Tag Archives: nhl

Mack’s Hockey Stuff: The President’s Trophy Curse

The term “President’s Trophy Curse” refers to the trophy awarded to the NHL team that finishes the regular season with the best record. The curse idea comes from the fact that in recent decades, it’s been rare for the President’s Trophy winner to go on to win the Stanley Cup. In this table, the years in which the best regular season team won the Cup are in bold.

SeasonCup WinnerRecordBest RecordRecord
‘26-27Ottawa Senators30-10-4Ottawa Senators30-10-4
’27-28New York Rangers19-16-9Montreal Canadiens26-11-7
’28-29Boston Bruins23-13-5Montreal Canadiens22-7-15
’29-30Montreal Canadiens12-14-9Boston Bruins38-5-1
’30-31Montreal Canadiens26-10-8Boston Bruins28-10-6
’31-32Toronto Maple Leafs23-18-7Montreal Canadiens25-16-7
’32-33New York Rangers23-17-8Boston/Detroit25-15-8
’33-34Chicago Blackhawks20-17-11Toronto Maple Leafs26-13-9
’34-35Montreal Maroons24-19-5Toronto Maple Leafs30-14-4
’35-36Detroit Red Wings24-16-8Detroit Red Wings24-16-8
’36-37Detroit Red Wings25-14-9Detroit Red Wings25-14-9
’37-38Chicago Blackhawks14-25-9Boston Bruins30-11-7
’38-39Boston Bruins36-10-2Boston Bruins36-10-2
’39-40New York Rangers27-11-10Boston Bruins31-12-5
’40-41Boston Bruins27-8-13Boston Bruins27-8-13
’41-42Toronto Maple Leafs27-18-3New York Rangers29-17-2
’42-43Detroit Red Wings25-14-11Detroit Red Wings25-14-11
’43-44Montreal Canadiens38-5-7Montreal Canadiens38-5-7
’44-45Toronto Maple Leafs24-22-4Montreal Canadiens38-8-4
’45-46Montreal Canadiens28-17-5Montreal Canadiens28-17-5
’46-47Toronto Maple Leafs31-19-10Montreal Canadiens34-16-10
’47-48Toronto Maple Leafs32-15-13Toronto Maple Leafs32-15-13
’48-49Toronto Maple Leafs22-25-13Detroit Red Wings34-19-7
’49-50Detroit Red Wings37-19-14Detroit Red Wings37-19-14
’50-51Toronto Maple Leafs41-16-13Detroit Red Wings44-13-13
SeasonCup WinnerRecordTop TeamRecord
’51-52Detroit Red Wings44-14-12Detroit Red Wings44-14-12
’52-53Montreal Canadiens28-23-19Detroit Red Wings36-16-18
’53-54Detroit Red Wings37-19-14Detroit Red Wings37-19-14
’54-55Detroit Red Wings42-17-15Detroit Red Wings42-17-15
’55-56Montreal Canadiens45-15-10Montreal Canadiens45-15-10
’56-57Montreal Canadiens35-23-12Detroit Red Wings38-20-12
’57-58Montreal Canadiens43-17-10Montreal Canadiens43-17-10
’58-59Montreal Canadiens39-18-13Montreal Canadiens39-18-13
’59-60Montreal Canadiens40-18-12Montreal Canadiens40-18-12
’60-61Chicago Blackhawks29-24-17Montreal Canadiens41-19-10
’61-62Toronto Maple Leafs37-22-11Montreal Canadiens42-14-14
’62-63Toronto Maple Leafs35-23-12Toronto Maple Leafs35-23-12
’63-64Toronto Maple Leafs33-25-12Montreal Canadiens36-21-13
’64-65Montreal Canadiens36-23-11Detroit Red Wings40-23-7
’65-66Montreal Canadiens41-21-8Montreal Canadiens41-21-8
’66-67Toronto Maple Leafs32-17-11Chicago Blackhawks41-17-12
’67-68Montreal Canadiens42-22-10Montreal Canadiens42-22-10
