TITLE: Graph with path of length $\geq n$ along grid diagonals - a known result in graph theory?
QUESTION [11 upvotes]: Is the following lemma a well known result in graph theory? 
I am studying a basic existence result that appears to be simple yet powerful. I have not seen it stated as an important result in graph theory. I have consulted Reinhard Diestel's "Graph Theory" (5th edition, 2017), but could not find it there. So I wanted to ask this question on MO:
Definition: Given an $n\times n$ grid with $n^2$ unit squares. If you randomly place exactly 1 diagonal in each unit square, these diagonals (together with the vertices of the grid) form a graph $G$.
Existence Lemma: $G$ always contains a path of length $\geq n$.
Above you can see a small example on a $6\times 6$ grid. There is a great graphical example for large $n$ by Joseph O’Rourke https://mathoverflow.net/a/112090/156936 
I would be grateful if you could let me know whether this is a well known result, specifically in graph theory. 
Is there maybe some more general result from graph theory that implies this particular case? I would be very interested in that.

REPLY [2 votes]: I think Timothy Chow's comment is right that there is no result about planar graphs with your lemma as an explicit corollary.
I believe the following 2007 research paper by Guido Helden might be of use to you: http://publications.rwth-aachen.de/record/62349/ It is about hamiltonicity of maximal planar graphs and planar triangulations, and starts with a very good exposition.