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Obit: Red Wings Lucas Joined His Only NHL Game in Progress

Defenseman joined Detroit after playing EHL game earlier in the day

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Dave Lucas
Dave Lucas played one NHL game for the Red Wings and didn't arrive at the rink until the second period.

For a guy who would play only one NHL game, former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Dave Lucas could still lay claim to a couple of unique on-ice feats.



It’s not often that a player shows up at the rink in the middle of a game to make his NHL debut. Likewise, it’s a rarity for a player’s NHL debut to be his second game of the day.

Lucas, who died Friday at the age of 92, was able to check off both of these boxes.

Facing the New York Rangers on February 24, 1963 at Madison Square Garden, Detroit was down to three healthy NHL defenders – Marcel Pronovost, Doug Barkley and Bill Gadsby. Pete Goegan was hobbling with an ankle injury. Howie Young was under suspension.

Rookie Roger Lafereniere was summoned from the AHL Pittsburgh Hornets to replace Young. When Goegan went down the night before in a game at Chicago, an emergency SOS was sent to the Johnstown Jets of the Eastern Hockey League. The Jets happenend to be playing nearby against the Long Island Ducks in an afternoon game.

When Lucas was done with that game, he wound up rushing to Manhattan. He would suit up in Red Wings garb and arrive on the Detroit bench late in the second period.

Lone Red Wings Game A Win

Lucas would be witness to a rather unique Detroit victory. Parker MacDonald would score twice in a 28-second span, his 28th and 29th goals of the season, as the Red Wings won 3-2. Terry Sawchuk made 28 saves as the Wings won for the 24th time. That was one more victory than the team would accumulate through the entire 1961-62 campaign.

Gordie Howe drew assists on all three Detroit goals. En route to the final Art Ross and Hart Trophy wins of his NHL career, originally Mr. Hockey was given credit for all three goals. However, official scoring changes saw all three goals given to MacDonald and Norm Ullman.

Oddly enough, Lucas isn’t the only Red Wings one-game wonder whose lone NHL contest was his second game of the day. Nearly one year after he achieved this unique double, it would happen again. On February 23, 1964, Detroit was again shorthanded along the blueline. The Red Wings would summon Bill Mitchell to play a Sunday night game against Montreal. He’d arrive at Olympia Stadium after suiting up for the Windsor Bulldogs in an IHL game against the Muskegon Zephyrs. So not only did Mitchell play two games in the same day, he would play each game in a different country.

As for Lucas, he spent 11 of his 16 pro seasons with the Jets. He played in 733 games for Johnstown, recording 142 goals and 366 assists. He racked up 854 penalty minutes for the Jets. Lucas was a six-time EHL All-Star. He’d serve as player-coach the Jets from 1964-66.

After his playing days, Lucas spent 25 years as an NHL scout, mainly for the Chicago Blackhawks. In 1997, Lucas was earning enshrinement into the Lindsay (Ontario) & District Sports Hall of Fame.