Butch Goring’s First NHL Game: Marked By A Rare Trip to the Penalty Box

When fans think of Butch Goring, they picture discipline, consistency, and almost no time spent in the penalty box. Across 1,107 NHL regular-season games from 1969-70 to 1984-85, Goring collected only 102 penalty minutes, a stunningly low total for someone who played through the gritty, high-contact 1970s and 80s. But his NHL debut on November 26, 1969, told a different story.

Skating for the Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Stadium, Goring recorded no points in the Kings’ 6-0 loss to Tony Esposito and the Blackhawks. But he did make the scoresheet by taking a minor penalty for hooking at 7:22 of the second period. Chicago converted on the power play, with Lou Angotti scoring and Bobby Hull and Gilles Marotte drawing assists.

That hooking call was one of just four minors Goring took in his entire rookie season. Even more impressively, he followed it up with one minor penalty per season for the next four years. Despite this remarkable discipline, Goring earned the Lady Byng Trophy only once, in 1977-78 with the Kings.

His cleanest year came in 1980-81 with the New York Islanders, when he played 78 games without taking a single penalty and still put up 23 goals and 60 points. Somehow, that season earned him only a seventh-place finish in Byng voting.

Goring didn’t wait long for his first NHL goal, though. The very next night in Detroit, he snapped Roger Crozier’s shutout bid at 18:38 of the third period, scoring the lone Kings goal in a 5–1 loss at the Olympia.

About Butch Goring

Butch Goring played 1,107 regular season and 134 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1969-70 and 1984-85 with the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. The four-time Stanley Cup champion was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 1980-81 as playoff MVP.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Butch Goring

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

1. Before joining the New York Islanders, Butch Goring spent the first decade of his NHL career with which team?

Boston Bruins
Los Angeles Kings
Detroit Red Wings
Vancouver Canucks

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2. How many Lady Byng Trophies did Butch Goring win in his NHL career?

None
One
Two
Three

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3. Butch Goring joined the New York Islanders just before their run of four consecutive Stanley Cups. Which season did that trade happen?

1978-79
1979-80
1980-81
1981-82

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4. In 1980-81, Goring played all 78 games without taking a single penalty. How many points did he record that season?

42
51
60
72

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5. Which award did Butch Goring win as playoff MVP during the Islanders' dynasty years?

Hart Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
Selke Trophy
Masterton Trophy

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NHL Hockey Card Greats: Butch Goring [Video]

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]

NHL Hockey Trivia: Johnny Bucyk

Johnny Bucyk was a long-time Boston Bruins star that was an integral part of the ‘Big Bad Bruins’ era of the early 1970’s. Although, we’ll find out, Bucyk was not a regular in the penalty box like many of his teammates. Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of Johnny Bucyk with the following four trivia questions.

Q. What was Johnny Bucyk’s first National Hockey League team?

A. Bucyk played his first two seasons in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings. Before the 1957-58 season began, Johnny was traded to the Bruins for the legendary goaltender, Terry Sawchuk. Bucyk played the rest of his NHL career with Boston, retiring after the 1977-78 season. In 1955-56, Johnny played 38 games for the Red Wings, scoring one goal and totalling nine points. In 1956-57, he became a regular, appearing in 66 games, scoring ten goals and totalling 21 points.

As for Sawchuk, he was returned to Detroit, a team that traded him to Boston just before Bucyk started his National Hockey League career.

Q. With a career total of just 497 minutes in penalties over 1540 regular season games, how many times did the gentleman Johnny Bucyk win the Lady Byng Trophy?

A. Bucyk won the Lady Byng as the most gentlemanly player in 1970-71 and again in 1973-74. In each season, Johnny totalled just eight minutes in penalties with the Bruins. In two other seasons in which Bucyk played nearly a full schedule did he sit less than ten minutes in the box. In 1967-68, Johnny received four minor penalties over 72 games, yet Stan Mikita of the Chicago Blackhawks was awarded the Lady Byng with 14 PIM. In 1971-72, Bucyk sat just four minutes in the penalty box while playing the full 78 game schedule but the Lady Byng went to Jean Ratelle of the New York Rangers who spent an equal time in the sin bin.

