“I don’t think it should be in our game, but I’ve lost that battle.”
So said longtime NHL head coach and known media hater John Tortorella when speaking about the lacrosse-style hockey shot that has captivated hockey fans over the past few years.
They call it “The Michigan.”
Even though it had not gained prominence until Andrei Svechnikov became the first person to score one in an NHL game in 2019, the first in-game Michigan goal was scored by a Wolverine right winger Mike Legg in 1996 during an NCAA tournament game.
In the first game of the tournament, Michigan faced off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Down 2-1 in the second period, Legg found himself behind the Minnesota goal, blocked by Gophers on both sides of the net. Instead of sending it around the boards, Legg picked the puck up with the blade of his stick and threw it lacrosse-style past the goalie’s shoulder to tie the game.
Those that watched him play often were not surprised by the feat. Michigan equipment manager Ian Hume said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press that he had seen Legg successfully attempt that shot “1,500 times in practice.”
Before being drafted by the New Jersey Devils, Legg won “goal of the year,” and the stick used to score that goal was quickly sent to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, where it remains today.
Although it was first seen in-game in the U.S., and it was properly named “The Michigan” at the time, European hockey players have named it “The Zorro.”
One of these goals in a career is impressive enough… unless you’re Svechnikov, who scored the first three “Michigan” goals in NHL history. Fast forward to December 2023, and Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks and Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks became the first pair to score “The Michigan” on the same day.
The only thing left open in the history books: When will a Detroit Red Wing score one?
Alex Deimel is a contributing writer for Michigan Enjoyer.
