Mike Walton scored just once on three penalty shots during his NHL career, but that lone goal came with an unusual twist. On March 9, 1968 at Maple Leaf Gardens, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward beat a goalie who had come off the Detroit Red Wings’ bench specifically to face him. Roger Crozier’s brief appearance produced one of those statistical oddities that makes hockey history so entertaining.
Highlights
Walton scored on one of three NHL penalty shots, including the playoffs.
His only successful attempt came on March 9, 1968 against Detroit.
Roger Crozier replaced Roy Edwards specifically for the penalty shot.
Crozier finished with one goal allowed and 0:00 played.
Walton also assisted on Ron Ellis’s third-period tying goal.
Toronto and Detroit combined for four goals in 2:02.
Jack Norris stopped Walton’s next penalty shot the following night.
Glenn Resch denied his final attempt during the 1979 playoffs.
Toronto held a 6–5 lead when Walton was awarded his penalty shot at 16:40 of the third period. Instead of leaving starting goalie Roy Edwards in net, Detroit brought in Crozier to challenge “Shakey.” The move backfired. Walton scored his 27th goal of the season, giving the Maple Leafs some breathing room in an eventual 7–5 victory. Edwards then returned to finish the game.
Crozier’s official goaltending line tells the story: one shot faced, one goal allowed, a .000 save percentage and 0:00 played. With no playing time running off the clock during the penalty shot, Edwards still received credit for the full 60 minutes despite allowing only six of Toronto’s seven goals.
Walton’s goal capped a frantic third period in which he also assisted on Ron Ellis’s tying goal at 4:54. That made the score 4–4 and began a stretch of four goals in just 2:02. Norm Ullman put Toronto ahead, Nick Libett answered for Detroit, and Dave Keon restored the Leafs’ lead at 6:56. Keon’s 11th goal of the season stood as the game winner.
Remarkably, Walton received another penalty shot the very next night. Facing the Chicago Black Hawks at Chicago Stadium on March 10, he was stopped by Jack Norris. The Chicago goalie turned aside all 27 Toronto shots in a 4–0 shutout, giving Walton very different results on penalty shots taken on consecutive nights.
Walton’s final NHL penalty shot came more than a decade later, this time while wearing a Chicago uniform. On April 20, 1979, Glenn “Chico” Resch denied him in Game 3 of the Black Hawks’ quarter-final series against the New York Islanders. Once again, Walton’s team lost 4–0. His career tally, including the playoffs, remained one successful penalty shot in three attempts, and the only goal came against a goalie credited with no time played.
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