Today, in 1993, the Los Angeles Kings traded enforcer Marty McSorley to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Shawn McEachern.
McEachern was 24 at the time of the trade, and only play the rest of the 1993 season before joining the Boston Bruins. In 49 games, he had nine goals and 13 assists for 21 points.
As for McSorley, the well-known fighter returned to where he started his career, with the Penguins. However, the next season, he would re-join the Kings.
When McSorley joined the Penguins, the NHL world was blessed with a fight between two of the best to ever do it.
The late Bob Probert and McSorley dropped the gloves, and it was picked up and talked about by Don Cherry on Coaches Corner all these years ago. The video clip resurfaced today via Hockey Fights History on Twitter/X
McSorley had a very interesting playing career as he was tasked with protecting some of the best NHL players ever.
McSorley had a very interesting playing career as he was tasked with protecting some of the best NHL players ever.
He protected the Great One Wayne Gretzky, when they played for the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings and then would later protect Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr and others like Ron Francis.
Regardless of the player who needed his protection, he was best known for being “Gretzky’s bodyguard.”