J.C. Tremblay’s Historic 4-Assist Period vs. Detroit in 1962

On December 29, 1962, Montreal Canadiens defenseman J.C. Tremblay carved out a slice of NHL history with a second-period performance that stood unmatched for more than six decades. In a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at the Montreal Forum, Tremblay notched four assists, all in the middle frame alone.

That burst of playmaking was part of a dominant showing that helped the Canadiens take a 4-0 lead into the final frame. Bill Hicke and Bernie Geoffrion each scored twice in that middle period, with Tremblay assisting on all four goals. Geoffrion completed his hat trick early in the third.

Detroit’s legendary goaltender Terry Sawchuk faced a barrage of 51 shots, while JacquesPlante had a far quieter night at the other end, stopping 25 of 26. The Red Wings’ lone goal came from AlexDelvecchio at 9:08 of the third period.

Tremblay’s four-assist outburst set the NHL record for most assists in a single period by a defenseman, a mark that stood until Kris Letang tallied five in the second period of a 2023 game between the Penguins and Islanders.

Though others would later match Tremblay’s four in a period, names like BobbyOrr, Phil Housley, Rob Blake, and Scott Stevens, none would surpass it until Letang's historic night.

Tremblay’s offensive contributions only grew from there. He recorded back-to-back seasons with 50+ assists in 1970-71 (52) and 1971-72 (51), and led the WHA with 75 assists as a member of the Quebec Nordiques in 1972-73.

About J.C. Tremblay

J.C. Tremblay played 794 regular season and 108 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1959-60 and 1971-72, all with the Montreal Canadiens. Over that time, he helped the Habs to five Stanley Cup championships.

Between 1972-73 and 1978-79, the full duration of the World Hockey Association, Tremblay played 454 regular season asnd 34 playoff games in the WHA, all with the Quebec Nordiques. He helped the team to an Avco World Trophy championship in 1976-77.

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J.C. Tremblay Hockey Trivia

1. Which Canadiens defenseman recorded four assists in one period in 1962?

B) J.C. Tremblay A) Doug Harvey C) Serge Savard D) Larry Robinson

2. Who broke Tremblay’s record with five assists in one period?

A) Bobby Orr B) Phil Housley C) Kris Letang D) Rob Blake

3. True or False: Tremblay’s four-assist period happened in the first period.

False True

4. Who scored a hat trick in that same game for Montreal?

C) Bernie Geoffrion A) Henri Richard B) Jean Beliveau D) Dick Duff

5. True or False: Jacques Plante faced more shots than Terry Sawchuk in the game.

False True

Marcel Dionne Becomes First King to Score 50 Goals in a Season

Marcel Dionne was already on fire heading into the final stretch of the 1976-77 NHL season. Just days earlier, he delivered a two-goal, three-point performance in a 7-5 win over the Colorado Rockies, his 47th and 48th goals of the year.

Dionne Reaches 50 Against The North Stars

Then came April 2, 1977, a historic night for the Los Angeles Kings and a career-defining moment for Dionne. Hosting the Minnesota North Stars in their final home game of the season, Dionne etched his name into franchise history.

He netted the only two goals of the second period, his 49th and 50th of the season, just 1:57 apart. With that, Dionne became the first player in Kings history to reach the coveted 50-goal mark, a milestone not seen in the team’s first ten years of existence. But he wasn’t finished.

Dionne completed the hat trick with his 51st goal at 5:38 of the third period and also recorded assists on first-period tallies by Glenn Goldup and Vic Venasky, finishing the night with five points and eight shots on goal. Pete LoPresti allowed goals 49 and 50, while Gary Smith gave up Dionne’s third in relief during the third period.

Setting The Mark At 53

In the final game of the season in Denver, Dionne added two more goals, numbers 52 and 53 against the Colorado Rockies. While Dionne closed his season with a bang, it was Butch Goring who led the finale with a hat trick and an assist.

Dionne’s 53-goal campaign stood as a Kings franchise record until he broke it himself with 59 goals in the 1978-79 season. That record was later surpassed by Bernie Nicholls, who scored 70 goals in the 1988-89 season, helped in part by the legendary Wayne Gretzky.

About Marcel Dionne

Marcel Dionne could score goals. He finished his NHL career with 731, placing him sixth all-time, ten behind Brett Hull and 24 ahead of Phil Esposito. From his first season with the Detroit Red Wings in 1971-72 until his last full season with the New York Rangers in 1987-88, Marcel scored no less than 24 goals in a single campaign. He reached the 50 goal plateau six times.

Between 1971-72 and 1988-89, Dionne played 1,348 regular season and 49 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers. The second overall pick behind Guy Lafleur at the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft won the Art Ross Trophy in 1979-80. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.