Who Scored 50 First? The Penguins’ Historic 1975-76 Season

In the 1975-76 NHL season, the Pittsburgh Penguins achieved a franchise first. Not one, but two players reached 50 goals. Pierre Larouche and Jean Pronovost both cracked the milestone, with Larouche finishing at 53 goals and Pronovost close behind at 52. But who hit 50 first?

March 24, 1976: Pronovost Makes Penguins History

On a Wednesday night at the Civic Arena (a.k.a. The Igloo), the Penguins faced off against the powerhouse Boston Bruins. With the game tied in the third period, Jean Pronovost scored his 50th goal of the season at the 11:01 mark. The goal came on Gilles Gilbert, assisted by Lowell MacDonald and Syl Apps.

That moment made Pronovost the first Pittsburgh Penguin ever to reach 50 goals in a single season. Larouche also scored in the game, his 45^th, The match ended in a 5-5 tie.

April 3, 1976: Larouche Follows In A Flash

Just over a week later, Pierre Larouche entered a game against the Washington Capitals with 49 goals. He scored number 50 at 11:16 of the second period, assisted by Ron Stackhouse and Rick Kehoe. With eight seconds left in the same period, he added another, goal number 51.

Despite Larouche’s heroics, the Penguins lost 5-4. It was just the Capitals' 11th win of the year.

A Quick Playoff Exit

Although Larouche and Pronovost combined for 105 goals, the Penguins were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, losing a best-of-three series to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Neither player scored during the series.

Today’s Franchise Benchmark: Lemieux’s 85

While Pronovost was the first to reach 50, and Larouche edged him in total, Mario Lemieux now holds the single-season franchise record with a jaw-dropping 85 goals in 1988-89.

1970's 50 Goal Scorers Quiz

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our Hockey Trivia website!

1. Who was the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a season during the 1970s?
Phil Esposito (1971)
Phil Esposito (1970)
Bobby Hull (1970)
Guy Lafleur (1971)

2. In the 1970s, which NHL player had the most 50-goal seasons?
Marcel Dionne
Mike Bossy
Guy Lafleur
Rick Martin

3. Which of these players did NOT score 50 goals in a season during the 1970s?
Pierre Larouche
Jean Pronovost
Dave Keon
Ken Hodge

4. Which team had two players reach 50 goals in the same 1975-76 season?
Pittsburgh Penguins
Montreal Canadiens
New York Islanders
Buffalo Sabres

5. Who scored 52 goals in the 1974-75 season for the Buffalo Sabres?
Danny Gare
Gilbert Perreault
Rene Robert
Rick Martin

Dino Ciccarelli Becomes First 50-Goal Scorer in North Stars History

On March 8, 1982, Dino Ciccarelli etched his name into Minnesota North Stars history by becoming the franchise’s first-ever 50-goal scorer. It was the 68th game of the 1981-82 NHL season, and the North Stars were hosting the St. Louis Blues at the Met Center. The crowd was treated to a historic offensive performance as Ciccarelli netted both his 49th and 50th goals of the year, powering Minnesota to an 8-1 victory.

Goal number 49 came just 8:18 into the opening period, with Craig Hartsburg and Neal Broten collecting assists. That goal made it 3-0 early, setting the tone for the night. At 12:04 of the second period, Ciccarelli struck again, this time off a setup from Tom McCarthy and Broten, clinching the milestone 50th goal that had eluded North Stars players since the team’s inception in 1967.

To top it off, Ciccarelli added an assist on Hartsburg’s third-period goal, capping a three-point night and a blowout win. St. Louis goaltender Mike Liut allowed both of Dino’s goals before being relieved by Rick Heinz for the final frame.

Ciccarelli finished the 1981-82 season with 55 goals, a total that still stands as a Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise record, tied only by Brian Bellows in 1989-90. Ciccarelli reached the 50-goal mark twice with Minnesota, while Bellows and Mike Modano remain the only other players in team history to do so.

About Dino Ciccarelli  

Dino Ciccarelli played  1,232 regular season and 141 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1980-81 and 1998-99 with the Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. Over that time, he scored 608 goals, placing him 20th all-time just two behind Bobby Hull.

