Bob Gainey built his reputation as one of the NHL’s finest defensive forwards, but Montreal’s number 23 could contribute at the other end of the ice, too. The Peterborough, Ontario native scored 239 regular-season goals during his career and reached the 20-goal mark four times. His personal best came in 1980-81, when he scored 23 times. Fittingly, goal number 23 was a game-winner against the New York Islanders.
Highlights
Gainey scored a career-high 23 goals in 1980-81.
His 23rd came against the Islanders on March 31, 1981.
Rod Langway and Doug Jarvis assisted on the milestone goal.
The second-period tally was the winner in Montreal’s 3-1 victory.
Gainey’s 47 points that season also represented a career high.
Montreal retired his number 23 on February 23, 2008.
On March 31, 1981, the Canadiens hosted the Islanders at the Montreal Forum. The teams exchanged first-period goals, then remained tied at 1-1 through much of the second. With two of the league’s top clubs locked in a tight contest, Gainey supplied the breakthrough.
At 16:52 of the second period, Gainey beat Islanders goaltender Roland Melanson for his 23rd goal of the season. Rod Langway and Doug Jarvis earned the assists as Montreal moved ahead 2-1. The Canadiens went on to win 3-1, leaving Gainey’s milestone goal as the deciding tally.
Gainey also established a career high with 47 points that season. Montreal finished first in the Norris Division and third in the NHL’s overall standings, behind the Islanders and St. Louis Blues. That regular-season success did not carry into the playoffs, however. The Edmonton Oilers swept the Canadiens in their opening-round series.
From 1973-74 through 1988-89, Gainey played 1,160 regular-season games and another 182 playoff contests, all with Montreal. His career included five Stanley Cup championships and four Selke Trophy wins, followed by induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992. The Canadiens retired his number 23 on February 23, 2008, another fitting numerical connection for a player whose best goal-scoring season peaked at 23.
A Great Game: The Forgotten Leafs & the Rise of Professional Hockey
Explore the fascinating early history of professional hockey, including the forgotten Toronto teams, personalities, and events that helped shape the game into Canada's national winter obsession.
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