’68-69Montreal Canadiens46-19-11Montreal Canadiens46-19-11
’69-70Boston Bruins40-17-19Boston/Chicago40-17-99 / 45-22-9
’70-71Montreal Canadiens42-23-13Boston Bruins57-14-7
’71-72Boston Bruins54-13-11Boston Bruins54-13-11
’72-73Montreal Canadiens52-10-16Montreal Canadiens52-10-16
’73-74Philadelphia Flyers50-16-12Boston Bruins52-17-9
’74-75Philadelphia Flyers51-18-11BUF/MON/PHI49-16-15 / 47-14-19 / 51-18-11
’75-76Montreal Canadiens58-11-11Montreal Canadiens58-11-11
SeasonCup WinnerRecordTop TeamRecord
’76-77Montreal Canadiens60-8-12Montreal Canadiens60-8-12
’77-78Montreal Canadiens59-10-11Montreal Canadiens59-10-11
’78-79Montreal Canadiens52-17-11New York Islanders51-15-14
’79-80New York Islanders39-28-13Philadelphia Flyers48-12-20
’80-81New York Islanders48-18-14New York Islanders48-18-14
’81-82New York Islanders54-16-10New York Islanders54-16-10
’82-83New York Islanders42-26-12Boston Bruins50-20-10
’83-84Edmonton Oilers57-18-5Edmonton Oilers57-18-5
’84-85Edmonton Oilers49-20-11Philadelphia Flyers53-20-7
’85-86Montreal Canadiens40-33-7Edmonton Oilers56-17-7
’86-87Edmonton Oilers50-24-6Edmonton Oilers50-24-6
’87-88Edmonton Oilers44-25-11Calgary Flames48-23-9
’88-89Calgary Flames54-17-9Calgary Flames54-17-9
’89-90Edmonton Oilers38-28-14Boston Bruins46-25-9
’90-91Pittsburgh Penguins41-33-6Chicago Blackhawks49-23-8
’91-92Pittsburgh Penguins39-32-9New York Rangers52-25-5
’92-93Montreal Canadiens48-30-6Pittsburgh Penguins56-21-7
’93-94New York Rangers52-24-8New York Rangers52-24-8
’94-95New Jersey Devils22-18-8Detroit Red Wings33-11-4
’95-96Colorado Avalanche47-25-10Detroit Red Wings62-13-7
’96-97Detroit Red Wings38-26-18Colorado Avalanche49-24-9
’97-98Detroit Red Wings44-23-15Dallas Stars49-22-11
’98-99Dallas Stars51-19-12Dallas Stars51-19-12
.99-00New Jersey Devils45-24-13St. Louis Blues51-19-12
’00-01Colorado Avalanche52-16-14Colorado Avalanche52-16-14
SeasonCup WinnerRecordTop TeamRecord
’01-02Detroit Red Wings51-17-14Detroit Red Wings51-17-14
’02-03New Jersey Devils46-20-16Dallas Stars46-17-19
’03-04Tampa Bay Lightning46-22-14Detroit Red Wings48-21-13
’04-05Cancelled
’05-06Carolina Hurricanes52-22-8Detroit Red Wings58-16-8
’06-07Anaheim Ducks48-20-14Buffalo/Detroit53-22-7
’07-08Detroit Red Wings54-21-7Detroit Red Wings54-21-7
’08-09Pittsburgh Penguins45-28-9San Jose Sharks53-18-11
’09-10Chicago Blackhawks52-22-8Washington Capitals54-15-13
’10-11Boston Bruins46-25-11Vancouver Canucks54-19-9
’11-12Los Angeles Kings40-17-1Vancouver Canucks51-22-9
’12-13Chicago Blackhawks36-7-5Chicago Blackhawks36-7-5
’13-14Los Angeles Kings46-28-8Boston Bruins54-19-9
’14-15Chicago Blackhawks48-28-6New York Rangers53-22-7
’15-16Pittsburgh Penguins48-26-8Washington Capitals56-18-8
’16-17Pittsburgh Penguins50-21-11Washington Capitals55-19-8
’17-18Washington Capitals49-26-7Nashville Predators53-18-11
’18-19St. Louis Blues45-28-9Tampa Bay Lightning62-16-4

