Today In NHL History - McSorley Sticks Brashear

On February 21st in 2000, Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins swung his stick and struck Vancouver Canucks forward Donald Brashear in the head with three seconds remaining in the third period, rendering him a bloodied, unconscious and convulsing mass.

Presumably intended to target the shoulder and spark a rematch to a first period scrap, the vicious miscue came dangerously close to killing Brashear. With doctors attending to the unconscious Canuck, goaltender Garth Snow skated the length of the ice to fight McSorley as fans littered the ice with debris and officials attempted to remove him from the rink.

Initially suspended by the NHL for the final 23 games of the season (forfeiting $72,000 in pay), the league extended the banishment to one full year after McSorley was charged, convicted and sentenced by a Canadian court to 18 months probation for assault with a weapon.

McSorley never skated again in the NHL. The assault remains the last act of the 4th all-time penalty minute leader's 17 season storied career.
The Canucks beat the Bruins that night by a score of 5-2.

That's today in NHL history.