Rick Middleton Shines with Four-Point Night in Fiery Win Over North Stars (Feb. 26, 1981)

Boston Garden was buzzing as the Bruins hosted the Minnesota North Stars, but no one made a bigger impact than Rick Middleton. In a 5-1 Bruins victory that was equal parts highlight reel and penalty box parade, Middleton delivered a vintage performance.

In the first period, Middleton helped open the scoring by assisting on a shorthanded goal by Mike O’Connell. Later in the frame, he teamed up with Ray Bourque to set up Jean Ratelle, who notched what would be the final goal of his illustrious NHL career, fittingly on the powerplay.

While chaos unfolded around him in a game that featured a staggering 404 penalty minutes, still one of the most penalized games in NHL history, Middleton managed to stay clear of the rough stuff until late in the second. At 17:13, he and former teammate Joe Zanussi dropped the gloves, each earning five-minute majors. Keith Crowder, however, led the penalty parade with 43 PIM, a mark that still ranks in the top 25 all-time for a single game.

Middleton wasn’t finished. In the third period, he returned to the scoresheet with style, netting two shorthanded goals just 62 seconds apart. One came unassisted, the other with help from Ratelle. Both came while Mike O’Connell was in the box, and both beat Minnesota goalie Gilles Meloche. Interestingly, both Meloche and Bruins netminder Rogie Vachon had earlier picked up minor penalties of their own during one of the game’s many melees.

By the end of the night, Middleton had posted two goals and two assists, all on special teams. He finished +3 and fired four of Boston’s 27 shots. It was a performance for the ages, not only for its offensive brilliance but for its poise amid the mayhem.

About Rick Middleton

Rick Middleton played 1,005 regular season and 114 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1974-75 and 1987-88 with the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. Originally, he was a first round pick by the Rangers at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft out of the Oshawa Generals.

In 1973-74, between his junior days and NHL career, Middleton was awarded the Dudley Red Garrett Award as the AHL's top rookie. Playing for the Providence Reds, Rick scored 36 and assisted on 48 for 84 points in 63 regular season games. In the post season, he added 15 points in 15 games with the Reds losing the Calder Cup final to the Hershey Bears.

Left out of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Middleton has been honoured by the Boston Bruins with jersey number 16 retired by the club in 2018. From the start of his NHL career with the Rangers in 1974-75, Rick scored 20 or more goals in eleven consecutive seasons. He had eight years with 30 or more goals and topped out with a career high 51 in 1981-82.

NHL Hockey Card Greats: Rick Middleton [Video]

Ray Bourque's Lone NHL Hat Trick Came in a Blowout Win Over the Nordiques

Ray Bourque’s legendary NHL career included 410 goals, five Norris Trophies, and over 1,600 regular season games. Yet, the Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman only recorded a single NHL hat trick, coming in dominant fashion.

On March 8, 1983, the Boston Bruins visited their rivals, the Quebec Nordiques, at Le Colisée. The Bruins overwhelmed Quebec goalie Dan Bouchard in an 11-5 rout. Bourque scored his 18th, 19th, and 20th goals of the 1982-83 season during a blistering ten-minute stretch in the second period. His second tally, Boston’s sixth of the night, stood as the game-winner. He also assisted on a first-period goal by Peter McNab, finishing the night with four points and seven shots on net.

Interestingly, Bourque would again make history against Quebec in 1991 by firing 19 shots in a single game, still the NHL record for most by one player. The blowout saw big contributions across the Bruins roster. McNab tallied five points (two goals, three assists), while Keith Crowder and Rick Middleton each had four-point performances. Bouchard played the full 60 minutes for the Nordiques, surrendering the 11 goals on 38 shots.

Bourque played from 1979-80 through 2000-01 with Boston and Colorado. After more than two decades of elite play, he finally won a Stanley Cup in his final NHL game with the Avalanche. In 2004, he was rightfully enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

About Ray Bourque

The eighth overall pick at the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, Ray Bourque played 1,612 regular season and 214 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1979-80 and 2000-01 with the Bruins and Avalanche. His regular season game total places him 13th all-time, three games behind Larry Murphy. 

Bourque won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 1979-80 then went on to win the Norris Trophy five times as the league's top defenseman. The longest serving team captain in the history of the Boston Bruins has his number 77 retired by both the Bruins and Avalanche. Ray was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.

Bobby Orr Dominates as Bruins Crush Capitals in First Ever Meeting At Boston Garden

On November 7, 1974, the Boston Bruins hosted the newly formed Washington Capitals at the legendary Boston Garden. The Bruins, hovering around the .500 mark early in the 1974-75 NHL season, found the perfect opportunity to gain momentum against the struggling expansion team.

The Capitals, sitting at a dismal 1-9-1, were no match for the Bruins and certainly not for Bobby Orr. The Hall of Fame defenseman wasted no time, opening the scoring just 3:51 into the first period. Orr then assisted on goals by Don Marcotte and Johnny Bucyk, wrapping up the period with three points.

Orr wasn’t done. He scored again just 55 seconds into the second period, then completed his hat trick later that frame. He capped off a six-point night with another assist on Phil Esposito’s 14th goal of the season.

The Bruins cruised to a 10-4 victory. Orr finished with three goals, three assists, eight shots, and an impressive +7 rating. Esposito added four points of his own with a goal and three helpers. The Capitals’ goaltending tandem had a rough night. Ron Low allowed six goals on 19 shots before being relieved by Michel Belhumeur, who gave up four more on 22 attempts.

