Each week, VICE Sports takes a look back at an important event from sports history for Throwback Thursday, or #TBT for all you cool kids. You can read previous installments here.

Christmas hockey games used to be a holiday tradition. For over a half century, from 1919-1971, you could count on an NHL game on Christmas Day, just as much as you could count on unwrapping a pair of socks from your grandmother. But all that changed after the 1971-72 season. Although this was the last time the NHL played games on Dec. 25, the official policy change and moratorium on Christmas contests wasn't established until 1973.

The league's first Christmas game was played in 1919 between the Montreal Canadiens and the Quebec Athletics, and was memorable in more ways than one. For starters, even though there were 125 more Christmas games played after that, it proved to be the highest-scoring game in holiday history. The two clubs combined for 17 goals, but the Canadiens took the lion's share, filling their opponent's net 12 times.

Part of the reason that Montreal was able to get the better of their provincial rival was likely because the Quebec team was short on players. For whatever reason, they only dressed seven players that game, while the Canadiens had nine at their disposal. Although the Athletics may have been at a disadvantage, they still played their hearts out. After finishing the first period down 5-0, they still managed to make a game of it and slip five pucks past Georges Vezina.

If Santa Claus has a favourite team, it has to be the New York Rangers. I mean, Kris Kringle even joined the Broadway squad on the ice in advance of the team's game against the Maple Leafs on Christmas Day, 1949. There's no other logical explanation for how the Blueshirts recorded a 16-game undefeated streak in Christmas games from 1930-1949, going 15-0-1 over that span.

During that run, New York also piled up six straight Christmas victories from 1930 to 1935, shutting out its opponents three times and outscoring them by a goal differential of +17. When the league played the last of these games in 1971, the Rangers finished with an all-time record of 25-10-2 on Christmas.

Despite the Rangers' good fortunes on Christmas, not every member of the organization was decking the halls every December. Leading up the team's festive game in 1971, which was among the final Christmas games played in the league, Rangers general manager Emile Francis let it be known he was none too pleased with the NHL's scheduling.

That year, the Blueshirts played the North Stars in Minnesota on Dec. 25, so to ensure the team was ready for action, they spent Christmas Eve in Minneapolis. Francis was upset because the league usually made an effort to schedule teams as close to home as possible for Christmas games. But that year it didn't quite work out that way for the Rangers. He was quoted in the Globe and Mail as saying, "So where are we? Halfway across the country. The only place they could have put us that would be farther from New York would be the west coast." While Francis may have had a "Bah! Humbug!" attitude heading into the game, he was undoubtedly pleased with the final result, as his club beat the North Stars 2-1 to secure its 23rd win of the season.

There may have been no greater Christmas gift for Gerry O'Flaherty than the telephone call he received on the morning of Dec. 24, 1971. At the time, the 21-year-old right winger was playing for the Tulsa Oilers, the Maple Leafs' affiliate in the Central Hockey League, when his general manager informed him that he would be an emergency replacement for the big club, filling in for Paul Henderson who was out with a knee injury. It certainly marked a milestone in O'Flaherty's hockey career, but it also meant that he and his wife would get to go home for the holidays. The young newlyweds were both from Toronto, and the Leafs happened to be taking on the Red Wings at the Gardens, so that meant they'd get to surprise their families for Christmas and Gerry would be able to make his NHL debut in front of his parents and siblings.

In reflecting on that special moment, O'Flaherty told VICE Sports over the phone that it was the best Christmas gift he'd ever had. "I fulfilled a lifetime dream and played in the NHL, which is what I had really wanted to do my whole life," he said.

That night, O'Flaherty got to play on a line with Norm Ullman, who'd lead the team in scoring that season, and was among Leafs legends like Dave Keon. Most importantly, Toronto picked up a 5-3 victory over Detroit. Powered by three goals from Bill MacMillan, O'Flaherty was on the bench to celebrate the last Christmas hat trick. Talk about a Merry Christmas!

While MacMillan may have been the last player to record a Christmas hat trick, the last goal on Dec. 25 belongs to Stan Gilbertson. Over on the west coast, with less than 20 seconds remaining on the clock in a matchup against the Kings, the Golden Seals left winger scored an empty-netter to put the game out of reach for Los Angeles. Gilbertson scored 85 goals throughout his career, but there may not have been a bigger goal than that. For one, it enshrined him into the hockey history record books, and two, it was the dagger for the Seals' cross-state rivals, who were never able to record a win on Christmas.

Although there are probably plenty of avid hockey fans who'd like to see the return of Christmas puck, the NHL's cessation of operations over the holidays is what really sets it apart from other leagues at this time of year. While some might suggest that that sentiment shouldn't interfere with trying to carve out a niche alongside the NBA or NFL, for others, it offers players and their families, and even those who cover the teams, some much needed time together over the holidays in an otherwise hectic regular season.

For O'Flaherty, someone who knows a thing or two about playing on Dec. 25, he believes there are more important things on that day than hockey. Although it will be 45 years since he made his NHL debut on Christmas night, O'Flaherty still works in the hockey industry as a professional scout for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"I think it's a special day for families and they should be together. I know it's a major sports day, but for the NHL to continue this, I think it's really special for all the players who have families. It's a special day, and I think it should be treated as a special day," he said.

We couldn't agree more, and on that note, happy holidays and #tbt to when the NHL played games on Christmas.

Stats and box scores from Hockey Reference