Defenseman Carol Vadnais Scores Hat Trick For Rangers In Wild 8-6 Loss To Maple Leafs (1976)

When the Boston Bruins traded Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais to the New York Rangers on November 7, 1975, the return package included stars Brad Park and Jean Ratelle along with Joe Zanussi. It was one of the biggest deals of the decade, and Vadnais quickly made his presence felt on Broadway. In his first 22 games with New York, the defenseman recorded two four-point performances.

One of those standout games came on January 4, 1976, when the Rangers hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden. Vadnais opened his scoring at 4:50 of the second period, beating Toronto goalie Wayne Thomas for his seventh goal of the 1975-76 season. The tally, assisted by Pete Stemkowski and Walt Tkaczuk, briefly gave New York a 2-1 lead.

Toronto quickly seized control, however, scoring four straight goals to take a commanding 5-2 lead into the third period.

Any thoughts of a quiet finish vanished almost immediately. Vadnais struck again just 23 seconds into the final frame, with assists from Rod Gilbert and Esposito. Later in the period, Lanny McDonald scored shorthanded for Toronto at 11:46, igniting a remarkable stretch of offense. Over the next 2:33, the teams combined for five goals, at the time the ninth-fastest sequence of five goals in NHL history and still among the fastest ever recorded.

Vadnais assisted on the fourth goal of that flurry, Gilbert’s 13th of the season, before completing his hat trick at 19:09 with helpers from Gilbert and Esposito. The late surge wasn’t enough to overcome Toronto’s earlier outburst, and the Rangers fell 8-6 in one of the season’s wildest games.

Despite the loss, Vadnais finished with three goals and an assist, while Gilbert added a four-point night of his own with two goals and two assists. Vadnais also led all shooters in the game with seven shots on goal.

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NHL Hockey Card Greats: Carol Vadnais [Video]

Five on Five Shots: Tim Young’s Perfect Night in New York

On January 15, 1979, at Madison Square Garden, Tim Young delivered a performance that still stands alone in franchise history. Skating for the Minnesota North Stars, Young scored five goals in an 8-1 demolition of the New York Rangers. Decades later, even after the club’s relocation and rebrand as the Dallas Stars, no player in franchise history has matched the feat.

Young entered the night with 24 goals on the season, but no one could have predicted what would unfold on Broadway. He first made his presence felt as a playmaker, assisting on a goal by Jim Roberts just 2:06 into the game. Forty-nine seconds later, Young scored his first of the night, his 11th of the season, which would stand as the game-winning goal in the lopsided victory.

The second period turned historic. Young struck twice more to complete his hat trick, beating Rangers netminder Doug Soetaert each time. Soetaert surrendered five goals on just 13 shots through two periods and was replaced by Wayne Thomas for the third. The change made little difference. Young added his fourth and fifth goals against Thomas, sealing a stunning five-goal masterpiece.

What made the performance even more remarkable was its efficiency: five goals on five shots. A perfect shooting night. The six-point outing remains the only five-goal game ever recorded by a Minnesota/Dallas player and is one of just 48 instances in National Hockey League history where a player has scored five or more in a single game.

Behind the offensive explosion stood goaltender Gilles Meloche, who quietly stopped 33 of 34 shots. It was a typically strong effort from one of the era’s most underrated netminders, ensuring Young’s historic night would be remembered for all the right reasons.

Nearly half a century later, the franchise still waits for another player to replicate what Tim Young accomplished on that winter night in New York, a perfect five-for-five performance that remains unmatched.

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Pat Hickey’s Five-Point Night Sinks Tony Esposito At MSG

On November 15, 1978, the Chicago Blackhawks rolled into Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers, and left with very little to show for it. While another famous kid from Brantford was still lighting up the WHA at the time, it was Pat Hickey, also born in Brantford, Ontario, who stole the spotlight in New York.

Hickey wasted no time making his presence felt. Just 1:03 into the opening period, he beat Tony Esposito for his first of the night, with assists from Ulf Nilsson and Carol Vadnais. Less than five-and-a-half minutes later, Vadnais added a shorthanded goal of his own. Then, only 41 seconds after that, Hickey set up Anders Hedberg to give the Rangers a commanding 3-0 lead.