Bobby Orr proved to be a nightmare for Washington all season long. In four games against the Capitals, he tallied 16 points. Boston dominated the season series, outscoring the Caps 41-10 over five games. However, the third meeting ended in a surprising 3-3 tie, a small but meaningful milestone for the NHL’s newest franchise.

Washington Capitals Inaugural Season

The Washington Capitals joined the NHL, along with the Kansas City Scouts, for the 1974-75 season. It did not go well. The eight wins the Capitals recorded remain as the least by any team in a single season with at least a 70 game schedule. The team finished with just 21 points over 80 games, 20 points behind their expansion cousins in Kansas City.

Placed in the Norris Division, the Caps were fifth out of the five teams, a massive 92 points behind the division leading Montreal Canadiens. Tommy Williams led the team with 22 goals and 58 points. Michel Belhumeur was the team's best goaltender with a 5.37 goals against average while Ron Low recorded a 5.45 GAA. John Adams played eight games between the pipes and had a 6.90 GAA and an 0-7 record.

Twice during that 1974-75 season, Washington lost games by the score of 12-1, once to the Boston Bruins and once to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the match with the Pens, Low faced 50 shots and Belhumeur took on 15 in relief for a total of 65. In seven games, that allowed 10 or more goals. The most they scored in a game was eight in an 8-4 win over Pittsburgh.

Ron Low did manage to record the franchise's first shutout, stopping all 32 shots in a 3-0 win over the Kansas City Scouts. It would get slightly better for the team in 1975-76, winning eleven games and totaling 32 points.

Don Marcotte Pulls Off Rare Feat: Scores Two Shorthanded Goals on the Same Penalty Kill

In a moment that’s etched in Boston Bruins history, Don Marcotte pulled off one of the rarest feats in NHL hockey: scoring two shorthanded goals during the same penalty kill. This incredible performance took place on opening night of the 1970-71 NHL season against the Detroit Red Wings at the historic Boston Garden. It was an unforgettable display of penalty-killing brilliance and offensive skill.

A Strong Start for the Bruins' 1970-71 Season

The Boston Bruins entered the third period with a 4-2 lead over the visiting Detroit Red Wings. Just over five minutes into the period, Bruins defenseman Bill Speer was sent to the penalty box for holding, his second penalty of the period. The Red Wings saw this as an opportunity to claw their way back into the game. However, Don Marcotte had other plans.

Don Marcotte's Shorthanded Masterclass

Just 25 seconds into the penalty, at 5:34 of the third period, Marcotte intercepted the puck and scored unassisted on Detroit goaltender Roy Edwards, giving the Bruins a commanding 5-2 lead.

But he wasn’t done.

Just over a minute later, still during the Speer minor, Marcotte found the net again, this time with assists from Ed Westfall and Rick Smith. That second short-handed goal, scored at 6:38, stretched Boston’s lead to 6-2 and effectively sealed the win.

Bruins Dominate in 7-3 Victory Over Red Wings

Although each team added a goal before the final horn, the Bruins' dominance was clear. The game ended with a 7-3 Boston win. Rick Smith and Ken Hodge both tallied three points, while Detroit’s PeteStemkowski notched a goal and an assist.

Despite facing 42 shots on goal, Detroit's goalie Roy Edwards could only stop 35, including just two from Marcotte, both of which found the back of the net.

Marcotte’s 1970-71 NHL Season: A Shorthanded Threat

Marcotte finished the 1970-71 season with 15 goals, seven of them shorthanded. This tied him for second-most shorthanded goals in the NHL that year, alongside teammate Ed Westfall and just one behind league leader DaveKeon.

Notably, Marcotte repeated his short-handed heroics later that season, scoring two more shorties in a December 25, 1970 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The first of those was the game-winning goal, adding another chapter to his incredible season.

Why Don Marcotte's Feat Still Matters

Scoring one shorthanded goal is tough. Scoring two during the same penalty kill is almost unheard of, even decades later. Marcotte’s performance on that October night remains a shining example of defensive discipline and offensive instinct and it's a big reason he's remembered as one of the Bruins' most dependable two-way forwards.

About Don Marcotte

Don Marcotte spent his entire career in the Boston Bruins organization, starting with the Victoriaville Bruins and Niagara Falls Flyers in junior, along with the Oklahoma City Blazers, Hershey Bears and Boston Braves in the minors. He played his first NHL game with the Bruins in 1965-66 while still a junior with Niagara Falls.

Between 1965-66 and 1981-82, Marcotte played 868 regular season and 132 playoff games in the National Hockey League. He was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with Boston, going with his Memorial Cup win with the N.F. Flyers, CHL title with Oklahoma City and Calder Cup win with Hershey.

Of his 230 regular season goals in the NHL, 21 were shorthanded. He also had 21 shorthanded assists. He also had three goals and two assists on the penalty kill in the post season. Don reached the 20 goal plateau in seven seasons and had a career high 31 goals in 1974-75 with Boston.

Bobby Hull vs Bronco Horvath: 1960 Art Ross Trophy Showdown in Season Finale

In a thrilling conclusion to the 1959-60 NHL regular season, Chicago Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull narrowly captured the Art Ross Trophy, edging out Boston Bruins forward Bronco Horvath by a single point. The two scoring leaders went head-to-head on March 20, 1960, at the historic Boston Garden in what became a memorable offensive showdown.

