Jean Ratelle: 5 Key Points from a Gentleman’s Hall of Fame Career

Few players embodied grace and skill on the ice like Jean Ratelle. Over an incredible 21-season career split between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, Ratelle quietly built a Hall of Fame résumé defined by consistency, sportsmanship, and class. Here are five key moments that highlight his remarkable journey.

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1. First NHL Goal (March 4, 1961)

Ratelle’s NHL debut came while he was still a junior with the Guelph Royals. In just his third game with the Rangers, he netted his first NHL goal on March 4, 1961, against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens.

His goal came at 9:32 of the third period on Cesare Maniago, assisted by Ted Hampson and Bill Gadsby. Though the Rangers fell 5-4, Ratelle also added an assist on Hampson’s first-period tally, a strong two-point night for the young forward.

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2. Last NHL Goal (February 26, 1981)

Twenty years later, Ratelle found the net one last time in his final NHL season with the Boston Bruins. On February 26, 1981, he scored a power-play goal against the Minnesota North Stars’ Gilles Meloche, assisted by Ray Bourque and Rick Middleton.

The goal turned out to be the game-winner in a 5-1 Boston victory, a fitting way to close a brilliant scoring career that totaled 491 regular-season goals.

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3. First NHL Hat Trick (January 7, 1968)

After a slow start to the 1967-68 season, Ratelle broke out with his first career hat trick against the Maple Leafs on January 7, 1968, at Madison Square Garden.

He recorded a natural hat trick, scoring three straight goals in just 4 minutes and 45 seconds, all in the second period. Teammate Rod Gilbert assisted on two of them, and Ratelle’s explosion powered the Rangers to a 6-2 win.

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4. Two-Time Lady Byng Winner

Known as one of hockey’s true gentlemen, Ratelle was twice awarded the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and performance, in 1971-72 and 1975-76.

Across 1,281 games, he logged only 276 penalty minutes, averaging barely a minor per season. His 1971-72 campaign was especially impressive: just two minors in 63 games while finishing fourth in Hart Trophy voting.

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5. Two 100-Point Seasons

Ratelle surpassed the 100-point mark twice, in 1971-72 (109 points in 63 games) and 1975-76 (105 points). Both seasons coincided with his Lady Byng wins, showcasing a rare balance of dominance and discipline.

In 1975-76, Ratelle’s midseason trade from the Rangers to the Bruins didn’t slow him down. He racked up 90 points in 67 games with Boston, finishing tied for sixth in NHL scoring.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Jean Ratelle

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Jean Ratelle began his NHL career with which team?

Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
Montreal Canadiens
Quebec Nordiques

2. In which season did Ratelle record an incredible 109 points in just 63 games?

1970–71
1971–72
1972–73
1975–76

3. Jean Ratelle was part of a blockbuster 1975 trade that sent him to Boston along with which other key player?

Ken Hodge
Brad Park
Wayne Cashman
Rick Middleton

4. How many times did Jean Ratelle win the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and skill?

Once
Twice
Three times
Never

5. Jean Ratelle was part of one of the Rangers’ most famous lines during the late 1960s and early 1970s. What was it called?

The GAG Line (Goal-A-Game)
The French Connection
The Kraut Line
The Production Line

NHL Hockey Card Legends: Jean Ratelle [Video]

Gilles Villemure Turns Away All 15 Phil Esposito Shots In 1972 Bruins-Rangers Clash

On December 14, 1972, the New York Rangers visited the Boston Garden in a showdown that featured two of the NHL’s biggest names: Phil Esposito and Gilles Villemure.

The 1972-73 season marked the third of four straight years that Esposito led the league in shots, and he showed no hesitation to fire the puck against Villemure. Boston launched 55 shots on goal, with 15 coming from Esposito alone.

Yet despite his relentless attack, Esposito was shut out individually. Villemure turned aside every single one of Espo’s shots. The Bruins still came out on top with a 4-2 victory, but not one of their goals came from their superstar sniper.

This performance set a rare mark in NHL history: most shots in a game without scoring a goal. To this day, only Alex Ovechkin has matched Esposito’s total, doing so in 2015. The overall single-game shots record belongs to Ray Bourque, who fired 19 on the Nordiques in 1991.

Esposito still found the scoresheet, recording two assists in the second period on goals by Wayne Cashman, both also assisted by Bobby Orr. Cashman and Orr each had seven shots, and when combined with Espo’s 15, the trio accounted for 29 of Boston’s 55 shots.

