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October 5: On this day in 1900, Leaf goaltender of the past, Lorne Chabot was born in Montreal, Quebec. Chabot's career glistens with important moments in NHL history. His Leaf career began in 1928-29 where he posted 12 shutouts in his first season. In 1932, he played in all 7 Leaf playoff games and backstopped the franchise to its third Stanley Cup victory. On April 3, 1933, Chabot earned a 1-0 shutout in the longest playoff overtime game in Leaf history. In all, Chabot played 214 regular season games with the Leafs over 5 seasons, compiling a record of 103-80-31 and a stellar 2.20 G.A.A. Chabot was another goaltender who died young when he passed away five days after his 46th birthday due to kidney disease.
October 5: On this day in 1976, the Colorado Rockies opened their first NHL season with a 4-2 victory at home over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. Larry Skinner scored the first goal in Rockies' history on Leaf goaltender Wayne Thomas. The Rockies would move and become the New Jersey Devils for the 1982-83 season.
October 5: On this day in 1983, the Edmonton Oilers opened their 1983-84 campaign at home with a 5-4 victory over the Maple Leafs. Wayne Gretzky collected his first goal and his first assist on his way to a 205 point season.
October 5: On this day in 1996, the Maple Leafs opened their 1996-97 season with a 4-1 victory over Anaheim at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. It was the first and only time in team history that the Leafs hosted the Ducks in their home opener. The two teams have never played each other in the playoffs. As at the end of the 2007-08 season, the Leafs have played a total of 28 times against Anaheim since the franchise entered the league in 1993 and have an all-time winning record against the Ducks of W-15, L-8, T-5, OL-0.
October 5: On this day in 2005, the Toronto franchise which has included the Arenas, St. Patricks and Maple Leafs began their 88th season in the NHL with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators. It was the first ever shootout-ending game in NHL history. Toronto's all-time record in season openers as of 2007-08 is W-33, L-41, T-14, OL-2. As of the end of the 2007-08 season, Toronto and the Montreal Canadiens are the only two clubs that have been in the NHL since its inception in 1917 and both have played the exact same total of 5,792 regular season games.