Heading into the final game, Horvath led the league with 80 points and topped the NHL goal-scoring list with 39. Hull trailed closely behind with 79 points and 38 goals. With the Art Ross Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top point scorer, hanging in the balance, all eyes were on these two stars.

Midway through the second period, Hull tied Horvath in both points and goals, scoring his 39th goal of the season on a powerplay against Bruins goaltender Don Simmons. The goal was assisted by Pierre Pilote and Elmer Vasko. Then, with just under seven minutes remaining in the third period, Hull notched a critical assist on an Eric Nesterenko goal, bringing his point total to 81.

Despite the Bruins scoring five goals in the 5-5 tie, Horvath was held off the scoresheet. He registered three shots on Blackhawks netminder Glenn Hall but failed to tally a point. Teammates DougMohns and Don McKenney led the way for Boston with three points each.

Hull’s late-game heroics earned him his first career Art Ross Trophy, the first of three he would go on to win. While Horvath shared the league lead in goals, he fell just short in the overall points race. The 1959-60 season marked the pinnacle of Horvath’s NHL career, which declined shortly thereafter. In a twist of fate, he later joined Hull on the Blackhawks roster during the 1961-62 season.

About Bobby Hull

For Bobby Hull, his narrow Art Ross Trophy win in 1959-60 was the first of three over his NHL career, all with the Chicago Blackhawks. He would also win the Hart Trophy twice to go with his one Stanley Cup championship with the Hawks in 1960-61.

Between 1957-58 and 1979-80, Hull played 1,063 regular season and 119 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers. He alos appeared in 411 regular season and 60 playoff games in the WHA between 1972-73 and 1978-79, all with the Winnipeg Jets.

The Golden Jet was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. That same year, the Blackhawks retired his jersey number 9. It was the second number to be retired by the club following Stan Mikita in 1980.

About Bronco Horvath

Bronco Horvath played 434 regular season and 36 playoff games in the NHL between 1955-56 and 1967-68 with the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota North Stars. He spent six years in the minors before making his NHL debut with the Rangers.

His 39 goal and 80 points season in 1959-60 was the pinnacle of Horvath's NHL career. His 30 goals in 1957-58 was the only other time he surpassed the 20 goal plateau. In the minors, he won a scoring title in the WHL with the Edmonton Flyers in 1954-55. He won a championship with the Flyers that year and was part of three Calder Cup championship teams with the Rochester Americans of the AHL.

After 3 Years In The Minors, Gregg Sheppard Bursts Onto Scene With The Bruins In 1972-73

It looked like it would be four years in the minors for Gregg Sheppard. He started the 1972-73 season in the AHL with the Boston Braves. However, after posting ten points in eight games, the NHL Bruins finally gave Sheppard a shot at the big show.

Gregg's first game was Boston's tenth of the 1972-73 NHL season and his performance was pretty lackluster in a 3-2 Bruins win against Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens. In game two, however, Sheppard got the ball (puck) rolling.

Hat Trick In Second Game

Against the expansion New York Islanders at Boston Garden, Sheppard recorded his first of six NHL career hat tricks, putting three goals on six shots past New York goalie Billy Smith. The Bruins came out on top in a 9-1 blowout.

Was it a lucky game against a team that had played just a handful of games in their young NHL existence? Sheppard was about to have a month of November that would prove he deserved to stay with the Bruins. 

More on that game in our Facebook Article: Gregg Sheppard 2nd Game Hat Trick

Hot November

Sheppard played 13 games for the Bruins in November, 1972. The rookie scored eight goals over that time while adding nine assists for 17 points. He had three more three point games to go with his second game hat trick. 

Against the California Golden Seals on November 3, Gregg had two goals and an assist in a 6-6 tie. He scored the first and last goals of a six goal second period. Both were scored on Gilles Meloche and both were assisted by Don Marcotte. In that second frame, he also assisted on a Garnet Bailey goal. The only player to outscore him in the game was Joey Johnston of the Golden Seals who scored a hat trick and added an assist.

On November 19, 1972, the Bruins hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs and won 6-5. Sheppard scored a pair on Ron Low, including the game winning goal at 8:21 of the third. Again, both his goals were assisted by Marcotte. Gregg added an assist on a Mike Walton goal for the three point game.

On November 26, the Bruins took out the Philadelphia Flyers 6-4 at the Boston Garden. Gregg scored Boston's sixth goal of the game at 4:20 of the second period on Doug Favell, unassisted. That made the score 6-1 and resulted in Favell being replaced by Michel Belhumeur. The goal went with assists on markers by Bobby Orr and Don Marcotte for his last three point game of the month.

The Rest Of The 1972-73 NHL Season

That would it for the three point games in 1972-73 for Sheppard. However, he finished up the campaign with 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points over 64 games. This got him some consideration for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year, finishing tied for sixth in voting with Phil Russell of the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Taking the Calder that year was Steve Vickers of the New York Rangers. It was a fairly tight race with runner-up Bill Barber of the Philadelphia Flyers not far behind. Also in the running were Billy Harris, Jim Schoenfeld and Dan Bouchard.