The NHL was formed in 1917. Starting in 1926-27, the Stanley Cup became the sole property of the NHL. Previously, the champion of the NHL played the champion of the PCHA (Pacific Coast Hockey Association) or WHL (Western Hockey League) for the Cup. It was a bit like how the NFL and AFL champions played each other in the first four Super Bowls until the NFL absorbed the AFL in 1970. The difference is that instead of being absorbed by the NHL, the PCHA and WHL went out of business.

From 1926-27 to 1941-42, there were between seven and ten teams in the NHL. During this period, the team with the league’s best record won the Cup in five out of sixteen seasons, or 31.25 percent.

Starting in 1942-43, there were only six teams left in the NHL. Things stayed that way through the 1966-67 season. During those 25 seasons, the team with the best record won the Cup 14 times, or 56 percent.

In 1967-68, the league doubled in size to 12 teams, and has now grown to 31. Since the beginning of expansion, the team with the best record has won the cup 20 of 51 times, or about 39.22 percent.

Of the 92 Stanley Cups won since 1927, 39 of them went to the best regular season team, or 42.39 percent.

On average, there have been about 16.42 teams in the NHL in a given season since ‘26-27. In the 48 years with a below average number of teams, the team with the best record won the Cup 24 times, or 50 percent. Those 48 season were all consecutive, from 1927 to 1974. Since then, teams with the best record have won the Cup in 15 of 44 seasons, or 34.09 percent. The same applies to the average number of playoff teams, which is about 10.24.

The average percentage of the league’s teams that have made the playoffs is about 65.04. When a larger than average percentage of the league qualified for the playoffs, the team with the best record won the cup in 30 of 58 seasons, or 51.72 percent. When a smaller than average percentage qualified, the team with the best record won the Cup in 9 of 34 seasons, or about 26.47 percent. A larger than average percentage of teams qualified from 1932 to 1970 and 1975 to 1993. A smaller than average percentage qualified from 1927 to 1931, 1971 to 1974, and 1994 to present.

The most consecutive years of the best regular season team winning the Cup was four, from 1975 to 1978. The longest stretch of the best team not winning the Cup was eight seasons, from 1928 to 1935.

A timeline of pro sports in Boston.

Still a work in progress.

The 1870s

  • April 22nd, 1876: The Boston Red Caps play their first game in the newly formed National League at South End Grounds. The team had played in the old National Association from 1871 to 1875, when they were known as the Boston Red Stockings.
  • September 29th, 1877: The Red Caps win the National League Championship.
  • September 30th, 1878: The Red Caps win the National League Championship.

The 1880s

  • May 1st, 1883: The Red Caps play their first game as the Beaneaters.
  • September 29th, 1883: The Beaneaters win the National League Championship.

The 1890s

  • April 23rd, 1890: Kid Nichols plays his first game for the Beaneaters.
  • April 8th, 1891: The Boston Reds play their first game in the American Association.
  • October 3rd, 1891: The Beaneaters win the National League Championship
  • October 5th, 1891: The Reds win the American Association Championship. The Reds fold following the season after the league goes out of business.
  • October 24th, 1892: The Beaneaters win the National League Championship vs. the Cleveland Spiders five games to none, with one game ending in a tie.
  • September 30th, 1893: The Beaneaters win the National League Championship.
  • October 17th, 1897: The Beaneaters win the National League Championship.
  • October 15th, 1898: The Beaneaters win the National League Championship.

The 1900s

  • March 19th, 1901: Cy Young signs with the Boston Americans.
  • April 26th, 1901: The Boston Americans play their first game in the new American League.
  • December 1901: The Beaneaters trade Kid Nichols to the Western League’s Kansas City team.
  • October 13th, 1903: The Americans win the World Series vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates, five games to three.
  • October 10th, 1904: The Americans win the American League Pennant. Had there been a World Series that year, They would’ve faced the New York Giants, but the team’s ownership refused to play as they still saw the American League as a minor league, and already considered themselves baseball’s champions.
  • April 12th, 1907: The Beaneaters play their first game as the Doves.
  • April 14th, 1908: The Americans play their first game as the Red Sox.
  • February 13th, 1909: The Red Sox trade Cy Young to the Cleveland Indians.
  • April 16th, 1909: Harry Hooper plays his first Major League game in a 3-2 road loss to the Washington Senators.

The 1910s

  • April 12th, 1911: The Doves play their first game as the Rustlers.
  • April 20th, 1912: The Red Sox play their first game at Fenway Park, beating the New York Highlanders (now Yankees) 7-6 in 11 innings.
  • October 16th, 1912: The Red Sox win the World Series win the World Series vs. the New York Giants four games to three, with one game ending in a tie.
  • July 11th, 1914: Babe Ruth plays his first Major League game, pitching seven innings for the Red Sox in a 4-3 win vs. the Cleveland Indians.
  • October 13th, 1914: The Braves win the World Series vs. the Philadelphia Athletics in five games.
  • October 13th, 1915: The Red Sox win the World Series vs. the Philadelphia Phillies in five games. The end of the series also marks Tris Speaker’s last game with the team.
  • October 12th, 1916: The Red Sox win the World Series vs. the Brooklyn Robins in five games.
  • September 11th, 1918: The Red Sox win the World Series vs. the Chicago Cubs in six games.
  • September 27th, 1919: Babe Ruth plays his last game for the Red Sox in a 4-1 loss to the Washington Senators.
  • December 26th, 1919: Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sells Babe Ruth’s contract to the New York Yankees for $100,000. Ruth goes onto win four World Series in New York on top of the three he won in Boston.

