When Dick Irvin retired from the Chicago Blackhawks in 1929, the fledgling NHL team realized it would to have find a way to keep this special talent in the organization. So they made him coach.

Irvin, who had been one of the Blackhawks most prolific scorers, was just as successful as off the ice. He led Chicago to a second-place finish in his rookie season, and was then recruited by Toronto to take over its team for the 1931-32 campaign.

Irvin led the Maple Leafs to their first Stanley Cup victory that year, and took the team to the championship finals six times in the next eight seasons.

Unfortunately for Toronto fans, the Leafs could never capture another Stanley Cup under Irvin, and in 1940 he resigned to take over the coaching reins in Montreal.

Over the next 15 seasons, Irvin won three more Stanley Cups and established himself as one of the greatest hockey minds that ever existed. When he retired, he had more coaching victories than anyone else, and his record remained intact for more than a quarter century.

Irvin achieved many marks of distinction during his storied career, but one of the most impressive took place on February 2, 1950 when the Canadiens defeated Boston 5-3 at the Forum in Montreal.

The victory was No. 500 for Irvin, making him the first coach ever to reach that plateau. It was one of the great moments in hockey history and it took place during the week of Jan. 31 to Feb. 6.

January 31

Joe Malone averaged more than a goal a game in the NHL.

Joe Malone played his hockey in the early days of the NHL, and accomplished scoring feats that would amaze fans today. He played from 1917-24 with three early NHL franchises and was the greatest marksman of his era. Most of his records have long-since been eclipsed, but the seven goals he scored on this date in 1920 remains the most ever by a player in one contest. Malone's exploits gave the Quebec Bulldogs a 10-6 win over Toronto.

February 1

Ho hum, another milestone for Wayne Gretzky.(Allsport)

It took Wayne Gretzky only one game to get his first NHL point, and only three games to get his first goal, but the Great One played four months before scoring the first of his career-record 37 hat-tricks. The milestone took place on this date in 1980 when Gretzky scored a goal in each period to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 9-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The first two goals were scored on Pierre Hamel, and the third against Markus Mattson.

February 2

Ian Turnbull knew how to make his shots count.

Ian Turnbull was a defenseman who attracted a great deal of attention as junior for his ability to score goals. The Toronto Maple Leafs expected that to continue when they drafted him in 1973, but no one was prepared for the game Turnbull had on this date in 1977. Playing against Detroit, Turnbull managed to get off five shots at the Red Wings net. They were good ones, as Turnbull scored on all five, setting a record for most goals by a defenseman in one game.

February 3

Dino Ciccarelli scored for everybody.(Allsport)

Dino Ciccarelli played for five different teams during his 19-year NHL career, but he was never considered a journeyman. In fact, Ciccarelli was one of the most prolific scorers that ever laced up skates, one of only 12 players to score at least 600 times during their careers. Ciccarelli became a member of the exclusive club on this date in 1998 when he tallied for the Florida Panthers to earn his team a 1-1 tie with Detroit, one of his former clubs.

February 4

Terry Sawchuk raised the bar higher for goaltenders.

Terry Sawchuk endured many personal problems and did tragically at the age of 40. But he will always be remembered for what he accomplished on the ice in a career most consider the greatest ever by a goaltender. Sawchuk played 20 seasons with five teams and established career records for shutouts with 103, and victories with 447, both of which still stand. On this date in 1965, he became the first goaltender in history to win his 400th game, leading Toronto to a 5-2 win over Montreal.

February 5

Bill Gadsby was an All-Star seven times.

Bill Gadsby overcame a great deal of adversity to play in the NHL. As a boy, he was on a ship that was torpedoed in the Atlantic Ocean at the start of World War II, and in 1952, he contracted polio. Still Gadsby managed to play 20 seasons in the NHL with Chicago, the Rangers and Detroit. He reached a milestone on this date in 1966, his final season, when he appeared in his 300th game with Detroit, making him the first NHL player to appear in at least that many games with three teams.

February 6

Mike Gartner scored three of his four in the first period.(Allsport)

NHL All-Star Games are intended to be exciting, high-scoring affairs and the contest that took place on this date in 1993 certainly lived up to those requirements. Mike Gartner of the New York Rangers scored four times in that game at the Montreal Forum, leading the Wales Conference to a 16-6 victory over the Campbell Conference. The goaltender's nightmare that day established records for most goals in a game and by one team and total goals scored in a game.

Historical photos courtesy of Hockeyonline.com