THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY: 12/22

1877 – “American Bicycling Journal” begins publishing (Boston, Mass).

1894 – United States Golf Association forms in New York.

1915 – Organized baseball and Federal League sign a peace treaty at Cincinnati, Federal Baseball League dissolves.

1917 – In the NHL’s first official week of play, 3 players score hat tricks in the same game, for the same team; Corb Denneny, Reg Noble, & Harry Meeking each score 3 for the Toronto Arenas in an 11-4 win over the Ottawa Senators.

1943 – Manufacturers get permission to use synthetic rubber for baseball core.

1959 – NY Ranger goalie Marcel Paille wears a customized mask.

1962 – 1,000,000th NBA point scored.

1969 – Pete Marovich sets the NCAA record of hitting 30 of 31 foul shots.

1974 – Phil Esposito, Boston, became the 6th NHLer to score 500 goals.

1990 – Paul Coffey becomes the second NHL defenseman to record 1000 points, doing so in a record-breaking 770 games.

1996 – Steelers’ Kordell Stewart runs quarterback record 80 yards for TD.

1996 – St Louis Blues’ right wing Brett Hull scores his 26th NHL career hat trick to reach 500 career goals in a 7-4 win over the LA Kings; with father Bobby Hull, first father/son combo to each record 500 goals.

1997 – Scotty Bowman’s Red Wings beat the Boston Bruins, 4-2 giving him 200 wins with Detroit, and making him the first NHL coach to record 200 wins with 3 different teams; also Montreal and Buffalo.

2003 – The New York Knicks hire Isiah Thomas as President of Basketball Operations.

2019 – New Orleans wide receiver Michael Thomas sets NFL record for most catches in a season with his 144th as Saints beat Tennessee 38-28; breaks 17-year old record held by Marvin Harrison (143).