The 1920s

  • September 28th, 1920: Harry Hooper plays his last game for the Red Sox in a 7-6 home loss to the Washington Senators.
  • March 21st, 1921: Harry Hooper is traded to the Chicago White Sox.
  • December 1st, 1924: The Boston Bruins play their first game in the NHL, defeating the Montreal Maroons 1-0. The game is played at their first home, Boston Arena, now known as Matthews Arena.
  • November 16th, 1926: Eddie Shore makes his NHL debut in a 4-1 home win vs. the Montreal Canadiens.
  • April 13th, 1927: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Ottawa Senators two games to none, with two games ending in ties.
  • November 15th, 1927: Dit Clapper makes his NHL debut in a 1-1 tie at home vs. the Chicago Blackhawks.
  • November 15th, 1928: Tiny Thompson makes his NHL debut in a 1-0 road win vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • November 28th, 1928: The Bruins play their first game at the new Boston Garden, losing to the Montreal Canadiens, 1-0.
  • March 29th, 1929: The Bruins win the Stanley Cup vs. the New York Rangers four goals to one in a two game series.

The 1930s

  • April 3rd, 1930: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Montreal Canadiens, two games to none.
  • October 2nd, 1932: The Boston Braves play their first NFL game at Braves Field. They lose 14-0 to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
  • September 17th, 1933: The Braves (NFL) play their first game as the Redskins.
  • December 12th, 1933: The Red Sox acquire Lefty Grove in a trade with the Philadelphia Athletics.
  • April 15th, 1936: The Braves play their first game as the Bees.
  • December 13th, 1936: The Redskins lose the NFL Championship to the Green Bay Packers, 21-6. It turns out to be their last game as the Boston Redskins, and they re-locate to Washington, DC the following year.
  • April 20th, 1937: Bobby Doerr makes his Major Leauge debut in an 11-5 road win vs. the Philadelphia Athletics.
  • November 3rd, 1938: Frank Brimsek plays his first NHL game in a 3-2 road win vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • November 27th, 1938: Tiny Thompson plays his last game with the Bruins in an 8-2 home win vs. the New York Americans. He’s traded the following day to the Detroit Red Wings.
  • April 5th, 1939: The Bruins win the Stanley Cup vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs in five games.
  • April 20th, 1939: Ted Williams plays his first game for the Red Sox in a 2-0 road loss to the New York Yankees.
  • December 5th, 1939: Eddie Shore plays his last game as a Bruin in a 2-1 home win vs. the New York Americans. Shore is traded to the Americans on the following January 25th.

The 1940s

  • April 15th, 1941: The Bees play their first game after changing their name back to the Braves.
  • April 4th, 1941: The Bruins win the Stanley Cup vs. the Detroit Red Wings in four games.
  • April 19th, 1942: Warren Spahn plays his first Major League game for the Braves in a 5-2 home loss to the New York Giants. Spahn doesn’t play regularly for the Braves until 1946 due to his World War II military service.
  • September 28th, 1941: Ted Williams goes 2 for 3 in a 7-1 loss to the Philadelphia Athletics. Despite the loss, Williams ends the season with a batting average of .406. He’s the last hitter to finish the season with an average of over .400 to this day. The game was also Lefty Grove’s last in the Majors.
  • April 8th, 1943: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Detroit Red Wings in four games.
  • September 26th, 1944: The Boston Yanks play their first game in the NFL, losing 28-7 at home to the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • April 9th, 1946: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Montreal Canadiens in four games.
  • November 2nd, 1946: The Boston Celtics play their first game in the new BAA, losing 59-53 to the Providence Steamrollers.
  • October 15th, 1946: The Red Sox lose the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
  • January 12th, 1947: Dit Clapper plays his last NHL game in a 5-1 road loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
  • October 4th, 1948: After tying for the best record in the American League with the Cleveland Indians, The Red Sox lose a one game playoff to Cleveland 8-3. Had the Red Sox won, they would’ve played a subway series against the Braves.
  • October 11th, 1948: The Braves lose the World Series to the Cleveland Indians in six games.
  • December 5th, 1948: The Yanks play their last game in Boston before re-locating to become the New York Bulldogs the following season.
  • March 30th, 1949: Frank Brimsek plays his last game as a Bruin in a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in game five of the Stanley Cup semifinals. He’s traded to the Chicago Blackhawks the following September 8th.
  • October 2nd, 1949: The Red Sox lose the last game of the season to the New York Yankees 5-3 on the road, clinching the AL Pennant for New York. Had the Red Sox won even one of the two games in that series, they would’ve gone to the World Series instead of the Yankees.

