Hockey Trivia: NHL Streaks and Longevity

Everyone or every team can have their fifteen minutes in the spotlight. It’s the ones that stretch out the fifteen that are truly great. This is your chance to test and expand your NHL hockey knowledge regarding streaks, both individual and team.

Q. At 35 games, what team has the longest undefeated streak during a regular NHL season?

A. The 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers not only set the record for the NHL but for all of North American professional sports. The team went 25-0-10 during the streak while going only 13-12-10 for the rest of the season. The Flyers went on the Stanley Cup finals that season before bowing out to the New York Islanders.

It was Pat Quinn’s first full season as an NHL head coach and he was awarded his first of two Jack Adams Awards as coach of the year. The core of players that formed the Broad Street Bullies were still on the roster. This group included Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Reggie Leach and Rick MacLeish. Ken Linseman was Philadelphia’s offensive leader with just 79 points in 80 games. Pete Peeters and Phil Myre split the goaltending duties.

Q. What team holds the NHL record for the longest regular season winning streak at 17?

A. The 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins set the mark. The Penguins ended up with the best record in the NHL that season but were upset by the New York Islanders in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Scotty Bowman coached the Penguins, who were coming off consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1990-91 and 1991-92. At his side as assistant coach was long time Penguins leader Rick Kehoe. Mario Lemieux led the way offensively with 160 points over just 60 regular season games.

Q. Who is the NHL’s Iron Man, having played 964 consecutive regular season games between 1975 and 1985?

A. Doug Jarvis started his streak of 964 games from his first game as a rookie during the 1975-76 NHL season. Jarvis played for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers before finishing off his NHL career in 1987.

Jarvis broke the record previously held by Garry Unger. Unger played 914 consecutive games. There have been just 19 players in National Hockey League history to play 500 or more in a row. Steve Larmer is the only other player with more than 800 straight with 884 Craig Ramsay is the only player with 700 or more with 776. Interestingly, all-time games played leaders Gordie Howe, Mark Messier and Ron Francis are not included in the group of 19.

Q. With 502 consecutive regular season games played, which goaltender will most likely hold that NHL record through time?

A. Glenn Hall will undoubtedly forever hold this record. The days of the goaltender playing every game of the season are almost half a century gone. Hall played all 70 of his team’s regular season games from 1955-56 to 1961-62. The first two years were played with the Detroit Red Wings and the rest was with the Chicago Black Hawks. Glenn Hall played in the NHL from 1952-53 to 1970-71 with the Red Wings, Black Hawks and St. Louis Blues.

 

Hockey Trivia: The 1975 NHL Amateur Draft

The 1975 NHL Amateur Draft followed the Philadelphia Flyers second consecutive Stanley Cup victory in 1974-75 and the start of the Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup dynasty in 1975-76. The NHL was in fierce competition with the World Hockey Association and many junior players were drafted to both leagues. Test and expand your knowledge of the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft with the following four hockey trivia questions and answers.

Q. Who was the first overall pick at the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft?

A. The Philadelphia Flyers chose Mel Bridgeman first overall in 1975. Bridgeman was fresh off a 66 goal and 157 point season with the Victoria Cougars of the WCHL. Mel played in the NHL from 1975-76 to 1988-89 with the Flyers, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks.

Bridgeman is the only player the Flyers have ever chosen first overall. James Van Riemsdyk came close in 2007. He went second overall, behind Patrick Kane. Kane came out of the London Knights and was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks. Van Riemsdyk was drafted out of the University of New Hampshire.

Q. Who was the only player drafted in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft to play over 1,000 regular season games in the league?

A. Dave Taylor was taken way down in the 15^th round by the Los Angeles Kings, 210^th overall. Yet, Taylor was the only draftee in 1975 to play over 1,000 games during his NHL career. Drafted out of Clarkson University, Taylor played 1,111 games between 1977-78 and 1993-94, all with the Kings.

First overall pick, Mel Bridgeman came close, playing 977 NHL regular season games. Doug Jarvis was taken in the second round and finished up his career with 964 games played. Bridgeman and Jarvis are the only two from the 1975 draft to reach the 900 game plateau.

Q. Who was the first member of the OHA’s London Knights to be selected in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft?

A. Dennis Maruk was taken in the second round, 21^st overall, by the California Golden Seals. Maruk had just been honoured with the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHA’s most outstanding player in 1974-75, finishing third in scoring with 145 points. Maruk played 888 regular season NHL games and contributed 878 points over a National Hockey Career that spanned from 1975-76 to 1988-89. Besides the Golden Seals, Dennis also played for the Cleveland Barons, Minnesota North Stars and Washington Capitals.

Q. What team drafted NHL Ironman Doug Jarvis in the second round of the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft?

A. Although he never played for them, the Toronto Maple Leafs took Jarvis 24^th overall. Doug played in the NHL from 1975-76 to 1987-88 with the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers. He didn’t miss a scheduled game between his first and last NHL games. His record of 964 consecutive games stands as an NHL record today. Jarvis even played two extra games in 1985-86 after being traded from Washington to Hartford.