Barry Gibbs Records Five of His Career-Best 40 Points in One Game

The 1974-75 NHL season was a career year offensively for Barry Gibbs. The veteran defenseman finished with 40 points split between the Minnesota North Stars and Atlanta Flames, the highest single-season total of his NHL career. Remarkably, five of those 40 points came in one wild night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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Highlights

• December 21, 1974

• Minnesota North Stars 8, Pittsburgh Penguins 7

• Gibbs: 1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points

• Minnesota trailed 4-1 in the first period

• Gibbs helped the North Stars tie it 4-4 before the first intermission

• Assisted on Blake Dunlop's eventual game-winner

• Five points represented 12.5% of Gibbs' 40-point season

• Traded to Atlanta just two weeks later

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On December 21, 1974, the North Stars hosted Pittsburgh and eventually escaped with an 8-7 victory. Early on, however, things looked bleak for Minnesota. The Penguins jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead on first-period goals from Bob Kelly, Rick Kehoe, Ron Schock and Syl Apps.

Gibbs helped lead the North Stars back. At 10:40 of the opening period, he scored his fourth goal of the season to cut into Pittsburgh's lead. Before the period was over, Minnesota had erased the deficit and tied the game at 4-4. Gibbs was involved throughout the comeback, adding three assists on two goals by Murray Oliver and another by Bill Goldsworthy.

His night wasn't finished. Gibbs picked up his fourth assist and fifth point on Blake Dunlop's goal at 17:59 of the third period. Fred Stanfield also assisted on the goal, which gave Minnesota an 8-7 lead and ultimately stood as the game-winner. Gibbs finished the night with a goal and four assists in one of the biggest offensive performances of his NHL career.

The game was Gibbs' 33rd of the season with Minnesota, but his time with the North Stars was nearing an end. After four more appearances, he was traded to the Atlanta Flames on January 4, 1975 in exchange for Dwight Bialowas and Dean Talafous. Gibbs finished the season with 40 points overall, although his production slowed considerably after the move to Atlanta.

Gibbs went on to play 796 regular-season and 36 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1967-68 and 1979-80. His NHL career included stops with the Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, Atlanta Flames, St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings. While never known primarily for his offense, his five-point performance on December 21, 1974 remains an impressive snapshot from his career-best offensive season.

Mirage of Destiny: The Story of the 1990-91 Minnesota North Stars

A deep dive into the remarkable season of the Minnesota North Stars — their playoff run, key moments, and legacy.

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3 First Overall Picks In Boston Bruins History

In the half century that the NHL Amateur Draft (NHL Entry Draft) has existed, the Boston Bruins have selected the first overall pick on just three occasions. The first played just 24 games with the Bruins. The second was meant to be a star defenseman but injuries got the best of him. The third is still starring in the National Hockey League but not with the Bruins.

Barry Gibbs - 1966

Barry Gibbs was the first overall pick at the 1966 NHL Amateur Draft. Gibbs was drafted from the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in the days before the WHL covered all of Western Canada. Gibbs played 24 games with Boston over two seasons, 1967-68 and 1968-69. The following year, he was traded away from the Bruins and became a regular in the NHL with a string of mediocre teams.

Gibbs played an impressive total of 796 games in the National Hockey League from 1967-68 to 1979-80. Along with the Bruins, Barry played with a lacklustre group of NHL teams that included the Minnesota North Stars, Atlanta Flames, St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings.

His only personal accolade in pro hockey came in 1968-69 when he was awarded as the CHL’s Most Valuable Defenseman with the Oklahoma City Blazers. That Blazers team finished first overall in the nine team league. In the playoffs, Oklahoma City reached the finals but fell in five to the Bobby Kromm coached Dallas Black Hawks.

Gord Kluzak - 1982

In 1982, once again Western Canada was the source of Boston’s first overall pick. Gord Kluzak played junior hockey with the Billings Bighorns of the WHL. The Bighorns franchise became the current Tri-City Americans. In his final year with Billings, 1981-82, Kluzak helped Team Canada to a Gold Medal at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.

Kluzak caught on as a regular with Boston right from the start and played two full seasons before having to miss the entire 1984-85 season due to a knee injury. He never fully recovered and after eleven knee operations, Gord called it a career after playing just 299 games in the National Hockey League, all with the Bruins.

Joe Thornton - 1997

The Bruins took Joe Thornton first overall at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft after playing just two years of junior hockey with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. In his first year in the OHL, Thornton was honoured with the Emms Family Award. In his second, he totaled 122 points in just 59 games. Like Gord Kluzak before him, Thornton helped Team Canada to Gold at the 1997 IIHF World Juniors.

Joe played with the Bruins from 1997-98 until a trade sent him to the San Jose Sharks during the 2005-06 season. In his time with Boston, Thornton was team captain for several seasons and exceeded the 100 point plateau in 2002-03 with 101.

In a year mixed between the Bruins and Sharks in 2005-06, Joe won the Art Ross Trophy with a combined 125 points. Thornton finished just two points ahead of Jaromir Jagr of the New York Rangers. He was also the recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player. The following year, Thornton topped 100 points with 114 in his first full season with San Jose. In 2006-07, Joe placed second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy, six points behind Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. As of the end of 2013-14, Thornton remains with the San Jose Sharks.