Eddie Westfall Scores A Pair Of Shorthanded Game Winners For The Boston Bruins In 1968-69

Ed Westfall is known for his penalty killing abilities. With 26 of his 231 regular season goals in the NHL scored while shorthanded, he was a predecessor to what they now call the "Power Kill". In 1968-69 with the Boston Bruins, he had four shorthanded markers and four game winning goals. On two occasions, his shorties were the game winners.

On February 2, 1969, the Bruins hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Boston Garden. At 9:59 of the second period, Westfall scored on Roy Edwards, assisted by Don Awrey while teammate Derek Sanderson was in the box serving a minor penalty for high sticking. The goal made the score 3-0 for the home team. The goal would hold as the game winner in the 4-2 Boston win.

Later that month, on February 27, 1969, the Bruins were on the road for a game against the Oakland Seals at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena. 2:25 into the game, Westfall scored shorthanded on Chris Worthy, assisted by Boston goalie Ed Johnston. The goal was shorthanded with Ron Murphy in the box for hooking. 

That goal was also all the Bruins needed and Westfall's shorthanded marker was the game winning goal in a 9-0 shutout. In the match, Ed also assisted on a pair of goals by Eddie Shack for a three point game. Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge also had three point games in the lopsided win.

Over that 1968-69 NHL season, Westfall also had shorthanded goals against the Minnesota North Stars and New York Rangers. His other two game winning goals were scored on the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues. He continued his power kill in the playoffs with one shorty each against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. He had just three total goals in the playoffs.

  

Vintage Hockey Card Video Series

As I write this, I'm fighting with some sort of glitch that is freezing up the upload for the final of six videos featuring vintage hockey cards from the NHL's Original 6 teams. This is just a shout out to anyone reading 'Hockey History Hub' that these videos are nearly 100% online at YouTube. If you're reading something here and enjoying this site, then chances are you'll want to kill some time looking at some of the greatest in the game's history on some classic cardboard.

Each of the Original 6 team videos has at least 100 different vintage hockey cards and each video lasts between three and five minutes. Each is produced with what I think is some pretty great background music. So, if you're at work, yes - there is audio so turn it down...

Mostly, the cards are from the 1951-52 to 1979-80 range and come from sets produced by Parkhurst, Topps and O-Pee-Chee. There are cards from before and after the range in some of the videos but not a whole lot. Because it just didn't look right to have 'landscape' card fronts mixed with the usual 'portrait' fronts, some years have been left out. These would be your 1963-64 Topps, 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee and sets like that. Also, we didn't put in any of the 1964-65 Topps tallboys because they just wouldn't fit the format (yep, I'm a little anal about that stuff...).

All the cards are included in the Virtual Hockey Card Collection at Vintage Hockey Cards Report. This is what is becoming a fairly complete online collection of hockey cards (front and back). This is a project that I hope will expand beyond the NHL and the range of years given above. I plan to move into minor league, junior and even European sets in the relatively near future. It's pretty time consuming, though. The images have to be collected, straightened, cropped then added to a template and uploaded. I'm not the most technical so my method is pretty labour intensive (aka slow).

I've embedded one of the videos below to give you a taste. Hopefully you'll head over to the YouTube channel to check out the others. Links to each video are found in the index of the Virtual Collection. I've also grouped them into a clean and tidy YouTube playlist so they can be watched consecutively without having to keep hitting play...

The video below features the Chicago Blackhawks. Of course, there's a fair share of Bobby Hull, Glenn Hall and Stan Mikita cards but there's a lot more there, as well. Be sure to hit the Thumb's Up if you like it!

Top 5 NHL Goal Scorers In 1968-69

In 1968-69, Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks set a National Hockey League record that would last for just two seasons. Hull scored 58 goals, a record that would remain a NHL best until Phil Esposito shattered the mark with 76 goals two years later in 1970-71. Of course, there was no award for this feat back in 1968-69. The Rocket Richard Trophy honouring the NHL’s top goal scorer was not introduced until 1998-99.

Bobby Hull – Chicago Blackhawks

Bobby Hull led the league with what was his fourth of five times during his National Hockey League career that he scored 50 or more goals in a single season. Despite his offensive efforts, the Black Hawks finished sixth and last in the East Division and did not qualify for the post season. Chicago had 77 points in 76 games, a point total that would have placed them second in the West Division.

Phil Esposito – Boston Bruins

Phil Esposito finished tied for second with 49 goals. Esposito shattered the NHL record for points in a season with 126, earning the Art Ross Trophy. Phil helped his team to a 100 point finish during the regular season, behind only the Montreal Canadiens. The Bruins lost in the semi-finals but would be redeemed the following season by winning the Stanley Cup.

Frank Mahovlich – Detroit Red Wings

Frank Mahovlich of the Detroit Red Wings also finished with 49 goals. Despite Mahovlich and Gordie Howe finishing among the top five goal scorers, Detroit finished fifth in the East and did not qualify for the post season. The 49 goals was a high for Frank in a career that spanned from 1956-57 to 1973-74 and saw him score a total of 533 goals while playing for the Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ken Hodge – Boston Bruins

Ken Hodge of the Bruins nearly doubled his goal production from the previous season, finishing fourth in the NHL with 45 goals. Hodge would achieve the 50 goal plateau for the only time in his career five years later with exactly 50 in 1973-74.

