Perreault’s Opening Night Hat Trick Launches Sabres’ 1974-75 Season

The 1974-75 NHL season began with a bang at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium as the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Boston Bruins. It was a matchup between two powerhouse clubs, but the night quickly turned into a showcase for Buffalo’s star center, Gilbert Perreault.

While rookie Danny Gare grabbed headlines by scoring just 18 seconds into his first NHL game, Perreault made sure his own performance wouldn’t be overlooked, racking up three goals and two assists in a vintage display of speed and skill.

Perreault had been limited to just 55 games the previous season and was eager to make an impact. After Boston took a 2–1 lead, he tied the game midway through the first period with a power-play goal, and fittingly, it came while Bobby Orr sat in the penalty box. Assists went to Jim Lorentz and Jerry Korab.

The second period was all Buffalo, as the Sabres exploded for four goals to take a commanding 6-2 lead. Perreault set up two of them, both scored by linemate Rick Martin of the famed French Connection line.

Just over two minutes into the third, Perreault scored again to make it 7-2, with Martin and René Robert collecting assists. He completed his hat trick late in the period with an unassisted power-play goal, sealing a 9-5 victory in front of a roaring home crowd.

The Sabres fired 40 shots at Bruins goalie Gilles Gilbert, while Buffalo’s own Gary Bromley made 13 saves on 18 shots. Despite some loose defense, it was the kind of offensive outburst that defined the high-flying Sabres of the 1970s. Buffalo went on to dominate the season series, winning five of seven meetings with Boston.

About Gilbert Perreault 

Gilbert Perreault played 1,191 regular season and 90 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1970-71 and 1986-87, all with the Buffalo Sabres. Perreault was the first overall selection at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Gilbert Perreault

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

1. In what year did Gilbert Perreault become the first-ever draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres?
   1968
   1970
   1972
   1974
2. Perreault centered one of the most famous lines in NHL history. What was it called?
   The Sabre Sword Line
   The French Connection
   The Golden Trio
   The Buffalo Blitz
3. What major NHL milestone did Gilbert Perreault achieve during the 1981-82 season?
   500th goal
   1,000th career point
   1,500th game played
   First playoff hat trick
4. Perreault represented Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. How many goals did he score in that historic tournament?
   0
   1
   3
   5
5. How many total regular-season points did Gilbert Perreault record in his NHL career?
   1,078
   1,326
   1,210
   1,502

Buffalo Sabres Players With 100 Points in a Single Season

The Buffalo Sabres came into the National Hockey League for the 1970-71 season along with the Vancouver Canucks, expanding the league to fourteen teams. The Sabres made an immediate splash by selecting GilbertPerreault first overall at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft. Perreault would lead the team for close to two decades. What follows are the five Buffalo Sabres players that have achieved the 100 point plateau in a single season.

Rene Robert

Rene Robert was the first Buffalo player to total 100 points in a season. In 1974-75, Robert scored 40 goals and assisted on 60 for exactly 100 points in 74 games. Rene finished seventh in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. It was Robert’s fourth of eight seasons with the Sabres. He played in the NHL from 1970-71 to 1981-82 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo and the Colorado Rockies. It was the only time Robert achieved the 100 point plateau during his NHL career.

Gilbert Perreault

Gilbert Perreault was the next player to accomplish the feat. He had 113 points in 1975-76 and 106 points in 1979-80. In the first year, he scored 44 goals and assisted on 69 in 80 games, finishing third in the league.  In 1979-80, he finished with 106 points on 40 goals and 66 assists in 80 games, landing in fourth spot in the league.

Perreault was the first overall pick in 1970. He played seventeen seasons with the Sabres from 1970-71 to 1986-87. Buffalo was the only National Hockey League team Gilbert would ever play for.

Pierre Turgeon

Pierre Turgeon totalled 106 points in 1989-90 on 40 goals and 66 assists in 80 games, identical numbers to Gilbert Perreault in 1979-80. Turgeon finished seventh in the NHL in what was his third of five seasons with the Sabres. Like Perreault, Turgeon was the first overall pick of the Sabres at the 1987 NHL Entry Draft.

Pierre played in the NHL from 1987-88 to 2006-07. His performance in 1989-90 was his first of two 100 points seasons in the NHL. In 1992-93, he accumulated 132 with the New York Islanders.

Alexander Mogilny

Alexander Mogilny reached 127 points in 1992-93, largely due to his incredible 76 goal performance. Mogilny added 51 assists in 77 regular season games to finish seventh in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. It was Alex’s fourth of six years with the Sabres after being a fifth round pick of the club in 1988.

Mogilny played in the NHL from 1989-90 to 2005-06 with the Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils. 1992-93 was his first of two 100 point seasons. He totalled 107 with the Canucks in 1995-96.

Pat Lafontaine

Pat Lafontaine was also a 100+ point man in 1992-93 for the Sabres. Lafontaine set the current Buffalo record for points in a season with 148 on 53 goals and 95 assists in 84 games. He finished second in the NHL, twelve points behind Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was his second of six seasons with the Sabres. Originally, he was the third overall pick of the New York Islanders at the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.

For Lafontaine, it was his second of two 100+ points seasons. He reached 105 with the Islanders in 1989-90. Pat played in the National Hockey League from 1983-84 to 1997-98 with the Islanders, Sabres and New York Rangers. In his final year of junior hockey , 1982-83, with Verdun of the QMJHL, Pat scored an incredible 104 goals and assisted on another 130 assists for 234 points in 70 games.