Undrafted to the NHL, Ciccarelli came to the North Stars after a stellar junior career with the London Knights that was marred by broken leg. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.

1979-80 NHL Goal Scoring Log Jam

Who led the NHL in goals in 1979-80? Charlie Simmer of the Los Angeles Kings, Danny Gare of the Buffalo Sabres and Blaine Stoughton of the Hartford Whalers tied for the league lead with 56 goals each.

It remains a remarkable piece of NHL history. Three players finished a season tied for the goal-scoring lead, with Simmer reaching 56 goals despite playing just 64 games.

The 1979-80 season was also the NHL's first following the collapse of the World Hockey Association. Four former WHA franchises: the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques, joined the NHL for the season.

1979-80 NHL Goal Scoring Leaders

Player	Team	Goals	Games
Charlie Simmer	Los Angeles Kings	56	64
Danny Gare	Buffalo Sabres	56	76
Blaine Stoughton	Hartford Whalers	56	80

Charlie Simmer – Los Angeles Kings

If today's Rocket Richard Trophy rules were applied to the 1979-80 season, Charlie Simmer would have shared the award with Gare and Stoughton. The trophy did not yet exist; it was first awarded following the 1998-99 NHL season.

What makes Simmer's performance particularly impressive is that he scored his 56 goals in only 64 games. That works out to 0.875 goals per game.

Simmer played on the famous Triple Crown Line with Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor. He scored another 56 goals the following season, giving him consecutive 50-goal campaigns.

Those were the only two 50-goal seasons of Simmer's injury-plagued NHL career. Originally drafted by the California Golden Seals, Simmer played for the Seals, Cleveland Barons, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. He finished his NHL career with 342 goals in 712 regular-season games.

Danny Gare – Buffalo Sabres

Danny Gare scored his 56 goals in 76 games for the Buffalo Sabres. It was the second 50-goal season of his NHL career after he scored exactly 50 for Buffalo in 1975-76.

A second-round pick of the Sabres in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft, Gare developed into one of Buffalo's most dangerous goal scorers. He spent the majority of his career with the Sabres before also playing for the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers.

Gare finished his 13-year NHL career with 354 goals in 827 regular-season games.

Blaine Stoughton – Hartford Whalers

Blaine Stoughton completed the full 80-game schedule for the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80 and scored 56 goals. It was Hartford's first season in the NHL after the franchise moved over from the WHA.

The season marked Stoughton's first NHL 50-goal campaign. He reached the milestone again in 1981-82 when he scored 52 goals for the Whalers.

Originally selected seventh overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, Stoughton played in both the NHL and WHA during his professional career.

His NHL teams included the Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Hartford Whalers and New York Rangers. In the WHA, Stoughton played for the Cincinnati Stingers, Indianapolis Racers and New England Whalers. He also scored 52 goals for Cincinnati in 1976-77.

Why Was the 1979-80 Goal-Scoring Race Unusual?

The three-way tie between Simmer, Gare and Stoughton makes the 1979-80 scoring race one of the more unusual in NHL history. All three finished with exactly 56 goals despite playing significantly different numbers of games.

Simmer needed just 64 games to reach 56. Gare played 76 games, while Stoughton appeared in all 80. Simmer therefore had easily the highest goals-per-game rate of the three.

The season also came during an important transition in professional hockey. Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebec and Hartford had entered the NHL following the end of the WHA, increasing the league to 21 teams.

1979-80 NHL Goal Scoring FAQ

Who scored the most goals in the NHL in 1979-80?

Charlie Simmer, Danny Gare and Blaine Stoughton tied for the NHL lead with 56 goals each.

How many games did Charlie Simmer play in 1979-80?

Simmer played 64 regular-season games for the Los Angeles Kings and scored 56 goals.

Who scored 56 goals for the Buffalo Sabres in 1979-80?

Danny Gare scored 56 goals in 76 games for Buffalo.

How many goals did Blaine Stoughton score for Hartford in 1979-80?

Stoughton scored 56 goals while playing all 80 games for the Hartford Whalers.

Did the Rocket Richard Trophy exist in 1979-80?

No. The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy was introduced for the 1998-99 NHL season. It is awarded annually to the NHL's leading regular-season goal scorer.