Gretzky Sad After Hat Trick

Saturday’s first meeting between the New York Rangers and their former captain Mark Messier’s Vancouver Canucks left Wayne Gretzky with very mixed emotions.

He liked the fact his Rangers earned their first win of the season, along with picking up his NHL-record 50th career hat trick - his first in six years - and 66th five-point game. But playing against longtime buddy Messier - who also scored a goal - wasn’t much fun.

“To be quite honest with you, it’s kind of sad. I don’t really know what to say. We hope he does great, but we wish he was still with us,” Gretzky said. “It’s really strange, because I never thought we’d separate the first time and I never ever thought we’d separate a second time. In some ways it’s disappointing, it’s just strange.”

Kings win first

Fan favorite Luc Robitaille scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and Jozef Stumpel added an insurance goal 21 seconds later as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Ottawa Senators 7-4 in their home opener Sunday.

After Robitaille’s goal, the chants of “Luuuuc” had barely subsided when Stumpel’s shot sailed high into the net and caught goalie Damian Rhodes out of the crease.

Cory Stillman’s first career hat trick helped Calgary stop host Detroit’s four-game winning streak as they tied 4-4.

Stillman scored his third goal of the night with just 54 seconds left after the Red Wings took a 4-3 lead with three straight goals.