When the Canucks Finally Posted a Zero: Dunc Wilson’s Historic 1971 Shutout

The Vancouver Canucks spent their inaugural 1970-71 NHL season knocking on the door of history, but a shutout always seemed just out of reach. Eleven times that year, Vancouver held opponents to a single goal, yet the franchise’s first clean sheet never came. That milestone finally arrived early in the 1971-72 season.

On October 27, 1971, at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens, Canucks goaltender Dunc Wilson etched his name into team history by recording the first shutout in Vancouver Canucks history. The performance came in a tense, scoreless 0-0 tie, fittingly against one of the era’s premier netminders, Bernie Parent.

Wilson was sensational, turning aside all 34 Toronto shots. Jim Dorey led the Maple Leafs’ attack with six shots, while Paul Henderson and Mike Pelyk chipped in five apiece. Time and again, Wilson stood firm, frustrating a Toronto club that controlled much of the play.

At the other end, Bernie Parent was equally sharp but faced a lighter workload, stopping 20 Canucks shots to preserve the draw for Toronto.

The shutout marked the first of eight in Dunc Wilson’s NHL career. Two of those came with Vancouver, while he also recorded one with the Maple Leafs. His finest season came in 1976-77 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, when Wilson posted five shutouts in 45 games, the best total of his career.

For Bernie Parent, the night represented his first of three shutouts with Toronto during the 1971-72 season and the 12th of his NHL career. Parent would go on to record 54 career shutouts, earning a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame following a legendary run with the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Pat Hickey’s Five-Point Night Sinks Tony Esposito At MSG

On November 15, 1978, the Chicago Blackhawks rolled into Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers, and left with very little to show for it. While another famous kid from Brantford was still lighting up the WHA at the time, it was Pat Hickey, also born in Brantford, Ontario, who stole the spotlight in New York.

Hickey wasted no time making his presence felt. Just 1:03 into the opening period, he beat Tony Esposito for his first of the night, with assists from Ulf Nilsson and Carol Vadnais. Less than five-and-a-half minutes later, Vadnais added a shorthanded goal of his own. Then, only 41 seconds after that, Hickey set up Anders Hedberg to give the Rangers a commanding 3-0 lead.

The Rangers kept pouring it on. Hickey struck again at 16:56 of the second period, once more assisted by Nilsson, along with Ron Greshner, to make it 5-0. In a rare brother-versus-brother moment, Phil Esposito scored on his older brother Tony at 6:24 of the third period, pushing the lead to 6-0.

Before the night was done, Hickey completed his hat trick, scoring his third goal of the game and seventh of the 1978-79 NHL season. He also added another assist on a goal by Nilsson, finishing the night with a five-point performance.

The Rangers’ top line was unstoppable. Hickey, Nilsson, and Hedberg combined for 13 points in the blowout win. Nilsson recorded one goal and four assists, while Hedberg chipped in with a goal and two helpers. Hickey led all skaters with six shots on goal, while Tony Esposito faced 39 shots overall. At the other end of the ice, John Davidson turned aside 32 of 33 shots to seal the victory for New York.

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Rogie Vachon Starts 1977-78 With Opening Night Shutout

The 1977-78 NHL season opened with a statement performance from Rogatien “Rogie” Vachon and the Los Angeles Kings.

On October 12, 1977, Vachon backstopped the Kings to a 2-0 Opening Night victory over the visiting Cleveland Barons, becoming the first goaltender of the season to record a shutout. Rogie was flawless, stopping all 24 shots he faced for the 42nd shutout of his NHL career. At the opposite end, Cleveland’s Gilles Meloche was strong as well, allowing just two goals on 28 shots.

Los Angeles wasted little time getting on the board. At 12:18 of the first period, Ernie Hicke scored the game-winning goal, set up by Marcel Dionne and Glenn Goldup. That same trio struck again just 39 seconds into the third period when Dionne finished off another perfectly executed sequence to make it 2-0.

While Vachon controlled the crease, the game also featured a bit of Opening Night theater to keep the crowd buzzing. In the first period, Kings enforcer Dave Schultz squared off with Cleveland’s Reg Kerr in a heavyweight bout. Midway through the third period, L.A.’s Dave Hutchison dropped the gloves with Barons defenseman Bob Girard.

The 1977-78 season would see Vachon record four shutouts for the Kings, matching his lowest total since the 1972-73 campaign. It also marked his final season in Los Angeles. Vachon began the following year with the Detroit Red Wings, spending two seasons in Hockeytown before finishing his Hall of Fame career with the Boston Bruins.

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