He never won any individual trophies, nor did he play on a Stanley Cup winner during his 17 seasons in North America. Still it is no exaggeration to say that Borje Salming made a lasting impact on hockey and was arguably the most important European ever to have suited up in the NHL.

Salming, a star defenseman on the Swedish national team, joined the Toronto Maple Leafs for the start of the 1973-74 season. By then, European players had made up a significant part of rosters in the upstart World Hockey Association, but were largely ignored by NHL clubs who operated under the assumption that European players weren't tough enough to play "their" game.

It was a perception Salming knew he would have to overcome quickly, but it wasn't easy. The newcomer became a favorite target of goons around the league, who assaulted him physically and verbally with taunts such as "Chicken Swede."

Salming, however, was unfazed and demonstrated that European players were not only skilled, but could also stand up to the grind and the hitting that is characteristic of the NHL. He was an All-Star six times, a Norris Trophy runner-up twice and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996 for a career which spanned 16 seasons with Toronto, and one with the Detroit Red Wings.

The smooth-skating Swede paved the way for future generations of Europeans to play in the NHL, even though few people expected him to last when he took his first turn on Maple Leaf Gardens ice.

No doubt all those naysayers were stunned on Jan. 4, 1988 when Salming became the first European player to appear in 1,000 NHL games.

It was one of the great moments in hockey history that took place during the week of Jan. 3-9.

January 3

Max Bentley helped his brother, Reg, make their family proud.

Reg Bentley played only 11 games in the NHL, and was nowhere near as talented as his brothers, Max and Doug, both of whom ended up in the Hall of Fame. But on this date in 1943, Reg became part of a great family accomplishment by scoring a goal for the Blackhawks in a 3-3 tie with the Rangers. It would be the only NHL goal he ever scored, but since both his brothers picked up assists on the marker, it became the only play in history on which three family members earned a point.

January 4

Nels Stewart was poison for goaltenders.

Nels Stewart wasn't the most graceful skater of his era, but his shot was so deadly accurate, he became known as "Old Poison." Playing 15 seasons for the Montreal Maroons, New York Americans and Boston Bruins, Stewart scored 324 goals and was the NHL's leading all-time scorer when he retired in 1940. He won two MVP awards and one scoring title during his career, but his most memorable game took place on this date in 1931 while he was with the Maroons. In a game against Boston, Stewart found the back of the net twice in four seconds, the fastest two goals ever by a player. The record was tied by Deron Quint of Winnipeg in 1995.

January 5

CBS has always been a pioneer in sports broadcasting.

From the early days of radio through today's television transmissions, the CBS network has always been a leader in sports broadcasting. On this date in 1957, the Tiffany network made history by televising a National Hockey League game nationally for the first time. The contest took place at Madison Square Garden where the New York Rangers, who would go on to capture the fourth and final playoff spot that season, defeated the last-place Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Also on this date in 1935, future Hall of Famer Bill Cowley scored his first NHL goal as a rookie with the St. Louis Eagles.

January 6

Frank Nighbor didn't even get to call a timeout.

These days, players who overstay their shifts on the ice are likely to incur the wraths of their coaches. Most of the men behind the benches make changes quickly in order to keep the troops fresh and give their top players anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes of ice time per game. It wasn't always that way. In fact on this date in 1923, Hall of Famer Frank Nighbor of the old Ottawa Senators played his sixth full game (no bench time) as his team defeated Toronto 2-1. Nighbor scored six goals during those games.

January 7

Marcel Dionne scored 717 career goals.

Marcel Dionne was one of hockey's most prolific scorers, netting more goals than anyone in history except Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. He was also the last player to win a scoring title before Gretzky and Mario Lemieux began a 14-year run of dominating the category. Dionne, who played with Detroit, Los Angeles and the Rangers, ended his 18-year career without ever having lifted a Stanley Cup, but on this date in 1981, he reached one of his many personal milestones, setting up a goal for his 1,000th career point. It came in career game No. 740, making Dionne the fastest player ever to reach the mark.

January 8

Dino Ciccarelli also staked out his territory.(Allsport)

The term "in your face" could have coined with Dino Ciccarelli in mind. During a 19-year career with five teams, Ciccarelli earned a reputation for agitating opposing goaltenders and defensemen by parking himself in front of the other team's net and creating havoc. Of course, Ciccarelli could also score goals, and on this date in 1994 while a member of the Detroit Red Wings, he put the puck into the Los Angeles Kings net to become the 19th player in history to score 500 goals.

January 9

Bobby Hull remains Chicago's greatest scorer.

The Chicago Blackhawks had missed the playoffs in six of the previous seven seasons when Bobby Hull joined the team as a highly-touted 18-year-old player in 1957. Expected to lead the franchise's turnaround, Hull did just that. Three years later, he won his first scoring title and led Chicago to its first Stanley Cup in 23 years. Even though he did not finish his career with the Blackhawks, Hull remains a hockey legend in Chicago and the greatest scorer ever to wear the team's uniform. On this date in 1965, Hull scored twice to give him 259 career goals, the most ever by a Blackhawk. Hull finished his Chicago career with 604 goals, still a team record.

historical photos courtesy of hockeyonline.com