December 29th has been a noteworthy date in hockey history, filled with memorable milestones, coaching achievements, and outstanding individual performances.

Individual Achievements:

On December 29, 1945, Maurice "Rocket" Richard of the Montreal Canadiens scored twice, reaching his 100th NHL goal in just 145 games, the fastest any player has reached the 100-goal mark in NHL history. Exactly ten years later, on December 29, 1955, Richard celebrated his 500th career goal (including both regular season and playoff games) in a 5-2 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Brad Park, on December 29, 1974, recorded an assist to become the highest-scoring defenseman in New York Rangers history with 346 points, surpassing Harry Howell's previous record of 345. Wayne Gretzky continued to etch his name in the record books on December 29, 1984, by scoring his 32nd career hat trick and adding three assists in a 6-3 win for the Edmonton Oilers against the Detroit Red Wings. This performance allowed him to reach 100 points in just 35 games, the second-fastest time to reach the century mark in a season. He was only one game shy of tying his own record.

Dave Taylor became the second player in Los Angeles Kings history to score 400 goals on December 29, 1990, despite a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Mark Messier, on December 29, 2002, became the seventh player in Rangers' history to record 400 assists with the team.

Coaching Milestones:

December 29th has also seen significant milestones for coaches. On December 29, 1991, Bryan Murray became the ninth head coach in NHL history to record 400 career wins, with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4. Scotty Bowman coached his NHL-record 1,607th regular-season game on December 29, 1995, as his Detroit Red Wings beat the Dallas Stars 2-1. He surpassed the previous record held by Al Arbour. Peter Laviolette got his 692nd NHL win on December 29, 2021, passing Dick Irvin for 10th in history as the Washington Capitals beat the Nashville Predators 5-3.

Team Achievements and Other Events:

On December 29, 1979, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Lanny McDonald and Joel Quenneville to the Colorado Rockies for Pat Hickey and Wilf Paiement. An interesting historical note: On December 29, 1957, Boston Bruins' goalie Don Simmons suffered a dislocated shoulder, and Detroit Red Wings assistant trainer Lefty Wilson filled in, allowing one goal on 23 shots in a 2-2 tie. And on December 29, 1992, the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 10-2 after being down 2-0.

These are just some of the many events that make December 29 a memorable day in hockey history.