A rare bit of sports history and trivia from Monday night.
Did you see the sports equinox? Or better yet, maybe you were a part of it – in either Buffalo or Toronto.
For just the 31st time since 1971, the so-called Big 4 sports the NHL, MLB, NFL and NBA all had games on the same night.
We’ll start on the diamond where in the grandest stage of them all, the World Series, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are now just one win away from winning Major League Baseball’s championship following a 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees in the Bronx.
The Dodgers lead the best of seven series 3-0.
And in case you missed it, there is a local connection with LA, as former St. Catharines Blue Jays General Manager Ellen Harrigan – the first female GM in pro baseball history – is the Director of Baseball Administration for the Dodgers.
Closer to home, the Buffalo Sabres hosted the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers, and promptly dropped a 5-2 decision as former Niagara IceDogs captain Carter Verhaeghe scored the game-winning goal and added an assist.
Meanwhile in Manitoba, and raise your hand if you knew the Winnipeg Jets were the only undefeated team in the NHL (8-0), when they welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs. Well, despite almost blowing a 5-1 lead, the Maple Leafs ended the Jets perfect season as John Tavares notched the hat-trick in a 6-4 Leafs win.
There were six other NHL games Monday evening.
Speaking of Toronto, down the Queen Elizabeth Way, the Toronto Raptors hosted reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, Canadian Jamal Murray, and the Denver Nuggets and almost pulled off a massive upset in a 127-125 loss.
And finally in the National Football League the Pittsburgh Steelers improved to (6-2) with a 26-18 win over the New York Giants.
Interesting local connection with the Giants, as head coach Brian Daboll was born in Welland.
So what would a sports equinox look like here in Niagara? Many here in the Region would debate what that would look like, but on sheer attendance numbers,
And this would only happen if the Niagara IceDogs advanced to the OHL finals again (last time was 2016), but if the IceDogs of the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) Niagara River Lions of the CEBL (Canadian Elite Basketball League) and Welland Jackfish of the IBL (Intercounty Baseball League) all played on the same night I think it would be fair to say Niagara experienced its first ever sports equinox.
Barring a World Series rainout Monday night was the only sports equinox of 2024.
And now you know.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
