Doug Harvey’s 4-Point Night Powers Canadiens Past Red Wings 7-0 In 1958

On January 30, 1958, Doug Harvey delivered one of the finest performances of his Hall of Fame career, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a dominant 7-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings at the iconic Montreal Forum.

Harvey opened the scoring midway through the first period on the power play, beating Terry Sawchuk for what would stand as the game-winning goal. He added an assist later in the period and finished the night with four points, showcasing the offensive brilliance that made him the NHL’s premier defenseman of the era.

After a quiet second period, Montreal erupted for five third-period goals. Harvey picked up assists on tallies by Jean Beliveau and Don Marshall, while Dickie Moore also recorded four points. In goal, Jacques Plante stopped all 28 shots he faced.

The performance came during a season in which Harvey would capture another James Norris Memorial Trophy and help Montreal secure yet another Stanley Cup. Along with the Norris Trophy win in 1957-58, Doug finished third in voting for the Hart Trophy behind winner Gordie Howe and runner-up Andy Bathgate. In the playoffs, Harvey was outstanding with eleven points in ten games, including a goal and assist in the Stanley Cup clinching game 6 win over the Boston Bruins.

Stole This from a Hockey Card: A Philosophy of Hockey, Doug Harvey, Identity and Booze

A reflective exploration of hockey, life, and the legacy of Doug Harvey — blending philosophy, personal history, and the spirit of the game.

Buy on Amazon

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

NHL's Norris Trophy: A History Of Hoarding

The James Norris Memorial Trophy has been awarded each National Hockey League season since 1953-54, honouring the league’s best defenseman. It’s a historical fact that this award is for a very privileged few. By the end of the 2010-11 season, the Norris Trophy had been given out 55 times. Just four players account for 27 of the 55 winners which equates to slightly more than 49%. Since, 2010-11, the award has been spread out to two first time winners.

Bobby Orr

The group of four is headed by Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr. Orr won the Norris Trophy in eight straight seasons from 1967-68 to 1974-75. Of course, this is just a portion of the hardware in Orr’s trophy case. During that eight year run, he won the Art Ross Trophy as league scoring leader twice (the only defenseman to win the award). He was also awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player for three consecutive years from 1969-70 to 1971-72. If Orr’s NHL career didn’t come to a premature end due to knee injuries, there’s no knowing how many more times he would have won the Norris.

Doug Harvey

Doug Harvey won the Norris Trophy seven times, one less than Bobby Orr. After Red Kelly won the inaugural Norris Trophy in 1953-54 as a member of the Detroit Red Wings, Doug Harvey took over. He won four in a row from 1954-55 to 1957-58 as a Montreal Canadien. In 1958-59, Canadiens teammate, Tom Johnson, won the award. From 1959-60 to 1961-62, Harvey won another three in a row, two as a member of the Habs and his final one as a member of the New York Rangers.

Niklas Lidstrom

Tied with Doug Harvey is Niklas Lidstrom. The man who took over the leadership role with the Detroit Red Wings when Steve Yzerman retired won the Norris three years in a row from 2000-01 to 2002-03 and then again from 2005-06 to 2007-08. Lidstrom won one last Norris Trophy in 2010-11. Niklas retired after the 2011-12 season and is destined for the Hockey Hall of Fame. His number 5 will be retired by the Red Wings in March, 2014.

Raymond Bourque

Rounding out the group with his name engraved on the Norris Trophy five times is another Boston Bruins great, Raymond Bourque. Despite playing 22 seasons in the NHL, Bourque’s five Norris Trophy victories came over just an eight year span from 1986-87 to 1993-94. Bourque is the NHL’s all-time leader among defensemen in career goals and points. He is the NHL’s all-time leader in shots on goal with nearly one thousand more than the next on the list.

3 Time Winners

Add in four three-time winners and it really becomes apparent that the Norris Trophy is for a very select few of the most elite defensemen to play the game. Pierre Pilote of the Chicago Blackhawks won three times in the mid 1960’s. Denis Potvin won his three with the New York Islanders during their dynasty years of the early 1980’s. When Ray Bourque wasn’t winning it in the 1980’s and 1990’s, Paul Coffey and Chris Chelios were. Coffey did it with the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings. Chelios did it with the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks. Of course, with the exception of Lidstrom, every player named in this article is now enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. As mentioned, as soon as Lidstrom is eligible, it would be the crime of the century if he is not inducted immediately.

3 Calder Cup Championships of the Pittsburgh Hornets

The Pittsburgh Hornets existed in the American Hockey League from 1936-37 to 1955-56 and were revived for a stint between 1961-62 and 1966-67. In the first existence of the team, the Hornets won the Calder Cup as AHL playoff champion on two occasions. As the re-incarnated Hornets, the franchise would win one more Calder Cup championship before being chased out of town by the National Hockey League and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

1951-52

The Hornets won their first Calder Cup in 1951-52. The team finished first overall in the nine team league and first in the five team West Division. Pittsburgh knocked out the Hershey Bears, 4-1 in the opening round of the playoffs. After receiving a bye through the second round, Pittsburgh met the Providence Reds in the finals and prevailed in six games.

The 1951-52 Hornets were coached by Toronto Maple Leafs legend, King Clancy. A future Toronto star defenseman played on the blue line for Pittsburgh. Tim Horton played in all eleven playoff games. The following year, Horton became a regular with the Maple Leafs and would continue on in the National Hockey League until his death during the 1973-74 season. He would make his return to Pittsburgh, playing for the Penguins late in his career. Tim also appeared for the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres.

1954-55

Two years later, in 1954-55, the Hornets were crowned Calder Cup champions again. The AHL was reduced to a six team, single division league and Pittsburgh finished first overall. Coached by another big name former Toronto player, Howie Meeker, the Hornets beat the Springfield Indians three games to one in the first round before taking out the Buffalo Bisons 4-2 in the finals.

Leading the way for Pittsburgh in 1954-55 was Willie Marshall. Willie went on to become the AHL all-time leader in games played, goals, assists and points, records that stand today. Since 2003-04, the AHL has honoured the player that finishes the regular season with the most goals with the Willie Marshall Award.

1966-67

The reincarnated version of the Hornets knew going in that 1966-67 would be their final season in Pittsburgh. The Penguins had been granted an NHL franchise and were slated to start, along with five other new teams, in 1967-68. There simply wasn’t room for two pro teams in town. Since re-entering the league in 1961-62, the new-style Hornets had been affiliated with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. The 1966-67 team was filled with young talent like Peter Mahovlich, Gary Jarrett and Billy Harris, along with long-time veterans Andy Bathgate and Doug Harvey.

The Hornets finished first overall in the nine team AHL, as well as finishing first in the four team West Division. After beating the Hershey Bears four games to one in the opening round, Pittsburgh received a bye through to the finals. They met Rochester in the Calder Cup finals and swept the Americans in four games.