Gordie Howe – Detroit Red Wings

At 41 years old, Gordie Howe finished fifth with 44 goals. His career high of 49 goals came back in 1952-53. Despite his 801 career regular season NHL goals, Gordie never topped the 50 goal plateau in a single season. After never having a player top the 100 point plateau before 1968-69, Howe was one of three to top 100 points, along with Esposito and Hull, with 103.

In the end, the two teams that met in the Stanley Cup final did not have a representative in the top five goal scorers. The Montreal Canadiens faced off against the St. Louis Blues and came out with a sweep. It was the second consecutive year that the two came together in the final series with St. Louis not winning a single game.

Gordie Howe 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Card [YouTube Shorts]

Top NHL Teams In Each Decade

It is an on-going argument which NHL teams are the best of all-time. It is hard to compare the 1930 Boston Bruins with the 1977 Montreal Canadiens when the rules, conditions, equipment, training and number of teams have changed drastically through the years.

 We go Vulcan with this article, showing the best NHL team from each decade since the 1920’s based entirely on single season winning percentage. The number of games played in a season has gone from 24 to 82 in just a short 80 years and winning percentage is the only true measure of a team’s success during the regular season. Just to be clear, this is based on the top single season performance by a team during the decade and not the collective winning percentage over the ten years.

1919-20 Ottawa Senators

The 1919-20 Ottawa Senators played in a young NHL with only 3 other teams and with only a 24 game schedule. The team won 19 of the 24 games and had no ties for a winning percentage of .792. The Senators won the Stanley Cup that season which is, from what we will find out, somewhat of a rarity among teams who excel to extreme levels of success during the regular season.

Ottawa was led offensively by Frank Nighbor and in net by Clint Benedict. Nighbor, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1947, played for Ottawa from 1915-16 to 1929-30. Benedict is also enshrined in the HHOF but entered in 1965. He played with the Senators from 1912-13 to 1923-24 before finishing his career with the Montreal Maroons.

1929-30 Boston Bruins

The 1929-30 Boston Bruins had the highest single season winning percentage of all-time. In the 44 games schedule, the Bruins had 38 wins and 1 tie to go along with their 5 losses for a winning percentage of .875. This was the era before the ‘Original 6’ and the NHL consisted of two divisions of 5 teams. The Bruins were easily the top team in the American Division. However, the Montreal Canadiens from the Canadian Division would be the eventual winners of the Stanley Cup that season.

Art Ross coached the Bruins, and was Boston’s first ever head coach. He would lead the team to a Stanley Cup championship at the end of the decade in 1938-39. In 1929-30, Cooney Weiland of the Bruins led the NHL in goals and points. Other greats playing with Boston that year were Dit Clapper, Eddie Shore and goaltender Tiny Thompson.

1943-44 Montreal Canadiens

The 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens would achieve a winning percentage of .830 with 38 wins, 5 losses and 7 ties over a 50 game season. The league consisted of 6 teams and the Canadiens were crowned Stanley Cup Champions. The Dick Irvin coached team had a healthy 25 point lead over the second place Detroit Red Wings.

Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard was just in his first full season in the NHL after appearing in just 16 games with the Canadiens the year before. His 32 goals led the Canadiens and tied him for 6^th in the league with Bill Mosienko of the Chicago Blackhawks and Syd Howe of the Red Wings. Playing all 50 games in net for the Habs was Bill Durnan.

1950-51 Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings had a winning percentage of .721 in 1950-51 on 44 wins, 13 losses and 13 ties over 70 games. The league still consisted of the original 6 teams. Despite Detroit’s success, the Toronto Maple Leafs would steal the Stanley Cup away. The Red Wings fell to the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round, four games to two. Montreal finished the regular season in third place, 36 points behind the Red Wings. It was a close battle with the Habs outscoring Detroit over the series by just one goal and two of the six games going into overtime.

Detroit’s Gordie Howe led the NHL in both goals and assists. He won the Art Ross Trophy with a commanding 20 point lead over Rocket Richard. Only one man stood between the pipes for Detroit during the 1950-51 NHL season, Terry Sawchuk.

1961-62 Montreal Canadiens

The 1961-62 Montreal Canadiens had a winning percentage of .700 on 42 wins, 14 losses and 14 ties over 70 games. The league was in its final decade of just 6 teams with expansion arriving in 1967-68. Once again, the Toronto Maple Leafs snatched the Stanley Cup away from the regular season league leader.

The Toe Blake coached Canadiens were led offensively by Ralph Backstrom and Claude Provost. Jacques Plante played every single game in goal for the team. Montreal was knocked out in the first round by the third place Chicago Blackhawks.

1976-77 Montreal Canadiens

The team that is considered by many to be the best of all-time put in a winning percentage of .825 in 1976-77. The Montreal Canadiens lost just 8 games while winning 60 and tying 12 over 80 games in the 18 team league. The Canadiens would breeze to a Stanley Cup win that season, losing just two playoff games. Montreal dropped two to the New York Islanders in the semi-finals while sweeping the St. Louis Blues in the opening round and the Boston Bruins in the finals.

Offensively, Steve Shutt led the league with 60 goals while Guy Lafleur led the NHL with 80 assists and 136 points. Of course, the Scotty Bowman coached Habs were led in goal by Ken Dryden with Michel Larocque doing an admirable job as backup.

