This Day In Hockey History: Jan 2nd

1958 - Detroit Red Wings named Sid Abel as their new coach, replacing Jimmy Skinner. Abel went on to coach the Red Wings for the next 10 years.

1978 - Detroit beat the Czechoslovakian team Pardubices 5-4 in an exhibition game at the Olympia in Detroit. Red Wings' center Vaclav Nedomansky scored a goal and added an assist against his former countrymen.

1980 - Gordie Howe became the first player in league history to appear in an NHL game in five different decades, when he played for the Hartford Whalers in a 3-3 tie against the Oilers, in Edmonton.

1986 - Mike Bossy became the 11th NHL player to score 500 goals (and first to score 500 with Isles). He scored 500 in fewer games (647) than anyone in history at that time. Gretzky later did it in only 575 games.

1999 - Damian Rhodes became the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal and get a shutout in the same game, in the Senators 6-0 win against the visiting New Jersey Devils.

2001 - Montreal's Jose Theodore became the second goaltender in NHL history to score a goal while recording a shutout, as the Canadiens won 3-0 against the Islanders in Long Island.

2002 - Ron Francis played in his 1,000th game with the Carolina franchise, and scored his 500th NHL goal to join Gretzky, Howe, Messier and Dionne as the only players in the 500-goal, 1,000-assist club, in the Hurricanes 6-3 loss to the visiting Bruins.

Happy Birthday to Robert Svehla, Peter Lee, Robbie Ftorek, Mattias Norstrom, Glen Harmon, Gord Labossiere, Andrew Ebbett, Zenon Konopka, Harry Hyland, Rick Tabaracci, and Brian Boucher.