At the other end, Ed Johnston had a relatively calm night, stopping 22 of 24 shots. The Rangers’ goals came from Gene Carr and Jean Ratelle, while Fred O’Donnell scored the game-winner for Boston with help from Gregg Sheppard and Don Marcotte.

About Gilles Villemure

Between 1967-68 and 1976-77, Gilles Villemure played 205 regular season and 14 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks. Along with his 1970-71 Vezina Trophy win (shared with Ed Giacomin), Villemure was WHL rookie of the year in 1962-63 before winning both the Hap Holmes Award and Les Cunningham Award in the AHL for 1968-69 and 1969-70.

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

NHL Hockey Trivia: Gilles Villemure

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Gilles Villemure spent the majority of his NHL career with which team?

Chicago Black Hawks
New York Rangers
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks

2. Villemure shared the Vezina Trophy in 1971 with which fellow Rangers goalie?

Gump Worsley
Ed Giacomin
Bernie Parent
Rogie Vachon

3. Which season was Villemure’s best statistically, earning him NHL All-Star recognition?

1967-68
1970-71
1973-74
1975-76

4. Before becoming an NHL regular, Villemure was a standout in which minor league?

WHA
AHL
WHL
IHL

5. Villemure finished his NHL career with which team in 1976-77?

New York Rangers
Buffalo Sabres
Chicago Black Hawks
Los Angeles Kings

1967-68 NHL East Division Team Leaders

The 1967-68 National Hockey League season marked the addition of six new teams. Normally, expansion increases offense due to the watered down product on the ice. In 1967-68, that wasn’t really so. Stan Mikita won the Art Ross Trophy for the second year in a row but with ten less points than in 1966-67. Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks led the league with 44 goals. It was one of only five times from 1965-66 to the present when the goal scoring leader had less than 50 goals.

Stan Mikita – Chicago Black Hawks

Stan Mikita, obviously, led the Chicago Black Hawks with 87 points. Mikita played his entire NHL career with the Black Hawks from 1959-60 to 1979-80, contributing a total of 1,467 regular season points and winning the Art Ross Trophy four times. As for the Black Hawks, the team finished fourth in the newly formed East Division and lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup semi-finals.

Phil Esposito – Boston Bruins

Phil Esposito was in his first year with the Boston Bruins after coming over from the Black Hawks and his offensive juices were just starting to run. He led the Bruins with 84 points and finished second in the NHL behind Mikita. In the coming seasons, Esposito would win the Art Ross Trophy on five occasions between 1968-69 and 1973-74. Boston qualified for the post season for the first time since 1959 but lost in the first round.

Gordie Howe – Detroit Red Wings

Gordie Howe led the Detroit Red Wings with 82 points and placed third in the league. Howe had been a Red Wing since the 1946-47 season and would play with the club until the end of 1970-71. Detroit had a dismal season in 1967-68, finishing last in the East Division and out of the post season. In fact, just the Oakland Seals finished with a worst record in the NHL that season with 47 points to Detroit’s 66.

Jean Ratelle – New York Rangers

Jean Ratelle led the New York Rangers, a team that had a great regular season, finishing just four points behind the Montreal Canadiens for first overall. Yet, the Rangers were upset in the opening round by Chicago, a team that finished fourth in the East. Ratelle’s 78 points placed him fourth in the National Hockey League. Jean had just one more point than long time Rangers teammate Rod Gilbert.

Jean Beliveau – Montreal Canadiens

Jean Beliveau led the Montreal Canadiens with 68 points while playing in just 59 of Montreal’s 74 regular season games. Beliveau played his entire NHL career with Montreal, from 1953-54 to 1970-71. He won the Art Ross Trophy in 1955-56. Jean led the Habs to a Stanley Cup victory by sweeping the Bruins in the first round and taking the Black Hawks in five in the second round before sweeping the St. Louis Blues to capture the championship.

Mike Walton – Toronto Maple Leafs

Mike Walton led the Toronto Maple Leafs with just 59 points. Toronto went from winning the Stanley Cup in 1966-67 to not qualifying for the post season in 1967-68. Walton played in the NHL from 1965-66 to 1978-79 with the Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Black Hawks. Mike also played three years in the World Hockey Association with the Minnesota Fighting Saints and was awarded the Bill Hunter Trophy as the WHA’s top scorer in 1973-74.