1983-84 Edmonton Oilers

Wayne Gretzky and his Edmonton Oilers controlled the 1983-84 season with a winning percentage of .744 on 57 wins, 18 losses and 5 ties over 80 games. Not only would the Oilers top the 21-team league over the regular season but would take the Stanley Cup, as well. The Oilers took out the defending champion New York Islanders in five games in the finals. New York had won the Stanley Cup for the past four seasons. Edmonton’s toughest challenge came in the quarter-finals when the Calgary Flames took them to the seven game limit.

Gretzky led the league with 87 goals, 118 assists and 205 points. He was a whopping 79 points ahead of second place Paul Coffey, also of the Oilers. Gretzky, Coffey, Jari Kurri and Mark Messier all topped the 100 point plateau. Andy Moog and Grant Fuhr shared the goaltending duties with what would have been lacklustre numbers on any other team.

1995-96 Detroit Red Wings

In 1995-96, the Detroit Red Wings set the record for most wins in a single season with 62, a record that stands today. The Wings posted a winning percentage of .799 over the 82 game schedule, losing 13 and tying 7. The league had expanded to 26 teams at this point. Despite the record number of wins, Detroit would fall to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup semi-finals. Colorado then swept the Florida Panthers to win the championship.

The Scotty Bowman coached Red Wings were led offensively by Sergei Fedorov and Steve Yzerman. Sharing the goaltending duties were Chris Osgood and Mike Vernon.

2005-06 Detroit Red Wings

Ten years after their record performance, the Detroit Red Wings posted the best record of the decade with a .756 winning percentage in 2005-06. The feat was accomplished on a record of 58 wins, 16 losses and 8 ties. At this point, the league was up to 30 teams and remains at that number today. Once again, the Wings would not take home the Stanley Cup as the Carolina Hurricanes would win their first. In fact, Detroit was upset in the opening round by the Edmonton Oilers in six games.

It was Mike Babcock’s first year as head coach of the Red Wings and just two years later, he would have his first Stanley Cup championship. 2005-06 marked the start of the Pavel Datsyuk era and the end of the incredible career of Steve Yzerman. Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg led the team offensively while Manny Legace played the bulk of games in net.

 

NHL Hockey Trivia: Tony and Phil Esposito

Phil and Tony Esposito are two brothers that played in the National Hockey League in the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s. Both are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, both have their jersey numbers retired by an NHL club and both were members of Team Canada at the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union.

One brother started his National Hockey League career with the same team the other ended up with. Read on and find out what team that was.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of the Esposito brothers with the following four trivia questions.

Q. What NHL team did Tony Esposito first play for?

A. All but thirteen of Tony’s NHL games were played with the Chicago Black Hawks. However, in 1968-69, he played those thirteen games with the Montreal Canadiens. At the time, both regular goalies were injured and Esposito was a call-up from the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League. Tony did not take part in the Stanley Cup playoffs that season when the Canadiens won the Cup.

1968-69 was before Ken Dryden came on the scene in Montreal. However, Tony still had Gump Worsley and Rogie Vachon to compete with. Worsley soon after entered the HHOF and Vachon should be there but has repeatedly been denied. The following year, 1969-70, Esposito walked into the number one spot in Chicago, appearing in 63 of 76 regular season games for the Blackhawks with Gerry Desjardins and Denis DeJordy seeing sparse action in backup roles.

Q. What NHL team did Phil Esposito first play for?

A. Phil was sponsored by the Chicago Black Hawks right from junior hockey with the St. Catherines TeePees of the Ontario Hockey Association. Esposito played four seasons with Chicago, in the shadow of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita before being traded to the Boston Bruins where his career rocketed.

That trade is notorious for its one-sidedness. On May 15, 1967, going to Boston along with Phil were Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield. Heading to Chicago were Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and Jack Norris. Esposito was part of another blockbuster trade in November, 1975 that sent him to the Rangers. Phil and Carol Vadnais went to the Big Apple while Brad Park, Jean Ratelle and Joe Zanussi went to Bean Town. He ended his career with New York.

Q. Which Esposito’s rookie hockey card is worth the most, according to Beckett Hockey?

A. The Tony Esposito rookie card was part of the 1969-70 O-Pee-Chee series and has a book value of $150. However, the Phil Esposito rookie card from the 1965-66 Topps series tops that with a book value of $400. Both Esposito rookie cards show the brothers as members of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Q. Which Esposito brother entered the Hockey Hall of Fame first?

A. Phil Esposito was the first of the two brothers to enter, being inducted in 1984. Tony followed in 1988. Phil played his final games in the National Hockey League during the 1980-81 season with the New York Rangers. This meant that he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame after the minimum three year waiting period. At his side in 1984 were goaltender Bernie Parent and career Montreal Canadien Jacques Lemaire.

Tony appeared in 18 games with the Blackhawks in 1983-84, his last games in the NHL. Four years later, he entered the HHOF, along with Guy Lafleur and Brad Park. Buddy O’Connor was also posthumously inducted.

Pat Burns: Only 3 Time Winner Of The Jack Adams Award

The Jack Adams was first awarded to the NHL's top head coach for the 1973-74 season. Fred Shero was the first recipient and Pat Burns is the only three time winner. Both Shero and Burns are deceased and both were inexplicably denied entry to the Hockey Hall of Fame while still alive.

In a National Hockey League head coaching career that lasted from 1988-89 to 2003-04, Pat Burns became the only person to win the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach three times. The Jack Adams Award was introduced for the 1973-74 season, with Fred Shero of the Philadelphia Flyers being the first recipient.