The Rangers kept pouring it on. Hickey struck again at 16:56 of the second period, once more assisted by Nilsson, along with Ron Greshner, to make it 5-0. In a rare brother-versus-brother moment, Phil Esposito scored on his older brother Tony at 6:24 of the third period, pushing the lead to 6-0.

Before the night was done, Hickey completed his hat trick, scoring his third goal of the game and seventh of the 1978-79 NHL season. He also added another assist on a goal by Nilsson, finishing the night with a five-point performance.

The Rangers’ top line was unstoppable. Hickey, Nilsson, and Hedberg combined for 13 points in the blowout win. Nilsson recorded one goal and four assists, while Hedberg chipped in with a goal and two helpers. Hickey led all skaters with six shots on goal, while Tony Esposito faced 39 shots overall. At the other end of the ice, John Davidson turned aside 32 of 33 shots to seal the victory for New York.

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Tim Horton Sets Defensive Milestone With Record-Breaking Game-Winner In 1964

The Toronto Maple Leafs arrived at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 1964, for a key matchup against the New York Rangers, and Tim Horton made sure the night would be remembered. Early in the third period, Horton fired a shot past Rangers goaltender Jacques Plante, with Dave Keon and Allan Stanley picking up the assists.

The timing of the goal made it even more dramatic. Just seven seconds earlier, Jim Neilson had tied the game at 1-1. While it wasn’t a record for the fastest pair of goals, Horton’s marker at 1:34 of the third period proved to be the decisive one, standing up as the game-winner.

That goal was Horton’s seventh game-winning goal of the 1963-64 season, setting a new NHL record for most game-winning goals by a defenseman. The previous mark had belonged to Baldy Northcott of the Montreal Maroons, who recorded six game-winners during the 1932-33 season, more than three decades earlier.

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Horton’s achievement was even more impressive considering his offensive role. Seven of his nine goals that season turned out to be game-winners, a remarkable ratio for a defenseman in the Original Six era. The record would later be tied several times before finally being surpassed by Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who scored eight game-winning goals for the Arizona Coyotes in 2015-16.

The 1963–64 season also marked one of Horton’s finest individual campaigns. He finished second in Norris Trophy voting behind Pierre Pilote of the Chicago Blackhawks, the first of two times Horton would place runner-up for the award. While his seven game-winning goals were a defensive record, they also tied him for third overall in the NHL that season, trailing only Bernie Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens and Ken Wharram of the Chicago Blackhawks.

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About Tim Horton

Tim Horton played 1,445 regular season and 126 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1949-50 and 1973-74 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. The four-time Stanley Cup champion was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977.

Tim Horton NHL Stats

Regular Season

Playoffs

Ted Irvine Takes Control In The Third To Beat His Former Team In 1971

Some NHL performances seem to follow a script, and for Ted Irvine, hat tricks often arrived in a very specific way. Across his career, Irvine recorded three of them, and each felt like its own self-contained takeover: three consecutive goals, all natural hat tricks, all including the game winner. It became a pattern fans could almost sense coming once he got rolling.

His first came during the 1968-69 season, when Irvine scored three straight to give the Los Angeles Kings an early 3-0 cushion in a 3-2 win over the Oakland Seals. His third would come later with the St. Louis Blues, again featuring three unanswered goals in the third period to flip a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The second, though, may have been the most poetic, doing it against the team he once called home.

That moment arrived on March 7, 1971, when the New York Rangers hosted the Los Angeles Kings at Madison Square Garden. The opening period was scoreless, but Jean Ratelle broke through at 2:40 of the second to put New York ahead. The Kings responded late in the frame, however, as Eddie Joyal and Gilles Marotte struck to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead heading into the third.

That’s when Irvine took over. At 3:57 of the final period, he beat Denis DeJordy for his 16th goal of the season, tying the game and shifting the momentum. Just over nine minutes later, with help from Pete Stemkowski, Irvine buried what would stand as the game winner, giving the Rangers their first lead since early in the night. With DeJordy pulled for an extra attacker in the final minute, Irvine completed the familiar pattern. He scored his third straight goal, unassisted, with 43 seconds remaining to seal a 4-2 Rangers victory. 

