15 Christmas sports memories: Billy Martin, Ed Podolak, LeBron James and Bernard King

Billy Martin, LeBron James, Patrick Ewing, Bernard King are among those athletes tied to Christmas.

Christmas hockey ends

Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

Beginning in the 1920s and lasting until 1971, there was an NHL game played every Christmas Day. The NHL ended the tradition to give its players a holiday break. On the final Christmas that games were played, there were six, and the last goal scored was by Stan Gilbertson, as his California Golden Seals defeated the Los Angeles Kings, 3-1.