On May 3, we celebrate the birthdays of 32 past and present NHL players. Today’s list includes several Stanley Cup winners, two members of the Hockey of Fame, and one of the few goalies to score a goal in a game. Let’s look at some names blowing out candles today.
Rod Langway (1957)
Rod Langway is one of two players born on May 2 to have a plaque at the Hockey Hall of Fame. A 15-year veteran in the NHL, he won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Montreal Canadiens (1979) before carving out his legacy as a long-time member of the Washington Capitals (1983 to 1993). While patrolling the blueline in the Nation’s Capital, he was voted Norris Trophy winner in consecutive seasons, 1983 and 1984.
Langway skated in six All-Star Games and earned two postseason All-Star honors. His best season came in 1980-81 when he was 23 years old and racked up 45 points thanks to 11 goals and 34 assists. It was also the same campaign where Langway compiled a career-high 120 penalty minutes, finishing fifth in Norris Trophy voting. In 994 games, he finished his career with 51 goals, 278 assists, and 329 points while remaining one of the few players in the 1990s to play without a helmet.
Vyacheslav Kozlov (1972)
Vyacheslav Kozlov had the most successful NHL career of any player, born on May 2. Not only did he win two Stanley Cup titles (1997 and 1998), but he’s the only one to dress in over 1,000 contests, finishing his 18-year career with 1,182 games. Meanwhile, he’s the only player to score over 400 points, collecting 356 goals and 497 assists for a point total of 853.
As a third-round pick (45th overall) in the 1990 Entry Draft, Kozlov made his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings at 19 in 1991-92. He remained with the organization for 10 seasons , winning two Stanley Cups, before venturing off to play a season with the Buffalo Sabres (2001-02). After another trade, he wound up with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2002, finishing his career playing with the club for seven seasons, retiring in 2010.
Ron Hextall (1964)
Ron Hextall‘s legacy in the NHL is truly one of a kind. Whether he became the first goalie to ever shoot the puck down the ice into an empty net for a goal or accumulated the most penalty minutes by a goaltender, his career was filled with unconventional achievements. Now, as a former team executive, he has added another feather to his cap, earning a Stanley Cup title as Assistant General Manager.
Meanwhile, Hextall is just one of five players in league history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy without winning the Stanley Cup, achieving the feat in the 1987 Stanley Cup Final. During his playing career, he compiled a 296-214-69 record in 608 games, carrying the Philadelphia Flyers to the 1987 and 1997 Stanley Cup Finals. He won the Vezina Trophy in 1987 and earned All-Rookie Team honors in the same season.
As a sixth-round pick (119th overall), Hextall played with the Flyers for six seasons before the blockbuster Eric Lindros trade in 1992 sent him to the Quebec Nordiques, where he played one season before moving to the New York Islanders. After two seasons away, he returned to the Flyers and played five more seasons, retiring in 1999 with two goals (one in the regular season and playoffs) and 461 penalty minutes, which ranks 42nd in team history.
In retirement, Hextall became a scout and then Director of Player Personnel for the Flyers before relocating to Los Angeles to be Assistant General Manager with the Kings, winning the Stanley Cup in 2012. Eventually, he returned to the Flyers as General Manager, most recently serving in the same role with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2021 to 2023.
Current Players Celebrating Birthdays (Age)
Editors note: bold names are Stanley Cup winners
Inactive Players Celebrating Birthdays (Age)
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