Borje Salming’s Lone Hat Trick Comes in Wild Leafs-Blackhawks Game

Borje Salming was one of the NHL’s most productive defensemen, but most of his offense came from setting up his teammates. Of his 787 career regular-season points, 637 came on assists. On October 10, 1981, however, Salming became the finisher, recording the only hat trick of his NHL career in a wild night at Maple Leaf Gardens.

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Highlights

• October 10, 1981 at Maple Leaf Gardens

• Toronto defeated Chicago 9-8

• The teams combined for 17 goals

• Salming recorded 3 goals and 1 assist

• It was the only hat trick of his NHL career

• Bob Manno and John Anderson each had 5 points

• Chicago’s Grant Mulvey also scored a hat trick

• Denis Savard recorded 4 assists

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The Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks combined for an incredible 17 goals, with Toronto coming away with a 9-8 victory. Salming finished with three goals and an assist for four points, yet that still wasn’t enough to lead the Leafs in scoring. John Anderson and defenseman Bob Manno each recorded five-point games.

Salming wasted almost no time getting started. Just 27 seconds after the opening faceoff, he scored his first goal of the 1981-82 season, beating Chicago goaltender Tony Esposito with Manno picking up the assist. Salming added his second point at 16:32 of the second period when he assisted on a Manno goal. It was the eighth of an astonishing nine goals scored by the two teams during the middle frame.

The Swedish defenseman struck even quicker to begin the third. Just 23 seconds into the period, Salming scored his second goal of the game with assists going to Rocky Saganiuk and Laurie Boschman. At 7:08, he completed the only hat trick of his NHL career, scoring with help from Manno and Ron Zanussi.

There was plenty of offense on the Chicago side as well. Grant Mulvey recorded a hat trick of his own, while Denis Savard collected four assists. The goaltending numbers reflected the frantic nature of the game: Esposito stopped 33 of 42 Toronto shots, while Leafs goalie Vincent Tremblay allowed eight goals on 28 shots.

For a Hall of Fame defenseman remembered as much for his passing and toughness as his scoring ability, October 10, 1981 was a rare night when Salming did the damage himself. Three of his 150 career NHL goals came in one remarkable game, the only hat trick of Borje Salming’s NHL career.

The King (Borje Salming)

A compelling look at the life and legacy of Borje Salming — one of hockey’s most respected trailblazers and legendary defensemen.

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Grant Mulvey's Historic 5-Goal Game: A Chicago Blackhawks Record That Still Stands

When fans think of iconic goal-scorers in Chicago Blackhawks history, names like Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Jeremy Roenick, and Patrick Kane quickly come to mind. But the franchise’s most prolific single-game performance came from an often-overlooked forward. Grant Mulvey.

On February 3, 1982, Mulvey made NHL history by scoring five goals in a single game against the St. Louis Blues at the old Chicago Stadium. It remains the only 5-goal game in Blackhawks history, setting a franchise record that still stands more than four decades later.

Mulvey’s offensive explosion didn’t stop with just goals, he added two assists, bringing his total to seven points, a mark that ties the Blackhawks' single-game record held by Max Bentley since 1943. Even more impressively, Mulvey netted four of his goals in the first period, tying an NHL record for most goals in a single period, a feat matched by only 17 other players in league history.

The final score of the game was 9-5 in favor of Chicago, with Mulvey directly contributing to nearly 80% of the team’s goals. Despite a game riddled with penalties, over 100 minutes were handed out, only one of his five goals came on the power play. He also recorded a natural hat trick, scoring three consecutive goals to close out the first period.

Mulvey's historic night was part of a standout performance by the entire team. TerryRuskowski tallied five assists, AlSecord added two goals and two assists, and DaveHutchison completed a Gordie Howe Hat Trick with a goal, assist, and a third-period fight with Jim Nill.

The 1981-82 NHL season would be Mulvey’s last full campaign. He scored 30 goals over 73 games, one of five Blackhawks to reach the 30-goal milestone that year. Mulvey played only 15 more NHL games, three more with Chicago the following season, and 12 with the New Jersey Devils in 1983-84 before retiring from the league.

While Mulvey may not be a household name, his unforgettable night in 1982 secured his place in Chicago Blackhawks history as the lone player to ever score five goals in a game, a record still unmatched by even the greatest names to wear the Blackhawks sweater.

About Grant Mulvey

Grant Mulvey was a first round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks at the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft after just a single year of major junior with the Calgary Centennials. He jumped straight to the Hawks for the 1974-75 NHL season and didn't see time in the minors until the tail end of his playing career.

Mulvey played 586 regular season and 42 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1974-75 and 1983-84. All but 12 of those games were played with the Chicago Blackhawks, finishing up his NHL career with a short stint with the New Jersey Devils in 1983-84.

By far his career season was 1979-80 when Grant scored 39 goals for Chicago and totaled 65 points. He capped off his pro career with a Calder Cup win in the AHL with the Maine Mariners in 1983-84. He would later coach the Chicago Wolves in the IHL for a short time in the 1990's.