On this date, the Detroit Red Wings made an addition to their front office that helped change the franchise’s direction. Also, Canada started to build their roster for some of the most memorable hockey games ever played. So, let’s hop aboard the THW time machine and relive all the best moments from July 12.
Red Wings Change Leadership
On July 12, 1982, the Red Wings named Jim Devellano their new general manager, replacing Jimmy Skinner. The move came just three weeks after Mike Illitch purchased the team from the Norris family.
Before beginning his long-term relationship with Michigan sports, Devellano cut his teeth with the New York Islanders. He played a big role in building their early 1980s dynasty by having his hand in drafting such players as Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, and Clark Gillies. He even had a part in hiring head coach Al Arbour.
Devellano served as general manager from 1982 until 1990. He was promoted to vice president during Bryan Murray’s tenure as general manager before returning to the role between 1994 and 1997. He laid down the foundation for the Red Wings’ long-term success and becoming a model franchise in the league.
He was instrumental in bringing the “Russian Five” to Detroit. He drafted stars Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstantinov, and Vyacheslav Kozlov while they were still playing Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia. He then added Slava Fetisov and Igor Larionov via trades. After winning the Stanley Cup in 1997, he was promoted to senior vice president, and Ken Holland took over the general manager role.
Devellano still holds his senior vice president position with the team. He also spent time in the Detroit Tigers’ front office, also owned by the Illitch family. In 2016, he became part-owner of the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), along with former Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood. He has been a part of 15 championships in various professional leagues during his career, including seven Stanley Cups.
Summit Series Gets Off the Ground
One of the most memorable series of exhibition games ever played occurred in September 1972 when Canada and the Soviet Union met in an eight-game set known as the Summit Series. The rosters of both teams included numerous Hall of Famers and some of the greatest players ever to lace up a pair of skates.
The Summit Series was officially announced in April of 1972. On July 12, 1972, Team Canada invited 35 NHL players to their tryout camp. The initial roster includes three goaltenders, 12 defensemen, and 20 forwards.
Bobby Orr, Gerry Cheevers, Bobby Hull, Derek Sanderson, and J.C. Tremblay were all invited to camp, but none of them played in the series. Orr withdrew because of knee surgery. League President Clarence Campbell declared that only players with valid NHL contracts could play in the series. When Cheevers, Hull, Sanderson, and Tremblay signed with the World Hockey Association (WHA), they were removed from the roster.
Odds & Ends
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed free-agent forward Steve Thomas on July 12, 1998. The Maple Leafs originally signed Thomas, an undrafted free agent, back in 1984. The Stockport, England native played his first three NHL seasons in Toronto. After scoring a career-high 35 goals in 1986-87, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, with Rick Vaive and Bob McGill, for Al Secord and Ed Olczyk.
He returned to the Maple Leafs 12 years later, making stops with the Islanders and New Jersey Devils in between. His second stint with the team lasted three seasons, where he scored 62 goals and 170 points. He returned to Chicago by signing with the Blackhawks as a free agent in 2001.
On July 12, 2000, the New York Rangers named Ron Low as their new head coach, with Ted Green and Walt Kyle as his assistants. Low previously had a five-season run as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. He went 69-81-14 in his two seasons behind the Rangers’ bench before getting fired in 2002 and replaced by Trottier.
The Phoenix Coyotes signed free-agent forward Tony Amonte on July 12, 2002. This ended Amonte’s time with the Blackhawks, which lasted nine seasons. If you blinked, you might have missed his tenure with the Coyotes.
He scored 13 goals and 36 points in 59 games. He was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers on March 10, 2003, for Guillaume Lefebvre, a second and third-round draft picks. The second-round pick was eventually traded to the Rangers, who used it to draft Brandon Dubinsky in 2004.
Happy Birthday to You
July 12 is the birth date of 22 current and former NHL players. The most notable of the group include Gilles Meloche (71), Dave Semenko (64), Dan Boyle (45), Peter Schaefer (44), Mark Borowiecki (32), Jonas Brodin (28), Samuel Morin (26), Kyle Burroughs (26), and Tyce Thompson (22).
Greg Boysen has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks since 2010 and has been a site manager for both FanSided and SB Nation. He has been published in The Hockey News and was fully credentialed for the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. Among his various roles with The Hockey Writers are covering the Blackhawks, the AHL, writing the daily “Today in Hockey History” column, serving as a copy editor, and appearing and hosting multiple YouTube shows, including Blackhawks Banter. He is credentialed with the Chicago Wolves, Rockford IceHogs, and Milwaukee Admirals, while also being a regional scout for the NAHL. And, just because his plate isn’t full enough, Greg hosts trivia in the Chicago area two nights a week. For interview requests or to provide topic suggestions, follow Greg on Twitter and reach out.