Norm Ullman And Jean Beliveau Traded Hat Tricks In A 14-Goal 1967 Original 6 Shootout

The 1967-68 NHL season featured its share of high-scoring games, but most of them came against the league’s brand new expansion clubs. On December 17, 1967, however, two Original Six rivals combined for 14 goals in a wild showdown at Detroit Olympia. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Montreal Canadiens 8-6 in a game highlighted by hat tricks from both Norm Ullman and Jean Beliveau.

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Highlights:

• Norm Ullman recorded a hat trick for Detroit

• Jean Beliveau answered with a hat trick of his own

• The Red Wings defeated the Canadiens 8-6 at Detroit Olympia

• Gordie Howe scored just 34 seconds after Montreal opened the scoring

• Henri Richard scored twice for Montreal in the high-scoring affair

• Montreal scored two goals eight seconds apart in the second period

• Gary Marsh scored the game-winning goal, the only NHL goal of his career

• The game featured 14 total goals between two Original Six rivals

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Montreal opened the scoring on a power play at 6:10 of the first period when Henri Richard converted a setup from Beliveau and Dick Duff. Detroit answered almost immediately, with Gordie Howe tying the game just 34 seconds later. Late in the opening period, Ullman scored his first of the night to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead heading into intermission.

Beliveau struck only 52 seconds into the second period to even the score again, but Ullman took over from there. The Detroit center scored twice more in the middle frame to complete his hat trick and put the Wings ahead 4-2. Montreal refused to go away, though, as Beliveau and Henri Richard scored eight seconds apart before the period ended to tie the game once more.

The offensive fireworks continued in the third. Gary Jarrett scored early for Detroit, prompting Montreal to pull veteran goalie Gump Worsley in favor of Rogie Vachon. The move did little to slow the Red Wings attack, as Detroit added three more goals in the period. Beliveau completed his own hat trick at 8:18 of the third, but the Canadiens could not keep pace in the 8-6 defeat.

The most unlikely hero of the night ended up being Gary Marsh. The little-known Red Wings forward scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, the only NHL goal of his career. Marsh appeared in just six games for Detroit that season and one more for the Toronto Maple Leafs the following year, finishing with a seven-game NHL career and a permanent place in one of hockey’s wildest Original Six games.

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

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Paul Henderson Explodes for 5 Points in Red Wings Comeback Win

On October 27, 1966, the Detroit Red Wings hosted the New York Rangers at Detroit Olympia, still searching for their first win of the young 1966-67 season. After dropping their first four games, frustration was building, until Paul Henderson delivered a performance for the ages.

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Game Highlights

• Paul Henderson records 4 goals and 5 points

• First of four career NHL hat tricks for Henderson

• Red Wings earn first win after 0-4 start

• Detroit rallies from 2-0 deficit

• Henderson scores natural hat trick in second period

• Henderson & Norm Ullman combine for 9 points

• Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio held pointless

• High-scoring battle ends in 5-4 Detroit victory

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The game didn’t start in Detroit’s favour. The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Bernie Geoffrion and Don Marshall, putting the Red Wings on the brink of a fifth straight loss. But momentum began to shift midway through the second period when Norm Ullman got Detroit on the board, finishing a play set up by Henderson.

Just 31 seconds later, Henderson struck for his first goal of the night, assisted by Ullman and Gary Bergman, igniting the home crowd and completely flipping the script. From there, Henderson took over.

He completed a natural hat trick with more than five minutes remaining in the second period, turning a 2-0 deficit into a Red Wings lead in stunning fashion. Although Marshall added another for New York just before the period ended to keep things tight, Henderson wasn’t finished.

At 12:55 of the third period, Henderson scored his fourth goal of the game, his fifth point overall, to seal the victory for Detroit. It was a dominant individual effort that powered the Red Wings to a much-needed 5-4 win.

Henderson and Ullman were unstoppable together, combining for five goals and four assists while accounting for 13 of Detroit’s 49 shots on Ed Giacomin. Remarkably, legends Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio were held off the scoresheet entirely.

Despite the loss, the Rangers saw strong production from their own stars. The trio of Geoffrion, Marshall, and Phil Goyette, all former Montreal Canadiens, combined for eight points in a game that showcased offensive firepower on both sides.

