American hockey fans will always consider February 22 as one of the greatest days in the history of the sport.

So will their counterparts in the Czech Republic.

While U.S. fans remember the date in 1980 when a group of collegians stunned the world by beating the Soviets en route to winning the Olympic gold medal, Czech fans think back to February 22, 1998 when their team did the same thing to Russians to win that country's first Olympic title.

The 1998 Games at Nagano marked the first time NHL players took part in an Olympic tournament, and the Czech team, led by superstar goaltender Dominik Hasek and right wing Jaromir Jagr, made the most of the opportunity for their hockey-mad homeland.

After turning in a solid, but unspectacular performance in the preliminary round of the competition, the Czechs turned it up a notch in the playoffs, employing a masterful defensive style of play that suffocated their opponents. In short order, they defeated the U.S by a score of 4-1, Canada 2-1 in a dramatic shootout, and then finally, the Russians by a 1-0 score on February 22 to claim the championship.

"The greatest day in Czech hockey," said center Martin Straka, who now plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Indeed it was, and like one of the greatest days in American hockey history, it took place during the week of February 20-27.

February 21

Bobby Hull finished his NHL career with 610 goals.

None of the major goal-scoring records he set as a player remain in the books today, but that doesn't diminish the greatness Bobby Hull demonstrated as a goal scorer. On this date in 1970, Hull became the third player to reach the 500-goal plateau for his career when he blasted a shot past Ed Giacomin of the Rangers to help Chicago win 4-2. It was the 861st game of Hull's career, making him the fastest player to reach the mark at the time.

February 22

Peter Stastny was the 1981 Rookie of the Year.

Peter and Anton Stastny were among the most prolific sibling scorers ever. They combined for 194 points in 1980-81, their first season in the NHL, and went on to form the heart of the explosive Quebec Nordiques offense for several years. On this date in 1981, they set a record they still share by each scoring eight points in an 11-7 victory over Washington. Peter scored four goals and four assists, while Anton had three goals and five assist. The point total remains the highest ever scored in a game by a rookie.

February 23

Mark Pavelich played seven NHL seasons after the Miracle on Ice.(Allsport)

There was probably no greater thrill in Mark Pavelich's hockey career than being on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, but a game he played in a few years later probably comes close. On this date in 1983, Pavelich scored five goals to lead the New York Rangers to an 11-3 blowout of the Hartford Whalers. It was the 38th time a player scored at least five goals in a game, but the first team the feat was accomplished by an American.

February 24

Wayne Gretzky finished his career holding or sharing 61 records.(Allsport)

No one who saw Wayne Gretzky break into the NHL in 1979 doubted it would only be a matter of time before he established himself as hockey's greatest scorer. Very little time. On this date in 1980, less than a month after his 19th birthday, Gretzky became the youngest player to score 100 points in a season. Two years later on this date, he scored his 77th goal of the season, setting a new record for goals in one campaign. He finished the 1981-82 season with 92 goals, which is still a record.

February 25

Ed Westfall played 11 of his 18 NHL seasons in Boston.

With Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and Johnny Bucyk leading the way, the Boston Bruins of the early 1970s were an offensive powerhouse. They earned their reputation several times over, but few times was it as evident as on this date in 1971 when Boston scored three times in 20 seconds against Vancouver, a record for the three fastest goals by a team in one game. Bucyk got it started at 5:02 of the third period, followed by Ed Westfall at 5:02 and Ted Green at 5:10.

February 26

Ray Scapinello has officiated in four decades.(Allsport)

They are easy to overlook, in fact they only time fans seem to notice them is when they do something wrong. Still, linesmen are critical to maintaining the flow of a game and few have been better at plying their trade than Ray Scapinello. On this date in 1997, Scapinello helped officiate a game between Washington and Toronto, becoming the first man in stripes to work 2,000 NHL games. Scapinello, who began working NHL games in 1971, began his 29th season this year.

February 27

Stan Mikita is the Blackhawks all-time leading scorer.

Stan Mikita was known as a playmaker throughout his career, a reputation that as a result of his smooth-skating and his ability to find an open man and give him a chance to score. But the Czech-born player could also put the puck in the net, and on this date in 1977, he reached an elite level by notching the 500th goal of his career. The marker came in Mikita's 1,221st career game, but unfortunately could not help his Blackhawks avert a 4-3 loss to Vancouver.