1988-89 Montreal Canadiens

Burns won the Jack Adams in his first year of coaching in the NHL, 1988-89. The Montreal Canadiens finished first overall in the Prince of Wales Conference and second overall in the NHL, behind only the Calgary Flames. The Canadiens and Flames met in the Stanley Cup finals with Calgary coming out victorious in six games.

1992-93 Toronto Maple Leafs

In 1992-93, in his first year as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Burns saw a 32 improvement over the previous season. In 1991-92, Toronto had finished last in the Norris Division with just 67 points. Their point total improved to 99 points under Pat and the team made it to the Conference finals before losing to the Los Angeles Kings in seven games.

1997-98 Boston Bruins

In 1997-98, in his first year as coach of the Boston Bruins, the team saw a similar turnaround that the Maple Leafs had experience under Burns. The team improved 30 points over 1996-97. The previous year was the first time Boston had failed to qualify for the post season since the 1966-67 season. The team bowed out to the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.

Pat Burns

Never a player at the professional level, Burns rose quickly to prominence in the coaching world. He was behind the bench of the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for three years, from 1984-85 to 1986-87. In the second year, the Olympiques won the Jean Rougeau Trophy as regular season champions and the President’s Cup as champs in the playoffs. Pat was selected as QMJHL First Team All-Star coach.

The Olympiques qualified for the Memorial Cup that season, making it through to the final game. The Guelph Platers (today’s Owen Sound Attack) were crowned Memorial Cup champions with a 6-2 victory over Hull. Hockey Hall of Fame member Luc Robitaille was a member of that Olympiques team.

After a year coaching the Sherbrooke Canadiens of the American Hockey League in 1987-88, it was straight up to the NHL Canadiens. Along with coaching in Montreal, Toronto and Boston, Burns won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils, where he coached in 2002-03 and 2003-04.

Along with Fred Shero, now both deceased, the Hockey Hall of Fame were under fire for denying the two entry. Shero won two Stanley Cups and was a finalist on two other occasions, as well as winning championships in three other professional league and was inducted posthumously in 2013. Pat’s qualifications for the Hall of Fame are obvious from his accomplishments stated above and is finally allowed entry for 2014.

 

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.

 

3 Norris Trophy Winners From The Boston Bruins

The James Norris Memorial Trophy was introduced to the NHL in 1953-54, awarded to the league’s top defenseman. The inaugural winner of the award was Red Kelly of the Detroit Red Wings, a player who spent half his career as a defenseman and half as a forward. However, it has been the Boston Bruins that have dominated the award since. Just three Boston blue liners have won the Norris Trophy but those three account for 14 victories. By 2008-09, that accounted for around a quarter of the winners.

Bobby Orr

Bobby Orr has won the Norris Trophy more times than any other player in NHL history. Orr won it eight times during his injury shortened career. Niklas Lidstrom came close with seven Norris Trophies with the Detroit Red Wings. What’s amazing is that Bobby won all eight in consecutive seasons, beginning in 1967-68 and ending in 1974-75. Orr played with the Bruins from 1966-67 to 1975-76. He retired from the NHL shortly into the 1978-79 season after a failed comeback with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Bobby also won the Hart Memorial Trophy three times, the Conn Smythe Trophy twice and is the only defenseman in NHL history to capture the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer. He was selected as rookie of the year in 1966-67, earning the Calder Memorial Trophy. His 139 points in 1970-71 remain a record for most points in a season by a defenseman. Orr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and had his number 4 retired by Boston in 1979.

Ray Bourque

Like Orr, Raymond Bourque won the Calder Trophy with Boston. He played with the Bruins from 1979-80 to 1999-00 and won the Norris Trophy five times. He won consecutively in 1986-87 and 1987-88 then again in 1989-90 and 1990-91. He won once more in 1993-94. Although not one of the rare defensemen to total 100 or more points in a season, Bourque reached 96 in 1983-84, 95 in 1986-87 and 94 in 1990-91.

At the trade deadline in 1999-00, the Bruins traded Bourque to the Colorado Avalanche. He finished out the season playing 14 regular season and 13 playoff games for Colorado. The following season, his last in the National Hockey League, Ray helped the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship, the only time Bourque has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

After retiring following the 2000-01 season, Bourque immediately had his number 77 retired by Boston. He joined Bobby Orr in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.

Zdeno Chara

Zdeno Chara is the latest Boston Bruins defenseman to win the Norris Trophy. Chara is a one-time winner of the trophy, taking home the hardware in 2008-09 and breaking Nicklas Lidstrom’s three year reign. The New York Islanders took Zdeno in third round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, 56^th overall. He played three seasons with the Islanders before moving to the Ottawa Senators and coming into his own as a star defenseman. Chara came over to the Bruins in 2006-07 and has starred with the club since. He surpassed the 1,100 NHL regular season game plateau in 2013-14.

Chara is in the running for the Norris in 2013-14. Nominees include Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks, Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators and Zdeno. Duncan Keith won the award in 2009-10, the year after Chara, while a member of the Blackhawks. This is Keith’s second time nominated for the award. Shea Weber has never won the Norris Trophy but has been nominated two times before.

Frank Brimsek Of The Boston Bruins: Mr. Zero

He was one of the great goaltenders of the National Hockey league in the 1940’s, yet it took 16 years after he retired for Frank Brimsek to finally get inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Brimsek spent all but one of his seasons in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, leading the club to a Stanley Cup championship in his rookie year.

