When Phil Myre and Dan Bouchard Faced Off As Rivals For The First Time

In the early years of the Atlanta Flames, Phil Myre and Dan Bouchard shared goaltending duties and helped build the foundation for the franchise starting in the 1972-73 NHL season. The tandem was split up when, on December 12, 1977, Myre, along with Curt Bennett and Barrie Gibbs, was traded to the St. Louis Blues for Yves Bélanger, Bob MacMillan, and Dick Redmond.

Just over two weeks later, fate brought the two former teammates face-to-face. On December 29, 1977, the Blues visited the Omni in Atlanta for the first meeting between the two teams since the deal. Both Myre and Bouchard got the start, but the night quickly took a twist. After Claude Larose scored to give St. Louis a 3-2 lead early in the second period, Bouchard was pulled and replaced by Yves Bélanger, who had been part of the same trade.

From that point on, it became a showdown between the two goalies traded for each other. Bouchard had allowed three goals on twelve shots, while Bélanger stood tall in relief, stopping 16 of 17 shots. Myre, facing 34 shots from his old teammates, allowed five goals as Atlanta emerged with a 5-4 victory. Curt Bennett added two assists against his former club, while Bob MacMillan picked up one point for his new team.

When the two teams met again on March 15, 1978, this time in St. Louis, the goaltending story flipped. Bélanger, once again in net for Atlanta, was brilliant with 35 saves and even an assist on Bob MacMillan’s opening goal in a 6-2 Flames win. Myre struggled in the opposite crease, allowing six goals on 27 shots.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Phil Myre & Dan Bouchard

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

1. In what season did Phil Myre and Dan Bouchard first share goaltending duties for the Atlanta Flames?

1971-72
1972-73
1973-74
1974-75

2. Phil Myre and Dan Bouchard helped the Flames record their first-ever playoff appearance in which NHL season?

1973-74
1974-75
1975-76
1976-77

3. Which goaltender recorded more wins for the Atlanta Flames overall before the team relocated to Calgary?

Phil Myre
Dan Bouchard
They finished tied
Yves Bélanger

4. What was notable about the goaltending rotation between Myre and Bouchard during their time in Atlanta?

They alternated starts almost evenly for several seasons
Bouchard was the starter and Myre only played occasionally
Myre played only home games, Bouchard only road games
They never actually played in the same season

5. Before joining the Flames, which organization originally drafted Dan Bouchard?

Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
Chicago Black Hawks
New York Rangers

Bill Clement Leads Atlanta Flames Past Rangers on New Year’s Eve 1976

On December 31, 1976, the Atlanta Flames rang in the New Year in style at Madison Square Garden with a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers.

The night belonged to Bill Clement, who had a hand in three of the four Flames goals. After a scoreless first period, the Rangers opened the scoring early in the second when Wayne Dillon beat Phil Myre just 59 seconds in. But Clement responded midway through the frame, scoring a shorthanded goal while Bobby Simpson was in the penalty box.

The Rangers regained the lead early in the third on a Mike McEwen marker, but the Flames stormed back with three unanswered goals. Bobby Simpson, Tom Lysiak, and Ken Houston all found the back of the net, with Clement assisting on the Simpson and Houston tallies. Tim Ecclestone added three assists of his own to match Clement’s three-point performance.

The Flames fired 45 shots on Gilles Gratton, with Guy Chouinard leading the way with eight and Lysiak adding seven. On the Rangers’ side, Phil Esposito had a frustrating night with seven shots, no points, and a -2 rating. In the final seconds, tempers flared as Esposito and Pat Quinn nearly tangled, resulting in roughing penalties.

About Bill Clement

Bill Clement played 719 regular season and 50 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1971-72 and 1981-82 with the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Atlanta Flames and Calgary Flames. He was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Flyers.

Clement was a second round pick by the Flyers at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft after three years of junior with the Ottawa 67's. Despite being a defensive forward, Bill stands as eighth overall in total points with the Atlanta Flames.

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

NHL Hockey Trivia: Bill Clement

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

1. Bill Clement was originally drafted by which NHL team?

Philadelphia Flyers
Atlanta Flames
Washington Capitals
New York Rangers

2. Clement won two Stanley Cups early in his career. In which seasons did he capture them with the Flyers?

1972 & 1973
1973 & 1974
1974 & 1975
1975 & 1976

3. Bill Clement was part of a major trade that sent him from the Flyers to the Washington Capitals in 1975. Which future Hall of Famer went the other way?

Bernie Parent
Mel Bridgman
Bill Barber
Bill Clement was traded for the draft pick that became Mel Bridgman

4. Clement enjoyed his most productive offensive seasons with which team?

Philadelphia Flyers
Washington Capitals
Atlanta Flames
Colorado Rockies

5. After retiring from the NHL, Clement became well known as:

An NHL coach
A broadcaster and analyst
An NHL referee
A players’ agent