Q. What jersey number was retired by the Boston Bruins in honour of Johnny Bucyk?

A. After his final season, 1977-78, the Bruins hung number 9 from the rafters of the Boston Garden in honour of the player that wore it for 21 seasons. Of course, in his first two years in the NHL, Bucyk did not wear number 9. As a member of the Detroit Red Wings, that number was already taken by Gordie Howe. Johnny wore number 20 while with Detroit. He took on number 9 right from his first game with Boston.

Q. During the 1970-71 season, at the age of 35, Johnny Bucyk became the oldest NHL player to do what?

A. With 51 goals, Bucyk became the oldest NHL player to surpass the 50 goal plateau. With an additional 65 assists for 116 points, Johnny finished third in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind teammates Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. Another teammate, Ken Hodge, rounded out the top four that season with all four Bruins surpassing 100 points. Johnny’s 51 goals placed him second in the NHL, 25 goals behind teammate and league leader Phil Esposito.

Hockey Trivia: Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks

Perhaps the greatest goal scorer in the history of the National Hockey League, Bobby Hull, along with Stan Mikita, wowed them in Chicago throughout the 1960’s. There were two distinctive parts to the Golden Jet’s professional hockey career:  The National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association. As an indicator of his success and popularity, the Bobby Hull rookie card from the 1958-59 Topps series is worth a whopping $3000.

This article deals with Bobby Hull’s career in the National Hockey League. Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of Bobby Hull’s NHL accomplishments with these four trivia questions.

Q. Despite having eleven more total points in his rookie season, who did Bobby Hull finish second to in the 1957-58 Calder Memorial Trophy voting?

A. Frank Mahovlich of the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Calder in 1958. Ironically, both players were still in their teens and straight out of junior. Typically, back in the day, a player spent several years in the minor pro leagues before behind brought up to take one of the scarce NHL jobs.

With the Black Hawks in that first year, at the age of just 18, Hull scored 13 goals and assisted on 34 for 47 points while playing the full 70 game schedule. Mahovlich, a year older than Hull, totalled 36 points on 20 goals and 16 assists over 67 games for the Maple Leafs.

Q. Bobby Hull was a five time 50+ goal scorer in the National Hockey League. In which year did Bobby score his NHL career high 58 goals?

A. 1968-69 saw Hull create a new NHL goal scoring record. Bobby’s 58 goals would stand as a record for just two seasons before Phil Esposito shattered the mark in 1970-71 with 76. Hull was on pace for 58 in 1965-66 but missed five games and scored just 54.

His last 50 goal season in the NHL came in 1971-72 when he scored exactly 50 for the Blackhawks. In the WHA, Bobby exploded for 77 goals over 78 games with the Winnipeg Jets in 1974-75.

Q. From 1957-58 until the end of 1971-72, Hull played exclusively with the Chicago Black Hawks. Which two teams did he play for in his final NHL season?

A. After the WHA merged with the NHL for the 1979-80 season, Hull followed the Winnipeg Jets as they switched leagues. After 18 games with the Jets, Bobby jumped ship to the Hartford Whalers where he played another nine games before retiring.

Q. Better known for his offensive abilities, in what year was Bobby Hull awarded for his gentlemanly play with the Lady Byng Trophy?

A. Hull won the Byng in 1964-65 while sitting 32 minutes in the penalty box over 61 regular season games. He was also awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy that same year as the NHL’s most valuable player.

In a five year stretch from 1963-64 to 1967-68, Chicago dominated the Lady Byng. Ken Wharram won the trophy the year before Hull. Stan Mikita went from king of the sin bin early in his NHL career to a two time winner of the Lady Byng in 1966-67 and 1967-68.