straight seasons and, in 1958, he became the first player to ever score 500 career goals.

Maurice Richard Elmer Lach Toe Blake
Richard, Elmer Lach and Toe Blake – the Punch Line.
(THW Archives)

Richard won the Hart Trophy, for being the voted the most valuable player in the league, after score 45 goals and 71 points in 60 games during the 1946-47 season. He was a 14-time All-Star and won eight Stanley Cups during his 18-season career with the Canadiens. He retired in 1960 with 544 goals and 966 points in 978 games. The Hockey Hall of Fame waived its normal three-year waiting period and inducted Richard in 1961. Since 1999, the NHL’s leading goal scorer is awarded the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy at the end of each season.

The “Rocket” isn’t the only Hall of Famer born on this date. Neil Colville was born on Aug. 4, 1914, in Edmonton. He played 12 seasons with the New York Rangers between 1935 and 1948, scoring 100 goals and 266 points in 465 games.

On this day in 1940, four sets of brothers squared off in a game between the Rangers and Black Hawks. New York had Lynn and Muzz Patrick, and Neil and Mac Colville, while Chicago had Max and Doug Bentley, and Bob and Bill Carse #Hockey365 #PlayLikeANewYorker #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/fQ16KyBs18

— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) December 1, 2019

Colville played on the “Bread Line” with his brother Mac and Alex Shibicky. They were a big part of the Rangers’ 1940 Stanley Cup championship. Both Colville brothers left the NHL to serve in the Canadian military during World War II. He returned to the Rangers for the 1944-45 season and switched from being a center to playing defense.

He retired in 1949 and became the youngest head coach in Rangers’ history a year later. Unfortunately, he was forced to resign due to health issues halfway through his second season behind the bench. After his hockey career, he became a television executive in British Columbia. Colville was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967. He passed away at the age of 73 in 1987.

  • Tags
  • Curtis Joseph
  • Jeremy Roenick
  • Maurice Richard
  • Top Story
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 20th 6:10 PM
Column

Red Wings News & Rumors: Protocol, Rasmussen, Howard & More

Jan 20th 6:00 PM
Nashville Predators

Predators’ Forward Depth Leading to Wins

Jan 20th 5:35 PM
Column

Islanders Weekly: Shutouts, Injury Scares & Scoring Concerns

Jan 20th 4:33 PM
Archives

2010 NHL Entry Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks

Jan 20th 4:15 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

3 Pros and 3 Cons to Golden Knights’ Goalie Split

Jan 20th 4:05 PM
Florida Panthers

Panthers Offense Flourishes but Goaltending & Special Teams Need Work

Jan 20th 3:15 PM
Column

Red Wings Wednesday Weekly: Hockey is Back Everyone!

Jan 20th 2:35 PM
Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Seeing Hot Starts From Some but Serious Concerns Linger

Jan 20th 2:20 PM
NHL Entry Draft

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini’s Top 75 Rankings

Jan 20th 1:50 PM
Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers’ Goaltending & Defense Among Standouts Through Week 1

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information