Frank Brimsek – Minor Pros

Before his big break with the Bruins in 1938-39, Brimsek played a few years in the minor pros. In 1935-36 and 1936-37, he appeared with the Pittsburgh Yellowjackets of the Eastern Amateur Hockey League. The EAHL evolved into the EHL, a pro league that existed until the end of the 1972-73 season before splitting in to the NAHL and SHL.

In his first year with the Yellowjackets, the team placed second in the five team league and was led offensively by Gordie Drillon. Drillon would go on to be a scoring leader in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The following year, the team fell to fourth as most of the star players had moved on.

In 1937-38, Brimsek played all 48 regular season games for the Providence Reds of the IAHL. The ‘I’ in IAHL was dropped as the league became the present day American Hockey League. The Bun Cook coached Reds were crowned Calder Cup champions with a win over the Syracuse Stars in the finals.

Frank Brimsek – NHL Career

‘Mister Zero’ played goal in the National Hockey League from 1938-39 to 1949-50 with the Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. Shortly into the 1938-39 season, Boston shipped their number one goaltender Tiny Thompson to the Detroit Red Wings and relied solely on the rookie Brimsek.

Frank started the year with nine games in the AHL with Providence. Over 43 games with the Bruins, he posted a 1.56 goals against average and recorded ten shutouts. Brimsek won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year. He also won the Vezina Trophy and was named First Team All-Star goalie.

The Art Ross coached Bruins placed first overall in the 1938-39 NHL. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, Boston ousted the Toronto Maple Leafs in the finals for the championship. Frank played all 12 playoff games, posting a 1.25 GAA.

Brimsek played every game for the Bruins in five different seasons between 1939-40 and 1947-48. He would do the same in his final year of NHL hockey in 1949-50 for the Chicago Blackhawks. He won his second and final Vezina Trophy in 1941-42, playing 47 games for the Bruins with three shutouts and a 2.35 GAA. His only other Stanley Cup championship came in 1940-41 when the Bruins swept the Red Wings in the finals after finishing first overall during the regular season.

After missing the 1943-44 and 1944-45 seasons because of military commitments during the Second World War, Frank stormed back into the NHL for the 1945-46 season. The Dit Clapper coached Bruins finished second overall in the six team league. Brimsek played 34 games during the regular season, sharing duties with Paul Bibeault.

In the 1945-46 Stanley Cup playoffs, Frank played in all ten games for Boston. The Bruins fell to the Montreal Canadiens in the finals, winning just one of the five games. The series was closer than it looked, though, with three of the five games going to overtime to decide a victor.

His final year in the NHL was Frank’s only year not with the Bruins. He played all 70 games for Chicago with five shutouts and a 3.49 goals against average. The Charlie Conacher coached Blackhawks finished last in the six team league, six points behind the fifth place Bruins. It was the only year during his NHL career that Brimsek did not compete in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Frank was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966, along with eight others. The group included hockey greats Max Bentley, Toe Blake, Emile Bouchard, Ted Kennedy, Elmer Lach, Ted Lindsay, Ken Reardon and Babe Pratt. Brimsek was inducted into the U.S.A. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Bobby Orr

Arguably the best defenseman to ever play the game of hockey, Bobby Orr is a legend in NHL history. Orr played with the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks over an injury shortened career that spanned from 1966-67 to 1978-79.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of Bobby Orr with the following four trivia questions.

Q. In 1969-70 and 1974-75, Bobby Orr became the only defenseman to ever win which NHL award?

A. With 120 points in 1969-70 and 135 points in 1974-75, Orr remains the only defenseman to ever win the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top point-getter. Interestingly, his highest point total was 139 in 1970-71 but he came a distant second to teammate Phil Esposito and his 152 points that season.

The 139 points does still stand as an NHL record for most points in a single season by a defenseman. Paul Coffey came within a point of that mark in 1985-86. Playing for the Edmonton Oilers, Coffey scored 48 goals and assisted on 90 over 79 games. The 48 goals does stand as a National Hockey League record, eclipsing the 46 the Orr put up in 1974-75 with the Bruins.

Q. In what hockey card set was the Bobby Orr rookie card featured in?

A. The Bobby Orr rookie card was number 35 of the 1966-67 Topps series. The card has a book value of $3000, according to Beckett Hockey Monthly. Orr’s RC is by far the most valuable hockey card in the set. Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings is a distant second with a book value of $200.

Q. What was the first major NHL award won by Bobby Orr?

A. Bobby Orr won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1966-67 as the NHL’s top rookie. Orr scored 13 goals and totalled 41 points that season in 61 games, a far cry from his offensive explosiveness in the 1970’s.

Boston teammate Derek Sanderson won the award the following year. It would then be until the 1979-80 season before another member of the Bruins would be named rookie of the year in the NHL. In 1979-80, it was Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque. Sergei Samsonov and Andrew Raycroft have been the only Boston players to win the Calder Trophy since.

Q. In what year did Bobby Orr win the Lou Marsh Award?

A. Bobby Orr was the 1970 recipient of the Lou Marsh Award. The Lou Marsh is handed out each year to the top athlete in Canada. Bobby is one of eight NHL players to win the Lou Marsh. The other seven include Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Rocket Richard, Phil Esposito, Bobby Clarke, Guy Lafleur and Mario Lemieux.