On December 17, 1977, Barry Beck recorded the only hat trick of his NHL career, and it came remarkably early in his rookie season. Playing just his 26th NHL game, the Colorado Rockies defenseman scored three goals and added an assist in a 5-1 victory over the Minnesota North Stars at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver.
Highlights
December 17, 1977 at McNichols Sports Arena
Colorado defeated Minnesota 5-1
Beck scored 3 goals and 1 assist
It was just his 26th NHL game
His first goal proved to be the game-winner
Beck led all players with 7 shots
Doug Favell stopped 34 of 35 shots
It remained the only hat trick of Beck's NHL career
The Rockies had selected Beck second overall at the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft, behind only Dale McCourt. He quickly established himself as one of the league's top rookies and would eventually finish second to New York Islanders star Mike Bossy in voting for the 1977-78 Calder Trophy. On this December night against Minnesota, Beck showed exactly why he was generating so much attention.
Colorado struck just 1:18 into the game when Beck assisted on a goal by Paul Gardner. At 11:26 of the opening period, Beck scored his 12th goal of the season, beating Minnesota goaltender Pete LoPresti. The goal, assisted by John Van Boxmeer and Chuck Arnason, would stand as the game-winner. Beck struck again at 14:37 of the second period, once more with Van Boxmeer and Arnason providing the assists, to give Colorado a commanding 4-0 lead.
Beck completed his hat trick at 3:11 of the third period, giving him four points on the night and extending the Rockies' lead to 5-0. He also led all skaters with seven shots on goal. Colorado goaltender Doug Favell nearly completed the evening with a shutout, stopping 34 of 35 shots. However, Brad Maxwell spoiled the bid with an unassisted goal with just seven seconds remaining.
LoPresti stopped 23 of 28 shots for Minnesota in the loss. The performance would remain unique throughout Beck's NHL career: despite eventually playing 615 regular-season games with the Colorado Rockies, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings, December 17, 1977 remained Barry Beck's only NHL hat trick.
Mucking in the Corners: Unearthing the 1970s' Quirkiest Hockey Tales
Dig into the wonderfully strange side of 1970s hockey with a collection of quirky stories, forgotten characters, unusual moments, and offbeat tales from one of the game’s most colorful decades.
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