The events of July 9 are full of Hall of Fame names who left their mark on the National Hockey League, both on the ice and in the front office. There were trades, free agent signings, births, and retirements. So, let’s begin our daily trip back in time to relive all the best moments from this date.
Sakic Hangs Them Up
On July 9, 2009, Joe Sakic announced his retirement just two days after his 40th birthday. He spent his entire 20-season NHL career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise.
Sakic came up huge during both of the Avalanche’s championship seasons. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy, for being the most valuable player of the postseason, during their 1996 run to the Stanley Cup. In 2000-01, their other championship season, he won the Hart and Lester B. Pearson (Ted Lindsay Award) Trophies for being voted as the league’s top player by both the writers and his peers.
Sakic is still the franchise’s all-time leader with 625 goals, 1,016 assists, and 1,641 points. His number 19 was retired before the Avalanche’s first game without him in 2009 and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012. He is now the team’s president of hockey operations.
Predators Hire David Poile
Over a year before their NHL debut, on July 9, 1997, the Nashville Predators named David Poile as their first general manager. He was their GM until July 1, 2023, and then handed the reins over to former head coach Barry Trotz.
The Predators went 939-718-60-178 (2,116 points) under Poile’s guidance. They also qualified for the postseason in 15 of their 24 NHL seasons. They made their first and only Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017 but lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Before They Were Executives
Keeping with the theme of NHL general managers, two long-time front office members were on the move during their playing careers. Glen Sather, the architect of the Edmonton Oilers 1980s dynasty and New York Rangers executive, changed addresses.
On July 9, 1975, the Montreal Canadiens traded Sather to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for cash and a future third-round draft choice. He had nine goals and 19 points in his lone season with the North Stars, his final in the NHL. He began his long relationship with the Oilers the following season, by signing…
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