The 1950s

  • November 1st, 1950: Bob Cousy and Ed Macauley play their first Celtics game (which is Cousy’s first NBA game) in a 107-84 road loss to the Fort Wayne Pistons.
  • September 7th, 1951: Bobby Doerr plays his last Major League game in an 8-5 road win vs. the Philadelphia Athletics.
  • November 4th, 1951: Bill Sharman makes his Celtics debut in a 97-65 home win vs. the Indianapolis Olympians.
  • September 21st, 1952: The Braves play their last game at Braves Field, losing 8-2 to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
  • September 28th, 1952: The Braves play their last game before re-locating to Milwaukee the following season. They begin playing in their current home of Atlanta in 1966.
  • April 16th, 1953: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Montreal Canadiens in four games.
  • March 21st, 1956: Ed Macauley plays his last game with the Celtics as they’re eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by the Syracuse Nationals at home, 102-97.
  • December 22nd, 1956: Bill Russell plays his first game for the Celtics in a 95-93 home win vs. the St. Louis Hawks.
  • April 13th, 1957: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the St. Louis Hawks in seven games.
  • April 16th, 1957: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.
  • September 29th, 1957: Ted Williams finishes the season with a .388 batting average at the age of 39.
  • October 12th, 1957: John Bucyk plays his first game with the Bruins in a 3-1 home win vs. the Chicago Blackhawks.
  • October 22nd, 1957: Sam Jones plays his first NBA game in a 115-90 win vs. the Atlanta Hawks.
  • April 12th, 1958: The Celtics lose the NBA Finals to the St. Louis Hawks in six games.
  • April 20th, 1958: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Montreal Canadiens in six games.
  • April 9th, 1959: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Minneapolis Lakers in five games.
  • July 21st, 1959: Pumpsie Green becomes the first black player to play for the Red Sox in a 2-1 road loss to the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox are the last team in the majors to field a black player.

The 1960s

  • April 9th, 1960: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the St. Louis Hawks in seven games.
  • September 9th, 1960: The Boston Patriots play their first game in the AFL, losing to the Denver Broncos 13-10 at home.
  • September 28th, 1960: Ted Williams plays his last Major League game in a 5-4 home win against the Baltimore Orioles. In his last at bat, Williams hits a solo home run.
  • April 11th, 1961: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the St. Louis Hawks in five games. The deciding game is also Bill Sharman’s last in the NBA.
  • April 11th, 1961: Carl Yastrzemski plays his first Major League game in a 5-2 home loss to the Kansas City Athletics.
  • April 18th, 1962: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
  • October 20th, 1962: John Havlicek plays his first NBA game in a 149-116 home win vs. the New York Knicks.
  • April 24th, 1963: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. Game six is also Bob Cousy’s last as a Celtic and his last NBA game until briefly coming out of retirement for the Cincinnati Royals in 1969-70.
  • September 21st, 1963: Rico Petrocelli plays his first Major League game in a 13-4 home loss to the Minnesota Twins. He doesn’t begin playing for the Red Sox regularly until 1965.
  • January 5th, 1964: The Patriots lose the AFL Championship to the San Diego Chargers, 51-10.
  • April 26th 1964: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the San Francisco Warriors in five games.
  • April 25th, 1965: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
  • October 31st, 1965: Don Nelson plays his first game with the Celtics in a 105-100 home win vs. the Baltimore Bullets.
  • April 28th, 1966: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
  • October 19th, 1966: Bobby Orr plays his first NHL game in a 6-2 home win vs. the Detroit Red Wings.
  • October 11th, 1967: Phil Esposito plays his first game as a Bruin in a 4-4 tie at home vs. the Detroit Red Wings.
  • October 12th, 1967: The Red Sox lose the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
  • May 2nd, 1968: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
  • May 5th, 1969: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Bill Russell and Sam Jones retire following the series.
  • September 18th, 1969: Carlton Fisk plays his first Major League game in a 6-4 home loss to the Baltimore Orioles. He doesn’t begin playing for the Red Sox regularly though until 1972.

