Frank Mahovlich’s legendary scoring touch reached a milestone on March 21, 1973, when he notched his 500th NHL goal at the Montreal Forum. The Canadiens hosted the Vancouver Canucks that night, and “The Big M” made sure it was memorable.
Mahovlich peppered Vancouver goalie Dunc Wilson with six shots, and one finally found the back of the net at 1:27 of the third period. That goal, assisted by Henri Richard and Guy Lapointe, stood as the game winner in a 3-2 Montreal victory.
Wilson faced a barrage of 41 shots, while Ken Dryden turned away 23 of 25 for Montreal. The goal came during a five-game hot streak for Mahovlich, who racked up 11 points over that span. He finished the 1972-73 season with 93 points, just shy of his career-best 96 the year before.
Over his NHL career, Mahovlich tallied 533 regular season goals, ranking 36th all-time and making him one of just 48 players to surpass the 500-goal mark. He added 51 playoff goals in 137 games and later scored 89 more in the WHA with the Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls.
From 1956-57 to 1973-74, Frank played 1,181 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, and Montreal Canadiens. The 1957-58 Calder Trophy winner captured six Stanley Cups, four with Toronto and two with Montreal, before earning induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.
