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Former NHL goaltender Darcy Wakaluk turns 57 today, formerly the king of this NHL birthday by a longshot after he too the crown from Hall of Famer Václav Nedomanský, a Czech (then Czechoslovakian) winger who came over in the 1970s and played for the Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls in the WHA, winning the 1976 Paul Deneau Trophy, that league’s version of the Lady Byng, and scoring 56 goals taht year. Nedomanský, who turns 79 today, then played in the NHL for the Red Wings, Blues, and finally the 1983 Rangers after being traded from St. Louis with Glen Hanlon, in exchange for Andre Dore.
By Hockey Reference’s Point Shares, Nedomanský and Wakaluk both have been passed in recent years by J.T. Miller (30 today) and Erik Gustafsson (31 today), with Frank Vatrano (29 today) now between Wakaluk and Nedomanský on the list, and Tyson Jost (28 today) making his way up the list and Mattias Samuelsson (23 today, born in freakin’ 2000, as was Samuel Fagemo) just getting started.
Where are all the March 14 babies? The late Kirby Puckett was the only baseball Hall of Famer born on this date, although Kevin Brown is ahead of him on the WAR list, and the Mets have only ever had one player with this birthday, 2006 37th-round draft pick and 2011 cameo reliever John Stinson.
The answer? Kids today play basketball. It’s the late Wes Unseld’s birthday, as well as Larry Johnson, but also… Steph Curry. Good timing there, avoiding that thing where Mike Trout has to share his birthday with Sidney Crosby.
And lest we forget football, exactly one first team All-Pro selection, ever, has celebrated a March 14 birthday: Ed Weir, star left tackle of the 1927 Frankford Yellow Jackets, who was born 120 years ago today, and also made four field goals in his professional career, somehow.
We Can Pod It Out 67: Think For Yourself