"Firsts" Contest

There are a lot of phrases in the English language that contain the word "first": first name, first lady, first place, first things first, First Nations, first aid, first class. You get the idea. Well, this is the first contest of the new hockey season, and it's going to focus on hockey "firsts". As seen yesterday in the TBC review of Hockey's Book of Firsts, there are a lot of "firsts" that have happened in and around the game of hockey. Our contest today is offering you a chance to win the book, as well as checking out how much you know about hockey "firsts". There are a number of questions, so read them carefully. Make sure to answer all the questions as best as you can!

First off, let's work through some of the fine print. The contest will run from Sunday, October 4 until Wednesday, October 7. The contest will close at 11:59pm on October 7. The winners will be announced and contacted on Thursday, October 8. The way the prizes will be handed out will be on the number of correct answers AND the fastest entry. Whoever is fastest with the highest number correct will win. TBC will award the winner a copy of Hockey's Book of Firsts or a copy of Beyond The Crease to the winner. Second-place will get whichever book is not selected by the winner. Sound good? Ok.

Please email your answers to me no later than Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 11:59pm. Please have the subject line as "TBC Contest". Any entries mailed after that time will not be processed, and deleted from consideration. And with that made clear, let's start the questions. I won't lie about these questions, either: they are tougher than they appear. I didn't even know the answers to some.

1. Officially, Billy Smith of the New York Islanders was the first goaltender to be credited with scoring a goal in the National Hockey League. However, he was not the first masked man to officially be crowned as the first goaltender to score a goal. Who was the goaltender, and what team did he play for? (2 points)
2. Who was the first goaltender to wear a trapper on his hand to catch pucks? What team did he play for? (2 points)
3. Who was the first goaltender to play 100 games in the NHL without registering a shutout in any of those games? (1 point)
4. Who is the only defenceman to ever stop a penalty shot in the OHL? Who was his coach, and what team did he play for? (3 points)
5. While it is believed in hockey circles that Vincent Riendeau was the first North American-trained player to play in the Russian Super League, there actually was someone before him. Who is the forgotten player, and what NHL team was he drafted by? (2 points)
6. Manon Rheaume was the first female to break the gender barrier by suiting up for the Tampa Bay Lightning. There have been other female goaltenders who have played in the pro ranks as they followed Rheaume's lead. Who was the first woman to win a professional game while tending to the nets, and what team recorded the win? (2 points)
7. Which NHL arena was the first to remove the chain-link fencing from around the boards and replace it with Plexiglass? (1 point)
8. Which NHL arena was the first to use a zamboni to repair and lay down a new sheet of ice between periods? (1 point)
9. Who was the first NHL player to play for all six Original Six teams at some point in his career? (1 point)
10. What current NHL player is the only player in history to have an NHL goal before he scored a goal in junior hockey? (1 point)
11. Which coach was the first coach to have signed himself to a contract as a player? What team did he suit up for, and who did they play against that night? (3 points)
12. Which mascot was the first to entertain NHL crowds? (1 point)
13. NHL players have made cameos on a number of TV shows throughout the years. Which NHL player was the first to appear on a soap opera, and what was the name of the soap opera? (2 points)
14. The very first puck to last an entire game without being shot out of play is sitting in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Who were the two teams that only needed one puck to play the entire 60 minutes of action? (2 points)
15. Who is the first goaltender to win 300 games in the NHL and not win the Stanley Cup? (1 point)

There's your test, kids. Have at it. You have until Wednesday night to complete as many of the questions as possible. Remember, the most right in the fastest time will win one of the two books. The next person with the most correct in the fastest time will earn the second book.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!