NHL History Is Made. Sabres Raise Banner And Stepan Gets Hat Trick

Added on Oct 11, 2010 by J Merrill in

NHL

NHL history was made this weekend for both teams when the Buffalo Sabres hosted the New York Rangers for their home opener. The Sabres hoisted their North East Division banner, but it was a Ranger rookie who stole the attention away from the home team. Derek Stepan was playing in his first NHL game of his career, and he made it count. Derek became only the fourth player in National Hockey League history to score a hat trick in his debut game, and lead the Rangers to a 6-3 win over the Sabres.

“Not a chance could I have dreamed this,” said an excited Stepan after the game. “You dream about playing in the NHL, and then you go out and play like that, I mean the hockey gods must have been looking down on me. It was a fun night overall, that’s for sure.”

The last player to accomplish this feat was Fabian Brunnstrom, who did so for the Dallas Stars on Oct. 15, 2008. Prior to that you have to go back almost 30 years to Real Cloutier (1979), and before that you have to go back another 30 plus years to Alex Smart (1943.)