1972: The Series That Changed Hockey Forever

A compelling look at the iconic 1972 Summit Series — how it reshaped international hockey and captivated fans around the world.

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The Roadrunner Runs Wild: Three Power Play Goals vs. Toronto

During the 1966-67 NHL season, Yvan Cournoyer established himself as the league’s most dangerous weapon on the power play. The speedy Montreal Canadiens winger scored 20 of his 25 goals with the man advantage and finished tied for the NHL lead with seven game-winning goals.

On December 21, 1966, at the historic Montreal Forum, Cournoyer delivered one of his finest performances against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored three power play goals, his 8th, 9th, and 10th of the season, in a 6-2 Montreal victory. His second tally, assisted by Dick Duff and Henri Richard, stood as the game winner.

The Canadiens received strong support throughout the lineup. Bobby Rousseau added three assists, while Ralph Backstrom contributed two goals of his own. Toronto goals came from Larry Jeffrey and Kent Douglas.

Cournoyer enjoyed tremendous regular season success against Toronto, scoring 11 goals in 14 games versus the Leafs that year. However, the storyline shifted in the 1967 Stanley Cup Finals, where Toronto limited him to two goals and two assists in six games on their way to capturing the Stanley Cup.

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Dave Keon’s Game 7 Hat Trick Sends Leafs Past Canadiens In 1964 Classic

When the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens collided in the 1964 Stanley Cup semifinal, it was more than just another chapter in hockey’s fiercest rivalry. Montreal had finished seven points ahead in the regular season standings and never trailed in the series heading into Game 7. The odds and momentum, seemed firmly on the Canadiens’ side. But, champions have a way of seizing their moment.

On April 9, 1964, inside the storied Montreal Forum, Dave Keon decided he wasn’t ready to let Toronto’s reign end. Just 8:22 into the first period, Keon struck for his first goal of the series, beating goaltender Charlie Hodge with assists from Don McKenney and Bob Baun.

Minutes later, with Andy Bathgate serving a hooking penalty, Keon struck again, this time shorthanded, finishing a setup from captain George Armstrong. The Leafs suddenly held a 2-0 lead, and the game-winning goal was already on the board.

Montreal pushed back in the third when Ralph Backstrom finally solved Toronto netminder Johnny Bower at 7:27. But that was as close as the Canadiens would get. With just eleven seconds remaining, Keon completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal, silencing the Forum crowd and sending the Leafs to the Final.

Lost slightly in the glow of Keon’s heroics was Bower’s brilliance. The veteran goaltender turned aside 38 of 39 shots in one of his finest postseason performances. Toronto would need every ounce of that resilience moving forward.

The Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings went the full seven games as well. Down three games to two, the Leafs survived Game 6 thanks to an overtime goal from Bob Baun. playing on a broken leg, before ultimately securing their third straight championship.

Keon and Me: My Search For The Lost Soul Of The Leafs

A heartfelt journey through the legacy of Dave Keon and the soul of the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise.

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Captain Comes Through With 3 Goals In 1959 Blackhawks Win Over Rangers

Before Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita became household names, Ed Litzenberger was the offensive engine of the Chicago Blackhawks.

From 1956-57 through 1958-59, Litzenberger recorded three straight 30-goal seasons (32, 32, and 33 goals), finishing among the NHL’s top four goal scorers in each campaign. When he replaced Gus Mortson as team captain at the start of the 1958-59 season, Litzenberger responded with the best year of his career.

One of the defining moments came on February 7, 1959, at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers.

Litzenberger recorded the second of his two career NHL hat tricks, adding an assist for a four-point night as Chicago earned a 6-3 victory. After setting up Tod Sloan for the game’s opening goal, the Blackhawks captain took over offensively.

He scored his 25th and 26th goals of the season during the second period, both assisted by Ted Lindsay. The second of those goals, scored at 9:53 of the period on Gump Worsley, stood up as the game-winning goal. Litzenberger completed the hat trick at 18:34 of the third, once again finishing a Lindsay setup.

Lindsay matched Litzenberger’s point total with four assists, while Glenn Hall stopped 23 of 26 shots to earn the win in goal.

The game also featured a memorable third-period melee that resulted in five players penalized, including three Blackhawks and two Rangers. The highlight of the scrum was a fight between two rising young players, Bobby Hull and Eddie Shack.

