Lanny McDonald’s Lone Hat Trick With The Colorado Rockies

On February 6, 1981, Lanny McDonald recorded his only hat trick as a member of the Colorado Rockies in a thrilling 6-4 home win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

McDonald was no stranger to multi-goal games, he tallied 18 career hat tricks, including eight with the Toronto Maple Leafs (one a four-goal outing) and nine with the Calgary Flames. But during his short stay in Denver, fans only got to witness one such performance.

In the first period, McDonald opened the scoring just 5:22 in, beating Pittsburgh’s Nick Ricci with help from Merlin Malinowski. After the Penguins tied it up, McDonald struck again in the second frame with his 24th of the season, assisted by Paul Gagné and WaltMcKechnie, giving Colorado a 3-2 edge.

His third goal sealed the night, coming unassisted into an empty net with just 41 seconds left in the game. Not only did McDonald complete the hat trick, but he also collected two assists on goals by Lucien DeBlois and Mike Gillis, finishing with a five-point night. He registered five of Colorado’s 23 shots, while Rockies goaltender Al Smith turned aside 30 of 34 Pittsburgh attempts for the win.

McDonald’s path to Denver began with a December 29, 1979 trade that sent him and Joel Quenneville to Colorado in exchange for Pat Hickey and Wilf Paiement. His Rockies tenure spanned 142 games over parts of three seasons before he was dealt to Calgary on November 25, 1981, in a trade that saw Don Lever and Bob MacMillan head to Colorado.

About Lanny McDonald

Lanny McDonald played 1,111 regular season and 117 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1973-74 and 1988-89 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies and Calgary Flames. Originally a fourth overall pick by the Maple Leafs at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, McDonald was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Lanny McDonald

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

1. In which year did Lanny McDonald score his only hat trick as a member of the Colorado Rockies?
   1979
   1981
   1983
   
2. Which team did McDonald spend the majority of his NHL career with, including winning a Stanley Cup?
   Toronto Maple Leafs
   Calgary Flames
   Colorado Rockies
   
3. How many career hat tricks did Lanny McDonald record in total?
   12
   18
   22
   
4. What was unique about McDonald’s goal-scoring in the 1982-83 season with Calgary?
   He scored 66 goals, setting a franchise record
   He scored 50 goals in 50 games
   He had more assists than goals for the only time in his career
   
5. In which year was Lanny McDonald inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame?
   1990
   1992
   1995
   

Bonus Round!

NHL Hockey Trivia: Colorado Rockies

1. In what year did the Colorado Rockies first take the ice in the NHL?
   1974
   1976
   1978
   
2. Before moving to Denver, what was the team’s original NHL identity?
   Kansas City Scouts
   Oakland Seals
   Cleveland Barons
   
3. Who was the goaltender most associated with the Rockies, appearing in over 150 games?
   Ron Low
   Chico Resch
   Michel Plasse
   
4. In 1979-80, who coached the Rockies for one memorable season before becoming an NHL legend elsewhere?
   Scotty Bowman
   Don Cherry
   Herb Brooks
   
5. What became of the Colorado Rockies franchise after the 1981-82 season?
   Folded
   Relocated to New Jersey as the Devils
   Merged with the Quebec Nordiques
   

Danny Gare Haunts the Sabres in Wild 1984 Finish

On October 26, 1984, in just the eighth game of the 1984-85 NHL season, fans at Joe Louis Arena witnessed a bizarre and unforgettable performance by Detroit Red Wings captain Danny Gare. Facing off against his former team, the Buffalo Sabres, Gare seemed quiet with just one assist through 59 minutes of play. But the final 49 seconds flipped the script.

With the Red Wings clinging to a 4-3 lead and the Sabres’ goalie Tom Barrasso pulled for an extra attacker, Bob Manno scored into the empty net. Assisting on the goal? Dwight Foster and Danny Gare. That bumped Gare’s total to two points.

Just five seconds later, Barrasso still off the ice, Gare found the back of the net for his first goal of the night, his second of the season. Assists again went to Foster and the ever-intense Dave “Tiger” Williams.

Still without a goalie, Buffalo watched Gare strike once more. With just 15 seconds remaining, Tiger Williams set him up again for his second of the night and third point in under a minute. Paired with his first-period assist on Foster’s goal, Gare closed out the night with a four-point game, three of them scored in the final 49 seconds.

And that wasn’t all. Tiger Williams added some trademark grit to his stat line with two assists and a first-period fight against Buffalo’s Mike Foligno. Meanwhile, Dwight Foster and second-year phenom Steve Yzerman each notched a goal and two assists. John Ogrodnick chipped in with two goals and an assist.

About Danny Gare

Between 1974-75 and 1986-87, Danny Gare played 827 regular season and 64 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. The Sabres selected him in the second round, 29th overall, at the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft after an outstanding junior career with the Calgary Centennials. In his final year with Calgary, Gare scored 68 goals and totaled 127 points.

With Buffalo, Danny was a 50 goal scorer twice. His career best came in 1979-80 when his 56 goals tied him for the league lead with Blaine Stoughton of the Hartford Whalers and Charlie Simmer of the Losn Angeles Kings. 

Joe Nieuwendyk Makes Calgary Flames History With 5 Goals in 1989 Win Over Winnipeg Jets

On January 11, 1989, Joe Nieuwendyk delivered one of the greatest individual performances in Calgary Flames history. Hosting the Winnipeg Jets at the Saddledome, the Flames dominated the game in more ways than one, setting a franchise record at the time with 131 penalty minutes, while Nieuwendyk let his stick do the talking.

In a wild 8-3 victory, Nieuwendyk scored five goals, becoming the only player in Atlanta/Calgary Flames history to accomplish the feat. His performance was highlighted by three goals in just 1:53 during the second period, a franchise record for the fastest hat trick by a single player that still stands.

Nieuwendyk opened the scoring at 11:45 of the first period, followed by a shorthanded goal early in the second. His lightning-fast hat trick followed, and his second-period shorty turned out to be the game-winner.

While chaos unfolded around him, Nieuwendyk remained composed, one of seven Flames players, including goalie Mike Vernon, who didn’t take a penalty that night. He fired 12 shots on Jets goalie Daniel Berthiaume, accounting for one-third of Calgary’s 36.

This was the fifth of 14 career NHL hat tricks for Nieuwendyk, who scored 51 goals in the 1988-89 season, matching his output from the year prior. Though he never hit the 50-goal mark again, he went on to notch 564 goals over 1,257 regular-season games, also winning Stanley Cups with Calgary, Dallas, and New Jersey.

NHL Record: Fastest 3 Goals

By one player, the fastest three goals in an NHL game was recorded nearly 75 years ago and has the staying power to remain an unbroken record. Bill Mosienko of the Chicago Blackhawks scored three in 21 seconds in a game on March 23, 1952, a 7-6 win over the New York Rangers. All three were assisted by Gus Bodnar.

By one team, the fastest is 20 seconds, set by the Boston Bruins on February 25, 1971 in an 8-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. John Bucyk, Ed Westfall and Ted Green each scored for the Bruins in a rapid fire third period.

The fastest three goals by two teams in a game is a mind-blowing 15 seconds. This was set on February 10, 1983 in a game between the Minnesota North Stars and New York Rangers. Mark Pavelich and Ron Greschner scored for the Rangers before Willi Plett replied for the Stars. This was all in the last minute of the second period. The North Stars won the game 7-5.