Today in Hockey History saw a number of memorable milestones and exciting moments.
In 1983, Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman achieved his first NHL hat trick while playing for the Detroit Red Wings in a 9-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. John Ogrodnick also contributed with a hat trick and two assists in the same game. Years later, on Dec. 23, 1989, Jeremy Roenick, then a rookie, scored his first career hat trick, helping the Chicago Blackhawks secure a 7-5 win against Toronto.
Doug Gilmour reached a personal milestone on December 23, 1995, recording two assists in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 6-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers to become the 44th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 points. That same night, behind the bench, head coach Pat Burns celebrated his 300th career win, marking a significant achievement in his coaching career.
In Colorado Avalanche history, Joe Sakic scored his 300th NHL goal on December 23, 1996, also adding an assist in a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. This win initiated a 12-game undefeated streak for the Avalanche. The following year, on December 23, 1997, Jari Kurri scored his 600th career goal as the Avalanche triumphed over his former team, the Los Angeles Kings, with a score of 5-1.
Wayne Gretzky added to his impressive career stats on December 23, 1988, by scoring two empty-net goals and two assists in the Los Angeles Kings' 5-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks. These two goals pushed him ahead of Bobby Hull for fourth place on the all-time list with 611 career goals.
More recently, on December 23, 2022, Alexander Ovechkin made history by scoring his 802nd NHL goal, surpassing Gordie Howe for second place on the all-time goals list. He also marked his 409th multi-point game, moving past Paul Coffey to take 12th place all-time.
In current events, on December 23, 2025, Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux's franchise scoring record with a goal and an assist in the first period of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 4-3 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens. Also on this day, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the LA Kings 3-1, with Mason Marchment scoring two power play goals.