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NHL All-Stars: Bobby Rousseau’s Brilliant 1965-66 Season

Bobby Rousseau put together the best campaign of his NHL career in 1965-66, delivering a breakout year that helped power the Montreal Canadiens back to the top of the league. Rousseau scored 30 goals and added 48 assists for 78 points, edging out Jean Béliveau for the team scoring lead by a single point. His playmaking touch stood out across the league as well. He led the NHL in assists and finished tied with Stan Mikita for second place in the Art Ross Trophy race.

His strong performance carried straight into the postseason. Rousseau collected eight points in ten games, helping Montreal sweep the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round and defeat the Detroit Red Wings in six games to capture another Stanley Cup championship.

Despite Rousseau’s exceptional production, Gordie Howe earned First Team NHL All-Star honours at right wing. The two stars posted remarkably similar numbers that year, but Howe’s iconic stature and Hart Trophy voting (finishing third) gave him the edge. Rousseau still earned recognition, finishing as the runner-up for the Lady Byng Trophy behind Alex Delvecchio.

By the end of his career, Rousseau had put together an impressive resume:

• 942 regular season games

• 128 playoff games

• Four Stanley Cup championships with Montreal

• 1961-62 Calder Trophy winner

• NHL stops with the Canadiens, Minnesota North Stars, and New York Rangers

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Bobby Rousseau

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Bobby Rousseau won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in which season?

1960-61
1961-62
1962-63

2. Which team did Rousseau lead in scoring during his career-best 1965-66 season?

Montreal Canadiens
Minnesota North Stars
New York Rangers

3. How many Stanley Cup championships did Bobby Rousseau win?

Two
Four
Five

4. Rousseau finished runner-up for which major NHL award in 1965-66?

Lady Byng Trophy
Hart Trophy
Vezina Trophy

5. Across his NHL career, which team did Bobby Rousseau NOT play for?

New York Rangers
Minnesota North Stars
Chicago Blackhawks

Your Score:

Former Canadiens Power Rangers to 4-3 Win Over Montreal on December 24, 1966

It was a Christmas Eve clash that felt more like a ghost story for the Montreal Canadiens. On December 24, 1966, the New York Rangers came to the Montreal Forum and stunned the home crowd with a 4-3 victory, led almost entirely by former Habs.

Phil Goyette and Don Marshall had been traded from Montreal to New York before the 1963-64 season. Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion joined the Rangers for the 1966-67 campaign after coming out of retirement. All three had something to prove, and they made their point loud and clear.

Ralph Backstrom got Montreal off to a hot start, scoring just 1:37 into the first period. But it wasn’t long before Bob Nevin tied the game for the Rangers, assisted by Goyette and another ex-Hab, Reg Fleming. Backstrom struck again in the second to give the Canadiens a 2-1 edge. Then the ghosts of Montreal’s past came knocking.

Geoffrion scored twice in the span of six minutes, his first tied the game at 12:16, and his second came on the powerplay, giving the Rangers a 3-2 lead. Goyette and Nevin picked up the assists on both.

Bobby Rousseau, himself a future Ranger, tied it once more midway through the third period. But with just 33 seconds left in regulation, Donnie Marshall delivered the dagger, his 15th of the season, once again set up by Goyette and Nevin.

The trio of ex-Habs finished the night with a combined six points and 14 of New York’s 37 shots on Charlie Hodge. The Rangers may have been the visitors, but on this night, they owned the Forum. Also suiting up for New York that night? Two more former Canadiens: Bill Hicke and Al MacNeil.

The Next Game Didn't Go So Well

The two teams met again on New Year's Eve at the Montreal Forum. This time, the Rangers were blanked 3-0 with Charlie Hodge making 25 saves for the shutout. Marshall led the Rangers with five shots while Geoffrion and Goyette managed just one each. 

Scoring the game winner for the Habs at 14:29 of the first period was Yvan Cournoyer. The Roadrunner put one past Ed Giacomin on the powerplay with help from Dick Duff and J.C. Tremblay. Duff had spent a short time with the Rangers between his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. Over parts of the 1963-64 and 1964-65 seasons, he played 43 games for the Blue Shirts.