March is a big month in sport, with college basketball's March Madness, NBA and NHL last-minute battles to clinch playoff spots, and MLB spring training. Notable sporting moments and legendary achievements have occurred on March 11. Let's take a closer look at some of these.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records in Hockey
Historical moments in the NHL on March 11 include:
- 1904: In the Stanley Cup, the Ottawa Silver 7 swept the Brandon Wheat Kings in two games to win the championship.
- 1905: The Ottawa Senators beat the Rat Portage Thistles 5-4 to claim a 2-1 challenge series victory and Stanley Cup win.
- 1912: The first Stanley Cup playoff game in three 20-minute periods was played. Quebec beat Moncton and ended up winning the series 9-3.
- 1917: In the first NHL Championship game, the Toronto Arenas beat the Montreal Canadiens 7-3 in the first of a two-game set.
- 1924: The Montreal Canadiens swept the Ottawa Senators in two games to claim the NHL championship.
College Basketball Tournaments
March 11 has seen many memorable conference tournament games:
- 1990: In the 11th Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, Connecticut beat Syracuse 78-75.
- 1990: Alabama defeated Ole Miss 70-51 in the 31st Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.
- 2000: In the 21st Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, St. John celebrated an 80-70 victory over Connecticut.
- 2001: In the 42nd SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, Kentucky beat Ole Miss 77-55.
- 2001: In the 48th ACC Men's Basketball Tournament, #3 Duke beat #6 North Carolina, 79-53.
- 2012: No. 17 Florida State defeated No. 4 North Carolina 85-82 in the 59th Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.
Sports History
Remarkable moments in sports history that occurred on March 11th include:
- 1941: After losing to him a year earlier, Bronko Nagurski regained the National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship title from Ray Steele in Minnesota.
- 1983: Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean of Great Britain won the World Ice Dance Championship in Helsinki, Finland.
- 1983: Scott Hamilton of the United States won the Men's Figure Skating Championship in Helsinki.
- 1986: New York Islanders Mike Bossy became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in nine straight seasons.
- 1991: Monica Seles ended Steffi Graf's streak of 186 weeks as the top-ranked player.
- 1993: Canada's Kurt Browning won the Men's Figure Skating Championship in Prague.
- 2017: England retained the Six Nations Championship in rugby union with a 61-21 win over Scotland, achieving 11 consecutive wins.
These March 11 statistics highlight the early days of the Montreal Canadiens and some impressive streaks in sports history. The Canadiens' 1924 Stanley Cup win was their second in franchise history. They currently hold 24 championship wins, the most of any NHL team. As the oldest continuously operating team in the league, their historical significance is undeniable.
Mike Bossy still holds the record for nine consecutive seasons with at least 50 goals. While Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin have each recorded nine 50-goal seasons, neither achieved the feat in nine straight seasons. Finally, Monica Seles may have ended Steffi Graf's streak of 186 consecutive weeks ranked as world No. 1, but Graf holds the record for the most total weeks at the top, with 377.
