Over 80 years later, one record still stands tall in Montreal Canadiens history: the night Maurice “Rocket” Richard racked up eight points in a single game. It happened on December 28, 1944, during a dominant 9-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings at the Montreal Forum, and no Canadiens player has surpassed it since.
That 1944–45 season was already legendary for the Rocket, he became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in one season. But on that December night, he set a different kind of milestone. Richard scored five goals and added three assists, becoming the first player in NHL history to record eight points in a single game.
All nine Montreal goals came against Detroit goalie Harry Lumley, and Richard even took a minor penalty in the second period, just to make sure his name appeared everywhere on the scoresheet. His five goals were numbers 20 through 24 of the season, one of four hat tricks he recorded that year.
Richard’s linemates Elmer Lach and Toe Blake also had monster nights. Lach posted two goals and three assists, while Blake had one goal and three helpers. Together, they formed the iconic “Punch Line,” one of the most dominant trios in NHL history. Lach went on to lead the league in scoring with 80 points, followed by Richard (73) and Blake (67).
Although the Canadiens were eliminated by Toronto in the playoffs, Richard’s explosive scoring continued with six goals in six games, including four in one night during a 10-3 win over the Maple Leafs.
A decade later, on January 9, 1954, Bert Olmstead tied Richard’s single-game record with four goals and four assists in a 12-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Fittingly, the Rocket was part of the action again, this time setting up five of Olmstead’s points.
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