Before the 1956-57 NHL season, minor penalties were served in full, two full minutes in the box, regardless of whether a goal was scored. That all changed thanks to a remarkable night at the Montreal Forum, courtesy of Jean Béliveau.
On November 5, 1955, the Boston Bruins were up 2-0 on first-period goals by Leo Boivin and Doug Mohns. But the tide quickly turned.
With Cal Gardner in the box for charging (penalty assessed with just 10 seconds left in the first), and Hal Laycoe penalized for hooking just 17 seconds into the second period, the Canadiens had a 5-on-3 advantage to start the frame.
Jean Béliveau, already one of the league’s top stars, wasted no time. He scored at 0:42, again at 1:08, and completed the power play hat trick at 1:26, just 44 seconds apart, all on legendary goalie Terry Sawchuk. Bert Olmstead assisted on all three, with Doug Harvey picking up two helpers and Maurice “Rocket” Richard assisting on the middle marker.
Béliveau added a fourth goal in the third period, again with Olmstead helping out, alongside BernieGeoffrion. The Canadiens skated away with a 4-2 win, and Béliveau had all four goals.
That explosive performance helped fuel a monster season for “Le Gros Bill.” After scoring just three times in his first 12 games, he ended up with 47 goals, winning both the Art Ross Trophy (scoring title) and the Hart Trophy (MVP), while leading the Habs to a Stanley Cup championship.
More importantly, his rare three-goal feat on a single minor penalty power play sparked a rethink of the NHL’s rulebook. Starting in 1956-57, players serving minor penalties would exit the box after the opposing team scored, a rule that remains in effect to this day.
Ironically, despite having nine power plays in that game, the Bruins only capitalized once.
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Trivia Question: Who was the first ever recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy?