About Ted Irvine

Between 1963-64 and 1976-77, Ted Irvine played 724 regular season and 83 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues. He was a 20 goal scorer twice during his NHL career, topping out with 26 in 1973-74 with the New York Rangers.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Ted Irvine

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

1. Ted Irvine made his NHL debut with which team during the 1963–64 season?

Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
Los Angeles Kings
St. Louis Blues

2. Ted Irvine recorded his most productive NHL season while playing for which team?

Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
Los Angeles Kings
St. Louis Blues

3. What was Ted Irvine’s career-high in goals during a single NHL season?

22
26
30
35

4. Ted Irvine recorded multiple hat tricks during his NHL career, most shared which distinction?

They were natural hat tricks
They occurred in playoff games
They came in overtime games
They were all short-handed goals

5. Ted Irvine is the father of which future professional wrestler?

Chris Jericho
Bret Hart
Edge
Roddy Piper

April 8, 1971: The Night Vic Hadfield Nearly Broke the PIM Record

Perhaps Jim Harrison said something about Vic Hadfield’s golf game. On April 8, 1971, Madison Square Garden played host to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup quarter-finals between the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Rangers were up 1-0 in the series, but Toronto fought back with a 4-1 victory and then things got really interesting.

After the goals came the gloves. Vic Hadfield piled up 34 penalty minutes before the night was over, at the time, the fourth-most in a single Stanley Cup playoff game (It still ranks among the top dozen today).

The all-time record of 42 minutes, held by Billy Coutu since 1923, is a bit of an outlier thanks to long-gone rules and two hefty misconducts. In the modern era, Hadfield was chasing Forbes Kennedy’s 38 minutes and John Ferguson’s 37, both set in 1969.

Hadfield’s trouble started midway through the second period. At 9:22, he tangled with Toronto’s Jim Harrison and earned an extra two minutes for high-sticking, his second trip to the box after a roughing call earlier. Then at 15:18 of the third, they went at it again, sparking a full-on melee that also pulled in Darryl Sittler and Brad Park. Hadfield picked up two ten-minute misconducts and a five for fighting, ending his night early.

Moments later, Park joined him in the dressing room when both he and Sittler were assessed game misconducts. Each finished with 27 penalty minutes.

On the scoresheet side of things, Toronto’s Paul Henderson led the way with two goals, while Dave Keon added a goal and an assist. Tim Horton scored the lone Rangers goal against his former team.

About Vic Hadfield

Vic Hadfield played 1,002 regular season and 74 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1961-62 and 1976-77 with the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. In 1971-72, he became the first player in Rangers history to score 50 goals in a season with exactly 50.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Vic Hadfield

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

1. Vic Hadfield spent the majority of his NHL career with which team?

Chicago Blackhawks
New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Boston Bruins

2. Hadfield was part of the Rangers’ famous “GAG Line.” What did “GAG” stand for?

Goal-A-Game
Great and Gritty
Goaltenders Always Guessing
Grind-And-Goal

3. In the 1971–72 season, Vic Hadfield became the first Rangers player to reach what major milestone?

50 goals in a season
100 career power play goals
1,000 career points
10 hat tricks in one season

4. After leaving the Rangers, Hadfield finished his NHL career playing for which team?

Buffalo Sabres
Pittsburgh Penguins
Los Angeles Kings
St. Louis Blues

5. Which best describes Vic Hadfield’s playing style?

Defensive specialist and shot blocker
Tough, skilled power forward with scoring touch
Pure finesse playmaker
Enforcer with limited offensive output

Bill Clement Leads Atlanta Flames Past Rangers on New Year’s Eve 1976

On December 31, 1976, the Atlanta Flames rang in the New Year in style at Madison Square Garden with a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers.

