On October 27, 1966, the Detroit Red Wings hosted the New York Rangers at Detroit Olympia, still searching for their first win of the young 1966-67 season. After dropping their first four games, frustration was building, until Paul Henderson delivered a performance for the ages.
Game Highlights
Paul Henderson records 4 goals and 5 points
First of four career NHL hat tricks for Henderson
Red Wings earn first win after 0-4 start
Detroit rallies from 2-0 deficit
Henderson scores natural hat trick in second period
Henderson & Norm Ullman combine for 9 points
Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio held pointless
High-scoring battle ends in 5-4 Detroit victory
The game didn’t start in Detroit’s favour. The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Bernie Geoffrion and Don Marshall, putting the Red Wings on the brink of a fifth straight loss. But momentum began to shift midway through the second period when Norm Ullman got Detroit on the board, finishing a play set up by Henderson.
Just 31 seconds later, Henderson struck for his first goal of the night, assisted by Ullman and Gary Bergman, igniting the home crowd and completely flipping the script. From there, Henderson took over.
He completed a natural hat trick with more than five minutes remaining in the second period, turning a 2-0 deficit into a Red Wings lead in stunning fashion. Although Marshall added another for New York just before the period ended to keep things tight, Henderson wasn’t finished.
At 12:55 of the third period, Henderson scored his fourth goal of the game, his fifth point overall, to seal the victory for Detroit. It was a dominant individual effort that powered the Red Wings to a much-needed 5-4 win.
Henderson and Ullman were unstoppable together, combining for five goals and four assists while accounting for 13 of Detroit’s 49 shots on Ed Giacomin. Remarkably, legends Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio were held off the scoresheet entirely.
Despite the loss, the Rangers saw strong production from their own stars. The trio of Geoffrion, Marshall, and Phil Goyette, all former Montreal Canadiens, combined for eight points in a game that showcased offensive firepower on both sides.
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