Darcy Rota Lights the Lamp in His First NHL Game

Darcy Rota arrived in the NHL with serious scoring credentials. Drafted 13th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, he was fresh off a massive 73-goal season with the Edmonton Oil Kings. While he would never match those junior numbers at the NHL level, his career high was 42 goals with Vancouver in 1982-83, Rota wasted no time proving he belonged among the pros.

His NHL debut came on October 10, 1973, when the Blackhawks opened their season on the road against the Los Angeles Kings at the famed Forum. The matchup featured two elite goaltenders in Tony Esposito and Rogie Vachon, and for most of the night, both lived up to their reputations. All three goals came in a tight eight-and-a-half-minute stretch of the second period: J.P. Bordeleau opened the scoring at 5:35, Dennis Hull added another at 7:40, and Rota capped the run at 14:13, marking his first NHL goal in his first NHL game and helping seal a 3-0 Chicago win.

Rota’s milestone goal was one of four shots he fired at Vachon that night, with Cliff Koroll and Stan Mikita picking up the assists. It was the first of 21 goals he scored during his rookie campaign, where he totaled 33 points in 74 games. He added three more goals in the postseason, including his first playoff goal, also against the Kings, in his very first playoff game.

Across his NHL career from 1973-74 through 1983-84, Rota was a reliable and consistent scorer. Playing 794 regular-season games and 60 playoff contests with Chicago, Atlanta, and Vancouver, he finished with 256 goals and recorded nine 20-goal seasons. His debut goal was just the opening chapter of a career defined by steady production and timely scoring.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Darcy Rota

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Which team drafted Darcy Rota 13th overall in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft?

Chicago Blackhawks
Atlanta Flames
Vancouver Canucks
Detroit Red Wings

2. Darcy Rota scored his first NHL goal against which goaltender?

Rogie Vachon
Bernie Parent
Ken Dryden
Tony Esposito

3. How many 20-goal seasons did Darcy Rota record in his NHL career?

Nine
Five
Eleven
Seven

4. With which team did Darcy Rota record his NHL career-high 42-goal season?

Vancouver Canucks
Chicago Blackhawks
Atlanta Flames
Winnipeg Jets

5. How many regular season goals did Darcy Rota finish with in his NHL career?

256
198
311
227

Guy Charron’s Hat Trick Sparks Red Wings To 5-4 Victory Over Leafs

On November 11, 1973, Guy Charron delivered one of the best performances of his NHL career, scoring three goals to lead the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Olympia Stadium.

Charron, known for playing 734 regular season games without a playoff appearance, was often underrated but had plenty of offensive talent. The 1973-74 campaign marked his breakout year, finishing with 25 goals. Three of those came in this memorable game, his second of five career hat tricks.

He opened the scoring with a first-period powerplay goal, assisted by Mickey Redmond and Ted Harris. Just minutes later, Charron struck again, this time with help from Ace Bailey and Brent Hughes. He completed the hat trick early in the second period, his ninth goal of the season, again assisted by Redmond, giving Detroit a commanding 3-0 lead.

Nick Libett scored Detroit’s other two goals, while Toronto battled back with Norm Ullman (two goals, one assist) and Paul Henderson (three assists) keeping it close. Still, Charron’s scoring touch proved the difference in Detroit’s 5-4 victory.

Charron’s time in Detroit ended early in the 1974-75 season when he was traded to the Kansas City Scouts. He found his stride there, stringing together four straight 27+ goal seasons, including a career-best 38 with the Washington Capitals in 1977-78.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Guy Charron

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. How many regular season NHL games did Guy Charron play in his career?

• 534
• 734
• 834
• 934

2. How many playoff games did Charron appear in?

• 0
• 12
• 22
• 34

3. Which team did Guy Charron score his second career hat trick against on November 11, 1973?

• Montreal Canadiens
• Toronto Maple Leafs
• Chicago Blackhawks
• New York Rangers

4. What was Charron’s single-season career high in goals scored?

• 27
• 30
• 35
• 38

5. Which of the following teams did Guy Charron play for during his NHL career?

• Detroit Red Wings, Kansas City Scouts, Washington Capitals
• Detroit Red Wings, Quebec Nordiques, Washington Capitals
• Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals
• Detroit Red Wings, Kansas City Scouts, Buffalo Sabres