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.

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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

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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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NHL 3 Star Time Warp: February 8, 1975

From our "NHL 3 Star Time Warp" series on our Facebook Page: A look back at the 3 stars from NHL games played on February 8, 1975.

Third Star: Garry Unger of the St. Louis Blues

Facing his former club at Maple Leaf Gardens, Garry Unger played a major role in helping the St. Louis Blues earn a 3-3 draw against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unger opened the scoring with the lone goal of the first period, beating Toronto goaltender Doug Favell on an unassisted effort.

The veteran center struck again early in the third period, giving St. Louis a 3-1 advantage with his second goal of the night and 25th of the 1974-75 season. However, the Maple Leafs refused to go away quietly, rallying behind goals from Inge Hammarstrom and Darryl Sittler to salvage the tie.

Unger was a constant threat throughout the evening, leading all players with seven shots on goal.

Second Star: Pete LoPresti of the Minnesota North Stars

The Minnesota North Stars pulled off one of the more surprising results of the season, blanking the powerful Philadelphia Flyers 5-0 on home ice. Minnesota entered the contest with just 13 victories through its first 52 games, while the Flyers had been one of the NHL's dominant clubs, suffering only 12 losses over the same span.

Goaltender Pete LoPresti was outstanding, stopping all 26 Philadelphia shots to record the first shutout of his NHL career. His teammates provided plenty of support early, exploding for four goals in just over five minutes before the first period had even reached its halfway point.

Once the game got out of hand, it took on the rough-and-tumble character that had become synonymous with the Broad Street Bullies. Dave Schultz led the penalty parade, piling up 31 penalty minutes in a physical and emotional contest.

First Star: Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins

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The candid and electrifying memoir of Phil Esposito — one of hockey’s most dynamic scorers and personalities.

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Although the hometown fans at Detroit Olympia watched their Red Wings fall 8-5 to the Boston Bruins, they were treated to a spectacular offensive performance from Phil Esposito. The Bruins superstar erupted for five points, scoring four goals and adding an assist on a goal by Ken Hodge.

Esposito's second goal of the night was particularly significant, as it marked his 50th goal of the season. The milestone represented the fifth and final consecutive season in which he reached the 50-goal mark, further cementing his place among the league's elite scorers.

His third goal of the game proved to be the winner, giving Boston a 6-2 lead and standing up as the decisive tally. The goal was even more impressive because it came while shorthanded, with Don Marcotte earning the assist. By night's end, Esposito had delivered one of the finest individual performances of the season.

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Bruce Boudreau’s Lone NHL Hat Trick Comes Against the Minnesota North Stars

When most hockey fans think of Bruce Boudreau, it’s for his work behind the bench rather than on the ice. But on December 16, 1977, “Gabby” had the best game of his NHL playing career with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Boudreau had proven his scoring touch in junior with the Toronto Marlboros (68 goals) and in the AHL with the St. Catharines Saints (50 goals). In the NHL, his best season came in 1977-78 when he tallied 11. Three of those came on one memorable night in Minnesota.

The Leafs were flying high early that season while the North Stars were struggling badly. Toronto rolled to an 8-5 win, and Boudreau was the star.

• His first goal came at 12:00 of the second period, assisted by Börje Salming and Tiger Williams, putting Toronto ahead 3-1.

• Just minutes later, Ron Ellis and Salming set up his second to make it 4-2.

• Early in the third, with Minnesota’s Tom Younghans in the box for hooking, Boudreau buried his hat trick goal on the power play for what proved to be the game-winner.

Salming finished with five assists, three of them on Boudreau’s goals, while Toronto peppered Pete LoPresti with 37 shots.

Boudreau would go on to play 141 regular season and nine playoff games in the NHL with Toronto and Chicago. His legacy, however, would be built as a coach, where he won championships in the ECHL and AHL and became one of the most colorful personalities behind an NHL bench, even if a Stanley Cup title still eludes him.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Bruce Boudreau

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

1. In which season did Bruce Boudreau score his only NHL hat trick?
   1976-77
   1977-78
   1978-79
   1979-80
   
2. Which Hall of Fame defenseman assisted on all three of Boudreau’s goals in that hat trick game?
   Börje Salming
   Brad Park
   Denis Potvin
   Larry Robinson
   
3. How many regular season NHL games did Bruce Boudreau play in his career?
   99
   141
   184
   201
   
4. As an NHL head coach, which team gave Bruce Boudreau his first coaching job?
   Anaheim Ducks
   Minnesota Wild
   Washington Capitals
   Vancouver Canucks
   
5. Which nickname has followed Bruce Boudreau throughout his career?
   Gabby
   Boom Boom
   Chopper
   Moose