Al MacAdam's Hat Trick Keeps Golden Seals Perfect To Start 1975-76

A perfect start to a season wasn't something California Golden Seals fans got to experience very often. But, for at least two games in October 1975, the Seals could enjoy life without a loss. After opening the 1975-76 NHL season with a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Flames at the Omni, California travelled to Detroit to face the Red Wings on October 11, 1975.

Highlights

• California opened the 1975-76 season with consecutive victories.

• Al MacAdam scored a hat trick in the 5-2 win over Detroit.

• His first goal was an unassisted shorthanded marker.

• MacAdam's second goal, just 1:10 into the third, was the game winner.

• It was the first of three NHL hat tricks in MacAdam's career.

• Gary Simmons stopped 24 shots for California.

• Dennis Maruk led the Golden Seals with six shots on goal.

• California won just one of its next 12 games and relocated to Cleveland after the season.

Al MacAdam was the star of the night at Detroit Olympia. The Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island native opened the scoring at 8:38 of the first period with an unassisted shorthanded goal on Detroit goaltender Jim Rutherford. Bob Stewart was serving a charging penalty at the time. The Red Wings battled back and the teams entered the third period tied 2-2.

MacAdam wasted little time putting California back in front. Just 1:10 into the third, he scored his second of the game, assisted by Mike Christie. The goal stood as the game winner. MacAdam then completed the hat trick at 16:26, with Christie and rookie Dennis Maruk picking up the assists. It was the first of three hat tricks MacAdam would record during his NHL career.

Bob Murdoch finished off the scoring with an empty-net goal as California came away with a 5-2 victory. Gary Simmons earned the win in net with 24 saves, while the Golden Seals fired 36 shots at Rutherford. Maruk led California with six shots on goal.

For the Golden Seals, the 2-0 start provided a brief moment of optimism during what would be their final season in California. The momentum disappeared quickly, with the club winning just one of its next 12 games. California finished 1975-76 with 27 wins and 65 points, missing the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season. The franchise relocated to Ohio that summer and became the Cleveland Barons.

The California Golden Seals: A Tale of White Skates, Red Ink, and One of the NHL's Most Outlandish Teams

Discover the fascinating and unconventional story of the California Golden Seals — one of the NHL’s most memorable and unusual franchises.

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Jim Rutherford’s Stunning Shutout Ends Detroit’s Long Drought vs Montreal

For most of the 1970s, one NHL truth felt ironclad: Montreal was dominant, Detroit was not. But on April 9, 1978, Jim Rutherford delivered a rare moment that flipped the script and ended four long years of Red Wings frustration.

Detroit’s previous win against Montreal had come back on March 20, 1974, a wild 7-6 victory with Rutherford newly arrived from Pittsburgh. What followed was pure futility: 0-18-5 against the Canadiens from the start of 1974-75 through early 1978. Then came one unforgettable night at Olympia.

Montreal entered the matchup as a powerhouse at 59-9-11, gearing up for what would become their third straight Stanley Cup. Detroit was a modest 31-34-14, simply trying to build momentum heading into the playoffs. The Habs had their usual lineup, though backup Michel Larocque got the start instead of Ken Dryden. Rutherford seized the opportunity.

He stopped all 28 shots he faced, earning his only shutout of the 1977-78 season and giving Detroit a cathartic 4-0 victory, the franchise’s first against Montreal in four years.

The Red Wings struck quickly. Just 33 seconds in, Dennis Hextall scored the eventual game-winner, assisted by Nick Libett and Vaclav Nedomansky. Before the first period ended, Bill Lochead added two more goals, both set up by Dale McCourt. In the second period, Nedomansky capped the scoring with his 11th of the year, assisted by Hextall and Libett.

Detroit would go on to enjoy a milestone spring: their first playoff appearance since 1969-70 and their first series win since 1965-66, ironically, the year they had fallen to the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Jim Rutherford

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

1. Which team originally drafted Jim Rutherford into the NHL?

Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
Pittsburgh Penguins
Toronto Maple Leafs

2. Rutherford was traded to Detroit in January 1974. Which team dealt him?

Pittsburgh Penguins
Los Angeles Kings
Buffalo Sabres
Washington Capitals

3. Rutherford’s famous 4–0 shutout over Montreal came in which NHL season?

1975–76
1977–78
1979–80
1981–82

4. After retiring as a player, which major NHL award did Rutherford later win as a general manager?

NHL General Manager of the Year Award
Lester Patrick Award
Jennings Trophy
King Clancy Trophy

5. Which teams did Rutherford win the Stanley Cup with as a general manager? (Select all that apply)

Carolina Hurricanes
Pittsburgh Penguins
Detroit Red Wings
St. Louis Blues