Long before professional hockey made it to New York, fans in the city were paying good money to see a phenomenal collegian perform his magic on the ice.

The star attraction was named Hobey Baker, a dashing, blond-haired young man who came from a wealthy Philadelphia family. Baker had been a star football and hockey player at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire, and by the time he arrived at Princeton University in 1910, his athletic exploits were already legendary.

Princeton didn't have its own arena at the time, so it played its home games at Manhattan's St. Nicholas Rink where the marquee would read, "Hobey Baker plays tonight." Limousines carrying the richest members of the city's society would line up for blocks waiting for a chance to see him in action. They were not disappointed.

Playing rover in an era when seven men were on the ice, Baker dazzled fans with his speed and ability to control the puck. He would often circle his own net two or three times to gain momentum for an end-to-end rush, creating a buzz as he began his forward assault. The New York Times once wrote: "He carried the puck to every part of the ice surface without being stopped."

Baker graduated in 1914 and was quickly offered a contract to turn professional with the Portland team of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. However the money didn't tempt him, nor did the idea of leaving his East Coast environment appeal to him. Instead, Baker took a job on Wall Street, and continued to play with an elite amateur team at St. Nick's,

Still, there was a sense of excitement missing in his life, and Baker thought he could remedy the situation by going off to war. In 1917, he was among the first Americans to join a French air squadron, which soon awarded him a medal for bravery.

Baker wanted to remain in France after the war ended, but his request was denied, so on December 21, 1918 he decided to take one last flight before going home. Jumping into the cockpit of a recently-repaired plane, Baker ignored warning of ground crew members and took off.

A quarter mile away, the engine cut out, but instead of bailing out, Baker tried to land and crashed. He died en route to the field hospital.

In 1981, the NCAA named its annual award for hockey's top college player after Baker, a fitting tribute for one of the game's greatest players, whose life ended far too early during the week of Dec. 20-26.

December 20

Henri Richard's heart was bigger than he was.

When little Henri Richard joined the Montreal Canadiens in 1955, there were many people who believed the team signed him to appease his brother, superstar Maurice "Rocket" Richard. After all, at 5-foot-7, 160 pounds, Henri Richard certainly did not seem like someone who could last. How wrong the naysayers were. The "Pocket Rocket" went on to play 20 seasons with the Habs, set a team record for games played and win a record 11 Stanley Cups. On this date in 1973, Richard reached a personal milestone with the 1,000th assist of his career, finishing his career ranked third in that category among Montreal players.

December 21

Bobby Orr made offense part of defense.

Bobby Orr is credited with revolutionizing the way defensemen played hockey after he joined the Boston Bruins in 1966. A threat every time he touched the puck, Orr's speed and ability to handle the puck effectively gave the Bruins a fourth forward whenever he was on the ice. Orr was such an offensive force that he became the only defenseman to win a scoring title, and on this date in 1972, he assisted on a goal to earn the 541st point of his career, breaking the all-time record for blueliners set by Doug Harvey. Orr accomplished the feat in his 423rd game, 690 less than Harvey had played.

December 22

Brett Hull learned something from his dad.(Allsport)

The St. Louis Blues knew there was something worthwhile in the genes when they acquired a young sniper named Brett Hull. The Calgary Flames had given up on the son of the legendary Bobby Hull, but when the "Golden Brett" arrived in Missouri, he was intent on responding to the fans who said "Show me!" On this date in 1996, Brett Hull notched a hat trick against Los Angeles, giving him 500 goals for his career. It was the 693rd NHL game he had played in, and it made him the fourth fastest player to reach the 500-goal plateau.

December 23

Bryan Trottier knew how to find the net.

Bryan Trottier was not a very high-profile junior player, but he wasted little time making himself known once he joined the New York Islanders in 1975. Trottier scored three goals and added two assists in his first home game, and went on to set a rookie scoring record with 95 points while winning the Calder Trophy as the best first-year player. By the time his 18-year career ended, Trottier had played on six Stanley Cup winners and had added a scoring title, MVP award and outstanding playoff performer honor to his trophy case. One of the most notable events of his career took place on this date in 1978 when he scored six points in one period to set a new NHL record.

December 24

Georges Vezina was entitled to an off-night occasionally.

Even the best of goalies have a bad night once in a while. For Hall of Famer Georges Vezina, the man after whom the NHL's outstanding goaltending award is named, this night in 1921 was one of the worst. Vezina was in goal that night as the Montreal Canadiens were shelled 10-0 by the Ottawa Senators, a game which established a new record for largest goal differential in a shutout. The record was broken when Detroit blasted the Rangers 15-0 in 1944. Vezina, by the way, allowed 10 or more goals six times in his career.

December 25

Gordie Howe was hockey's original scoring machine.(AP)

When you play 33 seasons of professional hockey, you might have a tough time determining which one game might have been your best. In Gordie Howe's case, many games would likely qualify for that honor. After all, he won six NHL scoring titles and six MVP awards during his amazing career and put together a string of 22 consecutive seasons with at least 23 goals. One game worth remembering, however, was played on this date in 1956 when Howe scored three goals and added three assists in an 8-1 win by the Red Wings over the Rangers. It was the highest single-game point total of Howe's 26-year NHL career.

December 26

Doug Jarvis always wanted to play.

Hockey players are known to be durable athletes, but none were more deserving of that description than Doug Jarvis. During a career that lasted 12 seasons beginning in 1975, Jarvis never missed a game. Suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, and finally the Hartford Whalers, appeared in 964 consecutive contests, an NHL record. Garry Unger held the previous record of 914 consecutive games played, which Jarvis broke on this date in 1986.

Historical photos courtesy of Hockeyonline.com