Lester Patrick is the patriarch of one of hockey's 'royal' families, a man whose four-decade career earned him a reputation for being one of the great innovators and builders of the game.

Patrick, who died in 1960, accomplished a great deal as a player, coach and owner, yet he is probably best remembered for taking part in a game after he retired as a player. It happened April 7, 1928 when the New York Rangers team he coached faced the Montreal Maroons in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Montreal won the opening contest of the series, and the teams were locked in a tight struggle during Game 2 when disaster struck New York. A shot by the Maroons Nel Stewart hit Rangers netminder Lorne Chabot in the eye, forcing him to leave the game. Since backup goalies were unheard of in those days, Patrick had to think fast to avoid forfeiting the game.

He did. After briefly returning to the Rangers dressing room, Patrick re-emerged wearing full goalie gear and skated on to the ice, much to the disbelief of the Rangers, the Maroons and the fans in the stand.

Patrick was 44 at the time and several years removed from being an active player. Moreover, he was a defenseman not a goaltender when he did play.

Still, none of that mattered as he took his place between the pipes and proceeded to stop 17 of the 18 shots he faced before teammate Frank Boucher scored the winner in overtime.

A Rangers farmhand took over as New York went on to win two of the next three games and capture their first Stanley Cup, but the story of that series was the emergency return to the ice of the legendary Lester Patrick. It was one of the most memorable events in hockey history, and it took place during the week of April 3 - 9.

April 3
Hakan Loob showed Calgary how Swede he was.(Allsport)	The Calgary Flames were among the elite NHL teams of the late 1980s thanks to an explosive offense that included Swedish sharpshooter Hakan Loob. Although he played only six seasons in North America before deciding to return to his homeland, Loob proved to be a dangerous scorer and on this date in 1988, he scored his 50th goal of the season, becoming the first Swede to reach that milestone.

April 4

Denis Potvin dominated at both ends of the ice.(Provided to SportsLine)

Denis Potvin was such a good defensive defenseman that his offensive accomplishments could easily be overlooked. But Potvin was no slouch when it came to contributing to the methodical Islanders attack. He proved it many times over during his 15-year career on Long Island, but it was never more clear than on this date in 1987. During a wild 6-6 tie with the Sabres, Potvin picked up two assists, making him the first defenseman in NHL history to reach the 1,000-point plateau for his career.

April 5

Bobby Orr turned in the greatest season ever by a defenseman.(Provided to SportsLine)

He is remembered for end-to-end rushes that electrified the crowd and made opposing teams think they were facing an extra forward on the ice. Bobby Orr redefined the role of the defensemen during his incredible career, adding an offensive element from the blueline that was impossible to imagine before he arrived. Though his career was cut short by a series of debilitating knee injuries, Orr put together several amazing seasons for the Bruins. None was more memorable than the one that ended on this date in 1970 when Orr got an assist in a 3-1 win over Toronto to finish with 120 points for the year. That was enough to give him the league's scoring title, making him the first and only defenseman to claim that distinction.

April 6

Harry Lumley lost the series, but ended up in the Hall of Fame.(Provided to SportsLine)

Experience means a great deal during the playoffs, which is why teams are usually reluctant to use rookies in goal. Of course, it becomes a lot easier if your opponent also has a first-year netminder playing. That's exactly what happened on this date in 1945 when Toronto's Frank McCool and Detroit's Harry Lumley became the first two rookies to face each other in a Stanley Cup Final. McCool turned in a 1-0 shutout, the first of a record three he posted in the series, and the Maple Leafs went on to capture the Stanley Cup.

April 7

Wayne Gretzky's Oilers gave opposing goalies fits.(Allsport)

The Edmonton Oilers of the early 1980s were the most potent offensive machine the NHL has ever known, which is why they rarely played traditional 'playoff-type' hockey back then. That became pretty evident on this date in 1982 when the Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings gave each other's goaltenders nightmares in the first game of the Smythe Division Semifinal. The teams combined for a playoff-record 18 goals as Edmonton won 10-8, but the Kings came back to capture the five-game series 3-2.

April 8

Pete Peeters was in trouble whenever Mikko Leinonen had the puck.(Allsport)

Rangers fans aren't likely to consider Mikko Leinonen as one of the team's all-time great playoff heroes, but the Finnish-born player had one of the best post-season games in New York history on this date in 1982. Facing goaltender Pete Peeters and the Philadelphia Flyers, Leinonen had six assists to set an NHL one-game playoff record and lead New York to a 7-3 victory. The Rangers won the next two games and captured the five-game series 3-1.

April 9

Dick Duff wasted little time scoring.(Provided to SportsLine)

Dick Duff was a scrappy player who was on five teams and six Stanley Cup winners -- two in Toronto and four in Montreal -- during a respectable 16-year NHL career. Never known as a great goal scorer, Duff nevertheless often managed to make important offensive contributions. One of his most memorable took place on this date in 1963 while he was with the Maple Leafs. Playing against Detroit in the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals, Duff scored twice in the first 1:08 of the first period, setting an NHL record for the fastest two goals at the start of the game. Toronto went on to a 4-2 victory in the game, and a 4-1 victory in the series.

Historical photos courtesy of Hockeyonline.com