Real Cloutier Nets 3 In 1st NHL Game For The Quebec Nordiques Franchise

In the final season of the WHA, 1978-79, Real Cloutier led the league with 75 goals and 129 points. It's fitting that Cloutier provided the offense in the first game in the NHL for the Quebec Nordiques.

On October 10, 1979, Quebec hosted the Atlanta Flames in their National Hockey League debut. The home team fell 5-3 but the crowd was treated to a third period comeback attempt, fueled by Cloutier and Marc Tardif.

Over the first two periods, Atlanta jumped to a 4-0 lead on goals by Phil Russell, Kent Nilsson, Ivan Boldirev and Willi Plett. At 9:51 of the third period, Cloutier scored the first NHL goal for both him and the Nordiques on future Nordique goalie Dan Bouchard. Just over a minute later, he scored again to make the score 4-2. Eric Vail made it 5-2 Flames before Real scored his hat trick goal at 19:13. All three Cloutier goals were assisted by Marc Tardif.

He would not again see the scoring success he had in the WHA but Cloutier had a decent year in 1979-80 with 42 goals in just 67 games. He would top 20 goals three more times, twice with Quebec and once with the Buffalo Sabres. The 1979-80 Nordiques finished fifth in the Adams Division with the third worst record in the NHL.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Real Cloutier

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

1. In his final WHA season (1978-79), how many goals did Real Cloutier score to lead the league?

• 65
• 70
• 75
• 80

2. Who assisted on all three of Cloutier’s goals in the Quebec Nordiques’ first NHL game in 1979?

• Michel Goulet
• Marc Tardif
• Jacques Richard
• Peter Stastny

3. Which NHL team did Real Cloutier finish his career with after leaving the Nordiques?

• Buffalo Sabres
• Hartford Whalers
• Toronto Maple Leafs
• Calgary Flames

4. How many 50+ goal seasons did Real Cloutier record during his WHA career?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

5. In his first NHL season (1979-80), how many goals did Cloutier score for Quebec in just 67 games?

• 28
• 34
• 42
• 50

Wayne Gretzky’s 7-Assist Game: The Start of an Unmatched NHL Legacy

On February 15, 1980, a young Wayne Gretzky announced his arrival as a force in the NHL with a jaw-dropping seven-assist performance against the Washington Capitals. The game, played at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, marked just the fifth month of Gretzky’s NHL career, but it was a clear sign of things to come.

The Edmonton Oilers dominated after allowing the first and final goals of the game, scoring eight unanswered in between to secure an 8-2 victory. Gretzky was instrumental, assisting on seven of those goals, tying a record first set in 1947 by Bill Taylor of the Detroit Red Wings.

While Gretzky would later be surrounded by Hall of Fame teammates like Mark Messier and Jari Kurri, this early standout night featured goals from Blair MacDonald (3), Bobby Schmautz (2), Brett Callighen, and Dave Semenko. MacDonald had a four-point game, and Semenko contributed a goal, two assists, and avoided the penalty box. This was unusual for the enforcer, who stayed clear of the only fight of the game between Colin Campbell and Mike Gartner.

Gretzky would tie this assist record two more times in his career, but no NHL player has ever recorded more than seven assists in a single game. This performance was an early chapter in a career that would fill the NHL record books and solidify “The Great One” as a hockey legend.

Most Assists In An NHL Game (Runner-Ups)

Gretzky and Billy Taylor remain the only players to record seven assists in a single game. However, there have six assist games recorded 27 times. Wayne is included in that group, as well, with a six assist game against the Los Angeles Kings in 1985. Mario Lemieux had three six assist games, one with an additional two goals and two with a single goal added.

Lemieux's eight point game came on October 15, 1988, just the fourth game of the 1988-89 season for Mario and the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the 9-2 win over the St. Louis Blues, the only goal had didn't figure on for the Pens was scored by Steve Dykstra in the first period. Lemieux assisted on all three Rob Brown hat trick goals, along with singles by Zarley Zalapski, Bob Errey and John Cullen.

The most recent player to record six assists in a game was Connor McDavid on February 13, 2024 against the Detroit Red Wings. In the 21^st century, just McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Kris Letang have accomplished the feat. Prior to Draisaitl in 2021, there was a 24 year gap since the last time, in 1997 by Eric Lindros.