The 1970s

  • May 10th, 1970: The Bruins win the Stanley Cup vs. the St. Louis Blues in four games.
  • October 13th, 1970: Dave Cowens plays his first NBA game in a 114-107 road loss to the New York Knicks.
  • May 17th, 1971: Luis Tiant signs with the Red Sox.
  • September 19th, 1971: The Patriots play their first game as the New England Patriots. It’s also their first game at the new Foxboro Stadium, and they win 20-6 vs. the Oakland Raiders.
  • May 11th, 1972: The Bruins win the Stanley Cup vs. the New York Rangers in six games.
  • September 16th, 1972: Dwight Evans plays his first Major League game in a 10-0 home win vs. the Cleveland Indians.
  • May 19th, 1974: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
  • May 12th, 1974: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games.
  • August 19th, 1974: Jim Rice makes his Major League debut in a 6-1 home win vs. the Chicago White Sox.
  • October 22nd, 1975: The Red Sox lose the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in seven games
  • November 5th, 1975: Phil Esposito plays his last game with the Bruins in a 4-0 road loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Two days later, he’s traded to the New York Rangers.
  • November 26th, 1975: Bobby Orr plays his last game for the Bruins in a 6-4 road win vs. the New York Rangers. He’s sidelined with knee injuries for the remainder of the season.
  • June 6th, 1976: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Phoenix Suns in six games. The clincher is also Don Nelson’s last NBA game.
  • June 24th, 1976: Bobby Orr signs with the Chicago Blackhawks.
  • September 14th, 1976: Rico Petrocelli plays his last Major League game in a 3-2 road loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
  • May 14th, 1977: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Montreal Canadiens in four games.
  • April 9th, 1978: John Bucyk plays his last NHL game in a 5-2 home loss to the New York Islanders.
  • April 9th, 1978: John Havlicek plays his last NBA game in a 131-114 win vs. the Buffalo Braves.
  • May 25th, 1978: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Montreal Canadiens in six games.
  • October 1st, 1978: Luis Tiant pitches his last game for the Red Sox in a 5-0 home win vs. the Toronto Blue Jays.
  • October 2nd, 1978: After the Red Sox and Yankees tie for the lead in the American League’s Eastern Division, they play a one game playoff to break the tie at Fenway Park. The Yankees win the game 5-4 and and go on to win the World Series.
  • November 8th, 1978: Bobby Orr, now with the Chicago Blackhawks, announces his retirement from hockey.
  • November 13th, 1978: Luis Tiant signs with the New York Yankees.
  • May 10th, 1979: The Bruins take a too many men penalty with two and a half minutes left in game seven of the semifinals vs. the Canadiens in Montreal. The Habs tie the game on the power play and win in overtime. Had the Bruins held the lead, they would’ve advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.
  • October 11th, 1979: Ray Bourque makes his NHL debut in 4-0 home win vs. the Winnipeg Jets.
  • October 12th, 1979: Larry Bird plays his first NBA game in a 114-106 home win vs. the Houston Rockets.
  • December 23rd, 1979: During a Bruins-Rangers game in New York, a fan assaults Bruins player Stan Jonathan and takes a hockey stick from the Bruins bench. This leads to most of the team climbing into the stands to fight with the fans. Three Bruins are suspended between six and eight games.

