April 20 Hockey Birthdays: Fetisov, Gostisbehere, Seabrook

Today, we celebrate the birthdays of 30 past and present NHL players. Among them are a Hockey Hall of Fame member, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, and a current defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings. Let’s take a moment to appreciate these players and their contributions to the sport.

Viacheslav Fetisov (1958)

Viacheslav Fetisov was born on Apr. 20, 1958 in Moscow. By the time he debuted in the NHL in 1989, he had already compiled a resume worthy of the Hall of Fame, with two Olympic Gold medals, five World Championships, and three World Junior titles while representing the Soviet Union, now Russia. Besides those accolades, he won several more Silver and Bronze medals, eventually earning induction to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame and a spot on their Centennial All-Star Team.

Fetisov joined the New Jersey Devils in 1989, skating 72 games and earning 42 points. After six seasons, the Detroit Red Wings traded for him, offering a third-round pick. In his final two campaigns, he won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, joining the Triple Gold Club with a World Championship, Olympic Gold Medal, and Stanley Cup title. Although Fetisov’s NHL career was short at just nine seasons, he skated in 546 games with 36 goals and 228 points.

Shayne Gostisbehere (1993)

According to Hockey Reference, Shayne Gostisbehere is just one of 18 players born in Florida. The Philadelphia Flyers selected him in the third round (78th overall) of the 2012 Entry Draft, and he just completed his 10th season in the NHL, debuting in 2014-15. During his rookie season, in 2015-16, he was named to the All-Rookie Team and finished second in Calder Trophy voting.