Joe Mullen began the 1981-82 season bouncing between the St. Louis Blues and their CHL affiliate in Salt Lake City, but one explosive performance made it clear he belonged in the NHL full-time. On January 5, 1982, the Blues hosted the Minnesota North Stars and Mullen delivered a breakout moment that still stands in franchise history.
With the game tied 1-1 late in the second period, Mullen struck for his first NHL goal at 18:22, beating Minnesota’s Gilles Meloche off a setup from Ed Kea. Eight seconds later, he buried his second, assisted by Brian Sutter and Larry Patey. That lightning-quick pair not only gave St. Louis the lead in an eventual 4-1 win, it also set a Blues record for the fastest two goals by a single player, a mark that still holds today.
The night was filled with rapid scoring overall. Tim Young had tallied for Minnesota at 18:11, meaning the trio of goals happened in just 19 seconds. It wasn’t an NHL record, but it was good enough to rank as the fifth-fastest set of three goals in league history. The all-time mark, also involving Minnesota, came a year later in February 1983, when the Rangers and North Stars combined for three goals in only 15 seconds.
Despite playing just 45 regular-season games in 1981-82, Mullen finished with an impressive 25 goals and 34 assists for 59 points, then added 18 more in ten playoff games. His production was strong enough for an 11th-place finish in Calder Trophy voting, a reminder that with a full season, he may have been a serious contender for Rookie of the Year.
About Joe Mullen
Between 1979-80 and 1996-97, Joe Mullen played 1,062 regular season and 143 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. Undrafted, the Blues signed Mullen out of Boston College.
The two-time Lady Byng Trophy winner scored 20 or more goals in eleven seasons, topping six times. His career best came in 1988-89 with the Flames when he scored 51 and totaled 110 points. He tied for fifth in goal scoring with teammate Joe Nieuwendyk, 34 behind leader Mario Lemieux. He was seventh in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.
Mullen was a three time Stanley Cup champion. His first was with Calgary in 1988-89 before winning back-to-back with the Penguins in 1990-91 and 1991-92. A long time assistant coach in the NHL after retiring, Joe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.
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NHL Hockey Trivia: Joe Mullen
Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia
1. Which NHL team did Joe Mullen debut with?
2. Joe Mullen was one of the NHL’s greatest undrafted success stories. What league did he play in before reaching the NHL?
3. How many Stanley Cups did Joe Mullen win during his career?
4. Joe Mullen became the first American-born player to reach which major NHL milestone?
5. With which team did Joe Mullen win his first Stanley Cup?