The 1980s

  • April 27th, 1980: Dave Cowens plays his last game as a Celtic as they’re eliminated from the Conference Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers at home in game five, 105-94. Cowens would return to play one more season in ’82-83 for the Milwaukee Bucks.
  • October 5th, 1980: Carlton Fisk plays his last game for the Red Sox in a 4-1 road loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
  • October 10th, 1980: Kevin McHale and Robert Parish play their first game with the Celtics (it’s McHale’s first in the NBA) in a 130-103 home win vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • March 18th, 1981: Carlton Fisk signs with the Chicago White Sox.
  • May 14th, 1981: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Houston Rockets in six games.
  • April 10th, 1982: Wade Boggs plays his first Major League game in a 5-3 road loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
  • October 2nd, 1983: Carl Yastrzemski plays his last game for the Red Sox in a 3-1 home win vs. the Cleveland Indians.
  • March 21st, 1984: NESN (the New England Sports Network) is launched.
  • May 15th, 1984: Roger Clemens plays in his first Major League game in a 7-5 road loss to the Cleveland Indians.
  • June 12th, 1984: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
  • June 9th, 1985: The Celtics lose the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
  • January 26th, 1986: The Patriots lose the Super Bowl to the Chicago Bears, 46-10.
  • June 8th, 1986: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Houston Rockets in six games.
  • June 19th, 1986: Two days after he’s drafted second overall by the Boston Celtics, University of Maryland star Len Bias dies of a cocaine overdose at the age of 22.
  • October 25th, 1986: The Red Sox lose game six of the World Series to the Mets in New York, allowing them to tie the series. The Red Sox had taken a two run lead into the bottom of the tenth and had the Mets down to their last out when they started to rally.
  • October 27th, 1986: The Red Sox lose the World Series to the New York Mets in seven games
  • June 14th, 1987: The Celtics lose the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
  • May 26th, 1988: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Edmonton Oilers in four games.
  • August 3rd, 1989: Jim Rice plays in his final Major League game in a 4-2 home loss to the Cleveland Indians.

The 1990s

  • May 24th, 1990: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Edmonton Oilers in five games.
  • October 4th, 1992: Wade Boggs plays his last game for the Red Sox in an 8-2 home win vs. the New York Yankees.
  • October 10th, 1990: Dwight Evans plays his last game with the Red Sox as they lose game four of the ALCS to the Oakland Athletics 3-1 in Oakland. He plays for the Baltimore Orioles the next season before retiring.
  • May 17th, 1992: Larry Bird plays his last NBA game as the Celtics are eliminated three games to one by the Cavaliers in Cleveland, 122-104.
  • December 15th, 1992: Wade Boggs signs with the New York Yankees.
  • May 5th, 1993: Kevin McHale plays his last NBA game as the Celtics are eliminated from the first round of the playoffs three games to one by the Hornets in Charlotte, 104-103.
  • July 27th, 1993: Celtics star Reggie Lewis goes into cardiac arrest and dies due to a congenital heart defect at the age of 27.
  • April 24th, 1994: Robert Parish plays his last game as a Celtics in a 117-91 road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He signs with the Charlotte Hornets on August 4th.
  • May 5th, 1995: The Celtics play their last game at Boston Garden. They lose 95-92 to the Orlando Magic, eliminating them from the first round of the playoffs
  • May 14th, 1995: The Bruins play their last game at the Boston Garden, losing 3-2 to the eventual champion New Jersey Devils, eliminating them from the first round of the playoffs. It’s the last time a professional sporting even is hosted by the Garden.
  • October 7th, 1995: The Bruins play their first game at the new Fleet Center, tying the New York Islanders 4-4.
  • November 3rd, 1995: The Celtics play their first game at the Fleet Center, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks 101-100.
  • August 31st, 1996: Nomar Garciaparra plays his first Major League game in an 8-0 road loss to the Oakland Athletics.
  • September 28th, 1996: Roger Clemens pitches his last game for the Red Sox in a 4-2 home loss to the New York Yankees.
  • December 13th, 1996: Roger Clemens signs with the Toronto Blue Jays.
  • January 26th, 1997: The Patriots lose the Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers, 35-21.
  • April 13th, 1997: The Bruins finish the season with just 61 points and fail to make the playoffs for the first time since 1967.
  • April 1st, 1998: Pedro Martinez makes his Red Sox debut in a 2-0 road win vs. the Oakland Athletics.
  • February 5th, 1999: Paul Pierce plays an NBA game in a 103-92 home loss to the Toronto Raptors.

