Rosaire Paiement gave Vancouver fans a franchise first on February 9, 1971. Facing the Buffalo Sabres at Pacific Coliseum, he scored four goals to power the Canucks to a 6–3 victory. Orland Kurtenbach had recorded Vancouver’s first NHL hat trick, but Paiement became the first Canuck to take it one goal further.
Highlights
Paiement recorded Vancouver’s first four-goal NHL game on February 9, 1971.
The Canucks defeated fellow expansion club Buffalo 6–3 at Pacific Coliseum.
Dick Duff scored twice for the Sabres, including the third-period tying goal.
Ray Cullen scored the winner before Paiement added Vancouver’s final two goals.
Paiement had eight shots; George Gardner made 30 saves.
Rosie recorded another hat trick exactly one week later against Boston.
He led Vancouver with 34 goals and 152 penalty minutes in its inaugural season.
The meeting between the NHL’s two newest teams began with Dick Duff and Paiement trading first-period goals. Murray Hall put Vancouver ahead 2–1 in the second, and Paiement extended the lead with his second of the night and 14th of the season at 19:43. Buffalo answered before the intermission, however, as Ron Anderson scored with just one second remaining to cut the deficit to 3–2.
Duff struck again in the third period, pulling the Sabres even at 3–3. Vancouver responded with three unanswered goals. Ray Cullen supplied what proved to be the winner before Paiement scored twice more to complete his historic four-goal performance and secure the 6–3 final.
Paiement was Vancouver’s busiest shooter, directing eight of the team’s 35 shots at Buffalo goaltender Roger Crozier. At the other end, George Gardner made 30 saves to earn the victory. Exactly one week later, Paiement recorded another hat trick against the Boston Bruins, giving him the second and third hat tricks in Canucks history.
Originally a Boston Bruins prospect, Paiement began his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers. Opportunities were limited: over three seasons, he appeared in just 43 regular-season games and three playoff contests for Philadelphia. Vancouver selected him in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft, opening the door to a much larger role.
Paiement made the most of that opportunity during the Canucks’ inaugural season. He led Vancouver with 34 goals and 152 penalty minutes in 1970–71, establishing himself as both a scoring threat and a physical presence. His four-goal night against Buffalo remains a memorable milestone from the franchise’s first NHL campaign.
Never Boring: The Up and Down History of the Vancouver Canucks
A rollercoaster journey through Vancouver Canucks history, capturing the highs, lows, and unforgettable moments that have defined one of hockey’s most unpredictable franchises.
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