Today in Hockey History: July 5 – Hockey Writers – Hockey History

Chronic back problems limited Alfredsson to 68 games in his one season with the Red Wings, but he still scored 18 goals and 49 points. He officially retired from Ottawa in December 2014.

The Coaching Carousel

On July 5, 1978, Harry Howell took over as head coach of the Minnesota North Stars, replacing Lou Nanne, who was named the new general manager. Howell was the general manager of the Cleveland Barons before the two franchises merged last month. Howell’s tenure as head coach lasted just 11 games before he was fired by Glen Sonmor.

The Boston Bruins hired Fred Creighton as their new head coach on July 5, 1979, replacing the recently fired Don Cherry. The controversial coach was let go after five seasons behind a Bruins bench that included four division titles and back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1977 and 1978.

Creighton didn’t even make it through the 1979-80 season as they were eliminated with only seven games left in the regular season. General manager Harry Sinden served as head coach for the rest of the season and the playoffs.

The New York Islanders began their relationship with Mike Milbury on July 5, 1995, when they named him their new head coach. In December of that year, he added general manager to his title, a job he held until 2006. Milbury served as head coach three different times during his time with the team, going 56-111-24 with him behind the bench.

Dave King was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 5, 2000, to become their first head coach in franchise history. King went 64-106-34 before being let go midway through the 2002-03 season to replace Doug MacLean.

McDavid gets McPaid

The Edmonton Oilers made Connor McDavid a rich man on July 5, 2017. That’s when they signed their 22-year-old star to an eight-year, $100 million contract extension. His annual salary of $12.5 million per season made him the highest paid player in the NHL.

McDavid led the league with 100 points in the 2016-17 season and signed an extension with one year remaining on his entry-level contract. He also won the Hart Trophy for being the league’s MVP and the Ted Lindsay Award for being voted the best player of all time by his peers.

He did not disappoint in the first season of his new contract. In 2018-19, he scored 41 goals and picked up 75 assists for 108 points, setting or tying career highs in all three categories. To date (July 5, 2026), he has scored 409 goals and 1,220 points in 794 games along with six Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Trophies, a Rocket Richard Trophy, four Ted Lindsay Awards, and a Conn Smythe Trophy for a lost cause when the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final24.

Odds & Ends

July 5, 1983, was a busy day for defensemen who became NHL head coaches. Long before he became famous for his mullet and leading the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, Barry Melrose was a blueliner. On this day, he was signed by the Red Wings. He played in 35 games over the next two seasons, his last two as a player.

On this same day, Joel Quenneville was traded by the Calgary Flames, along with Richie Dunn, to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for Mickey Volcan. Quenneville spent the next seven seasons with the Whalers, playing in 457 games. He later replaced Mike Ditka as the most popular coach in the Windy City by winning three Stanley Cups as the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks.

On July 5, 2000, the NHL appointed Hall of Fame referee Andy van Hellemond as the league’s new Director of Administration. He held this position for four years before resigning in 2004.

The same day Alfredsson signed with the Red Wings, July 5, 2013, another future Hall of Famer signed with a new team. Jarome Iginla signed a one-year contract with the Bruins. He scored 30 goals in the 2013-14 season, his only time in Boston. It was 12^th and the final 30-goal season of his extraordinary career.

July 5, 2021, was a tough day for Columbus as a prospect Matiss Kivlenieks has passed away I am 24 years old after a serious fall on July 4th that resulted in a head injury. A native of Latvia, he appeared in eight games during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons where he posted a 2-2-2 record and represented his country in the 2021 World Hockey Championship. His last game was a 2-0 shutout of Team Canada – the nation’s first win over a powerhouse.

“Kiwi was an outstanding young man who greeted every day and everyone with a smile and the impact he had during his four years with our organization will not be forgotten.” – John Davidson, Blue Jackets’ president of Hockey Operations

On this day in 2022, the San Jose Sharks hired former forward Mike Grier as their new manager. He became the first black NHL GM in league history.

happy Birthday to you

Doug Wilson was born on July 5, 1957. He was drafted by the Blackhawks with the sixth pick of the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft. He won the Norris Trophy for being voted the league’s top defenseman for scoring a career-high 39 goals and 85 points in the 1981-82 season.

He was traded to the Sharks just before the 1991-92 season and played his final two seasons with them. He was hired as their GM in 2003 and stayed in that position until 2022. His 554 assists and 779 points for the Blackhawks are the most by a defenseman in franchise history. Wilson is part of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s induction class of 2020.

John LeClair was born on this day in 1969. He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. He was part of the 1993 Stanley Cup Championship team. LeClair was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 9, 1995, with Eric Desjardins and Gilbert Dionne for Mark Recchi and a third-round draft pick.

LeClair scored 333 goals and 643 points in 10 seasons with the Flyers before wrapping up his career with two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was the first American-born player to have three consecutive 50-goal seasons. His 406 goals are eighth all-time among American-born players. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

Other notable players born on July 5 include Chris Gratton (51), Alexander Radulov (40), Cam Talbot (39), Dwight King (37), Danton Heinen (31), and Lucas Carlsson (29).

*Originally created by Greg Boysen