The night belonged to Bill Clement, who had a hand in three of the four Flames goals. After a scoreless first period, the Rangers opened the scoring early in the second when Wayne Dillon beat Phil Myre just 59 seconds in. But Clement responded midway through the frame, scoring a shorthanded goal while Bobby Simpson was in the penalty box.

The Rangers regained the lead early in the third on a Mike McEwen marker, but the Flames stormed back with three unanswered goals. Bobby Simpson, Tom Lysiak, and Ken Houston all found the back of the net, with Clement assisting on the Simpson and Houston tallies. Tim Ecclestone added three assists of his own to match Clement’s three-point performance.

The Flames fired 45 shots on Gilles Gratton, with Guy Chouinard leading the way with eight and Lysiak adding seven. On the Rangers’ side, Phil Esposito had a frustrating night with seven shots, no points, and a -2 rating. In the final seconds, tempers flared as Esposito and Pat Quinn nearly tangled, resulting in roughing penalties.

About Bill Clement

Bill Clement played 719 regular season and 50 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1971-72 and 1981-82 with the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Atlanta Flames and Calgary Flames. He was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Flyers.

Clement was a second round pick by the Flyers at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft after three years of junior with the Ottawa 67's. Despite being a defensive forward, Bill stands as eighth overall in total points with the Atlanta Flames.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Bill Clement

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

1. Bill Clement was originally drafted by which NHL team?

Philadelphia Flyers
Atlanta Flames
Washington Capitals
New York Rangers

2. Clement won two Stanley Cups early in his career. In which seasons did he capture them with the Flyers?

1972 & 1973
1973 & 1974
1974 & 1975
1975 & 1976

3. Bill Clement was part of a major trade that sent him from the Flyers to the Washington Capitals in 1975. Which future Hall of Famer went the other way?

Bernie Parent
Mel Bridgman
Bill Barber
Bill Clement was traded for the draft pick that became Mel Bridgman

4. Clement enjoyed his most productive offensive seasons with which team?

Philadelphia Flyers
Washington Capitals
Atlanta Flames
Colorado Rockies

5. After retiring from the NHL, Clement became well known as:

An NHL coach
A broadcaster and analyst
An NHL referee
A players’ agent

NHL Hockey Trivia: New York Rangers

The New York Rangers entered the National Hockey League for the 1926-27 season, a year after their roommates, the New York Americans, joined the league. It took the Rangers just two seasons before they were hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of the New York Rangers with these four trivia questions.

Q. What venue was the first home of the New York Rangers?

A. The New York Rangers arena has always been Madison Square Garden. However, it was the third incarnation of MSG that the Rangers first called home. The New York Americans also played home games out of the same venue. They played in MSG III until 1968 when they moved into their present home, MSG IV, which, of course, has just recently undergone renovations.

Q. From 1930’s to 1950’s, what was the New York Rangers farm team that also played out of Madison Square Garden?

A. The New York Rovers were the New York Rangers farm team playing in the Eastern Hockey League and later the Quebec Senior Hockey League. The team had some famous Rangers behind the bench as head coach, including Frank Nighbor and Frank Boucher. Many great Rangers players also played for the Rovers at one time or another. The roster of all-time greats includes outstanding goaltenders like Gump Worsley, Ed Giacomin, Al Rollins and Gilles Villemure.

Q. Who wore the number 7 that was the first of nine New York Rangers retired numbers to be hang from the rafters at MSG?

A. Despite the long history of the Rangers, Rod Gilbert’s number 7 was the first to be retired by the team and it wasn’t until 1979. Gilbert played 1,065 regular season NHL games between 1960-61 and 1977-78, all in a Rangers jersey. Rod was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982. He was an integral part of the 1972 Summit Series that pitted Team Canada against Russia.

Gilbert stands as the New York Rangers all-time leader in goals and points. Over his 1,065 games with the club, Rod scored 406 goals and totalled 1,021 points.

Q. What is the song that is played after every New York Rangers goal when they play at Madison Square Garden?

A. The song is called ‘Slapshot’ and was written by Madison Square Garden Music Director, Ray Castoldi. The song has been played after ever Rangers goal since 1995. It is also the goal song of the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers.