History of the NHL Thanksgiving Showdown
It’s depressing to think that we could be watching the NHL Thanksgiving Showdown right now while eating Thanksgiving leftovers on the couch. The yearly tradition is nonexistent today, thanks to the pandemic that has ruined everything else in 2020.
Here’s a look back at the Thanksgiving Showdown game history to help ease the no hockey blues.
2011: Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins
The first-ever Thanksgiving Showdown was played in 2011 when the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins hosted the Red Wings. Detroit won the game in a shootout, 3–2.
2012: No Game due to Lockout
2013: New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins
In 2013, the Rangers visited the Bruins for the annual Thanksgiving Showdown. The Bruins won the game 3-2. Check out the promo ad for the game, which is easily one of the best ever:
2014: New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers hosted their longtime rival Rangers in 2014. The Rangers shutout the Flyers, winning 3-0. Most notably, Martin St. Louis reached 1,000 career points during this game. Check out the highlights below:
2015: New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins
The Bruins beat the Rangers 4-3 in the 2015 Thanksgiving Showdown. It was a close, exciting game, with the game-winning goal being scored by David Krejci with less than two minutes remaining in the third.
2016: New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers
The Rangers won 3-2 over the Flyers in another heated rivalry game. It was physical and there were a couple of fights, one of them being Kreider vs. Manning.
2017: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins
The Bruins hosted the Penguins and won 4-3 during the 2017 Thanksgiving Showdown. Matt Grzelcyk scored his first NHL goal during the game.
2018: New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers
The Rangers visited the Flyers in 2018. The Flyers shut the Rangers out, 4-0. As always, more fights were to be had.
2019: New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins
Last year, the Rangers played the Bruins in Boston. The Bruins won 3-2 in overtime, thanks to David Krejci being the game hero once again.
Better Luck in 2021?
The future is uncertain, but here’s to hoping that at this time next year we’ll be watching one of these much-anticipated games. It’s an NHL tradition, so Black Friday just does not feel the same without it. Hopefully, these memories satisfied your hockey craving for today, even just for a little bit.
– Caylee Allard (@2kaRask)
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