Barry Beck's Only NHL Hat Trick Came in Just His 26th Game

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.

Buy on Amazon

The PDF versions of some of our hockey books are now available for free download: Take a look!

Paul Gagne Shines In Just His 3rd NHL Game With The Colorado Rockies

Paul Gagne arrived in the NHL with plenty of offensive promise. The Colorado Rockies selected the Windsor Spitfires standout 19th overall in the first round of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. In his second season with Windsor, Gagne scored 48 goals and finished with 101 points, tying for ninth in the league in goals. The Wayne Maxner-coached Spitfires also reached the league final before being swept by the Peterborough Petes.

---

Highlights

• Colorado selected Paul Gagne 19th overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.

• He scored 48 goals and 101 points in his final season with the Windsor Spitfires.

• Gagne jumped directly from junior hockey to the NHL.

• He scored his first NHL goal in his second career game.

• Gagne scored twice against Quebec in NHL game number three.

• His first goal against the Nordiques stood as the game winner.

• He finished his rookie season with 25 goals in just 61 games.

• Gagne played 390 NHL games but never appeared in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

---

Gagne made the jump directly from junior hockey to the Rockies for the 1980-81 season without spending any time in the minors. After being held off the scoresheet in his NHL debut, he scored his first career goal in game number two, helping Colorado to a road victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Gagne beat Eddie Mio for the Rockies' first goal of the game, with Lanny McDonald picking up the assist.

Things got even better in his third NHL game. On October 14, 1980, Colorado hosted the Quebec Nordiques at McNichols Sports Arena. Gagne scored at 10:43 of the opening period, beating Michel Plasse with assists going to Walt McKechnie and Rob Ramage. The goal gave the Rockies a 2-0 lead and would stand as the game winner in a 4-1 Colorado victory.

Gagne wasn't finished. He added his second goal of the night to account for Colorado's fourth and final goal, once again assisted by McKechnie and Ramage. Just three games into his NHL career, the 18-year-old rookie had already recorded his first goal, first multi-goal game and first game-winning goal.

Gagne went on to score an impressive 25 goals despite playing just 61 games during his rookie season. He would surpass the 20-goal mark once more, scoring 24 for the New Jersey Devils in 1984-85. From 1980-81 through 1989-90, Gagne appeared in 390 NHL regular season games with the Rockies, Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders, but never played in an NHL playoff game. He later spent much of the 1990s playing professionally in Germany and Switzerland.

Stories From The Epic History Of NHL Hockey (Volume IV)

Dive into unforgettable tales from NHL history — the biggest moments, legendary players, and classic rivalries.

Buy on Amazon

The PDF versions of some of our hockey books are now available for free download: Take a look!