The 2000s

  • March 4th, 2000: Ray Bourque plays his last game with the Bruins in a 3-0 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Two days later, he’s traded to the Colorado Avalanche so he’d have a chance at winning a Stanley Cup.
  • September 3rd, 2000: Bill Belichick coaches his first game with the Patriots in a 21-16 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
  • November 23rd, 2000: Tom Brady plays his first NFL game in a 34-9 road loss to the Detroit Lions. Brady doesn’t play regularly until the 2001 season.
  • June 9th, 2001: Ray Bourque wins the Stanley Cup in his Final NHL game as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. They win the series in seven games vs. the New Jersey Devils.
  • January 19th, 2002: The Patriots play their last game at Foxboro Stadium, beating the Oakland Raiders 16-13 in the Divisional playoffs.
  • February 3rd, 2002: The Patriots win the Super Bowl vs. the St. Louis Rams, 20-17.
  • September 9th, 2002: The Patriots play their first game at the new Gillette Stadium, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-14.
  • October 19th, 2002: Tim Thomas plays his first NHL game in a 4-3 road win vs. the Edmonton Oilers.
  • April 1st, 2003: David Ortiz plays his first game with the Red Sox in a 9-8 road win vs. the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
  • October 8th, 2003: Patrice Bergeron plays his first NHL game as the Bruins tie the New Jersey Devils 3-3 at home.
  • October 16th, 2003: The Red Sox lose game seven of the ALCS to the New York Yankees 6-5 in 11 innings. The Red Sox took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the 8th, but the Yankees tied it after manager Grady Little agreed to leave Pedro Martinez in the game.
  • February 1st, 2004: The Patriots win the Super Bowl vs. the Carolina Panthers, 32-29.
  • July 28th, 2004: Nomar Garciaparra plays his last game with the Red Sox in a 4-1 road loss to the Baltimore Orioles. On the 31st, Garciaparra is traded to the Chicago Cubs as part of a four team deal.
  • October 20th, 2004: The Red Sox win the ALCS vs. the New York Yankees in seven games after being down three games to none. They become the first Major League team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series. The Red Sox win 10-3 in New York in game seven.
  • October 26th, 2004: Pedro Martinez pitches his last game with the Red Sox as they take game three of the World Series from the Cardinals in St. Louis by a score of 4-1. He signs with the New York Mets on December 17th.
  • October 27th, 2004: The Red Sox win the World Series vs. the St. Louis Cardinals in four games. It’s their first championship since 1918.
  • February 6th, 2005: The Patriots win the Super Bowl vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21.
  • July 1st, 2005: The Fleet Center is re-named the TD Banknorth Garden.
  • August 22nd, 2006: Dustin Pedroia makes his Major League debut in a 4-3 road loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
  • October 6th, 2006: Zdeno Chara plays his first game with the Bruins in an 8-3 road loss to the Florida Panthers.
  • October 28th, 2007: The Red Sox win the World Series vs. the Colorado Rockies in four games.
  • November 20th, 2007: Tuukka Rask plays his first NHL game in a 4-2 road win vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs. He doesn’t play regularly for the Bruins until 2009-10.
  • February 3rd, 2008: The Patriots lose the Super Bowl to the New York Giants, 17-14.
  • June 17th, 2008: The Celtics win the NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
  • July 2009: The TD Banknorth Garden is re-named simply TD Garden.

The 2010s

  • June 17th, 2010: The Celtics lose the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
  • June 15th, 2011: The Bruins win the Stanley Cup vs. the Vancouver Canucks in seven games.
  • February 5th, 2012: The Patriots lose the Super Bowl to the New York Giants, 21-17.
  • April 25th, 2012: Tim Thomas plays his last game with the Bruins as they lose game seven of the first round of the playoffs 2-1 to the Capitals in Washington. He sits out the following season and is traded to the New York Islanders on February 7th, 2013.
  • May 3rd, 2013: Paul Pierce plays his final game with the Celtics as they lose the sixth game of the first round of the playoffs to the New York Knicks, 88-80.
  • June 24th, 2013: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
  • October 30th, 2013: The Red Sox win the World Series vs. the St. Louis Cardinals in six games.
  • Mookie Betts plays in his first Major League game in an 8-5 road win vs. the New York Yankees.
  • February 1st, 2015: The Patriots win the Super Bowl vs. the Seattle Seahawks, 28-24.
  • October 10th, 2016: David Ortiz plays his last Major League game as the Red Sox are eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Indians, who win the game 4-3.
  • February 5th, 2017: The Patriots win the Super Bowl vs. the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28.
  • February 4th, 2018: The Patriots lose the Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles, 41-33.
  • October 28th, 2018: The Red Sox win the World Series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
  • February 3rd, 2019: The Patriots win the Super Bowl vs. the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3.
  • June 12th, 2019: The Bruins lose the Stanley Cup to the St. Louis Blues in seven games.

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