Mark Howe Leads Hartford Whalers to First NHL Victory in Franchise History

After four winless games to start their inaugural NHL season, the Hartford Whalers finally broke through with a landmark victory on October 19, 1979. Hosting the Los Angeles Kings at the Springfield Civic Center in their first official “home” game, the Whalers delivered a 6-3 win and rising star Mark Howe stole the spotlight.

Just 1:31 into the game, Howe opened the scoring with help from veterans Dave Keon and Rick Ley. Then, early in the second period, Howe struck again, this time scoring the game-winner at 4:50, assisted by Keon and Jim Warner. That goal made it 4-3 for Hartford, and they never looked back.

Howe capped his performance with a third point, an assist on a goal by Bill Bennett. That goal was also assisted by none other than his legendary father, Gordie Howe, marking Gordie’s lone point of the night in a historic family moment.

The win came after a rough road start to the season, with losses to the Minnesota North Stars and Buffalo Sabres, and ties against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks. The team wouldn’t win again until October 31, when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs to go 2-4-4.

Despite early growing pains, the Whalers made the postseason in their first NHL campaign, finishing fourth in the Norris Division. Their playoff run was brief, however, as they were swept by the powerhouse Montreal Canadiens in the opening round. But on that October night in Springfield, Mark Howe helped etch the Whalers’ first NHL win into hockey history.

About Mark Howe

Between 1979-80 and 1994-95, Mark Howe played 929 regular season and 101 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings. He topped out offensively in 1985-86, scoring 24 and assisting on 58 for 82 points iwth the Flyers. 

Prior to starting in the NHL, Howe had six years of major league experience in the WHA from 1973-74 to 1978-79, playing for the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers. He scored no less than 23 goals in a season and had 107 points in his final campaign with New England. In his first two years, he helped the Aeros to consecutive Avco World Trophy championships.

Hartford Whalers in the Hockey Hall of Fame

I can hear Hartford Whalers fans crying foul at the title of this article, already. Indeed, there were six Hockey Hall of Fame members that skated for the Whalers but two didn’t stay long enough to work in their blades.

Bobby Hull, inducted in 1983, played nine games for the Whalers in 1979-80, the last nine games of his NHL career. Paul Coffey began the 1996-97 season with Hartford but was shipped to the Philadelphia Flyers after just 20 games. Then there’s Emile Francis who is in the Hall as a builder. Francis was General Manager of the Whalers from 1983 to 1989.

Gordie Howe

Gordie Howe entered the Hall five years before playing his first game with the WHA’s New England Whalers. In a strange twist of fate, Howe retired after the 1970-71 season and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972. He was coaxed back into professional hockey by the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association so that he could play with his sons, Mark and Marty, for the 1973-74 season. After four years in Houston, the Howe family moved to New England for the last two years of the WHA’s existence. Gordie played one full season with the NHL’s Hartford Whalers in 1979-80 before retiring for good.

Dave Keon

Dave Keon played with the WHA Whalers for three seasons and the NHL Whalers for three more. After a long NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Keon jumped ship to the WHA for the 1975-76 season. He played with the Minnesota Fighting Saints and Indianapolis Racers before joining New England. Dave Keon is the only player in history to win the Lady Byng Trophy in the NHL and the Paul Deneau Trophy in the WHA. Both awards honour the most gentlemanly player. Keon won two of each. After Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe retired from the Whalers after 1979-80, Keon became the oldest active player in the NHL.

Ron Francis

Ron Francis was the fourth overall pick at the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, taken by the Hartford Whalers. Francis spent the better part of ten seasons with the Whalers from 1981-82 to 1990-91. After a stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins that put his name on the Stanley Cup twice, Francis made a homecoming of sorts, returning to the Carolina Hurricanes, the team formerly known as the Hartford Whalers. Like Keon, Francis was a gentleman, winning the Lady Byng on three occasions. Ron was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.

Mark Howe

The WHA career of Mark Howe mimicked his father’s. He began in Houston and ended up in New England. Howe played three years with the NHL Whalers before moving on to the Philadelphia Flyers. Mark’s NHL career came to an end after the 1994-95 season with the Detroit Red Wings. Howe is a member of the most recent Hall of Fame class, inducted in 2011.