Wayne Connelly’s Hat Trick Leads North Stars to First-Ever Win Over Canadiens

On March 4, 1968, the Minnesota North Stars hosted the Montreal Canadiens at the Metropolitan Sports Center for their final meeting of the season. The expansion North Stars had yet to defeat the storied Habs until a former Montreal prospect made sure that changed.

Wayne Connelly, who began his NHL journey in the Canadiens’ system, scored all three Minnesota goals in a thrilling 3-2 victory. In the opening period, Connelly struck twice on the power play, first while John Ferguson sat off for cross-checking, then again with Ted Harris serving a five-minute major.

He completed the hat trick late in the third period, notching his 30th of the season and what would stand as the game-winner. Montreal’s Dick Duff scored both Canadiens goals, the last coming with less than two minutes to play, but Cesare Maniago held strong in net for Minnesota with 33 saves on 35 shots.

Connelly fired nine of the North Stars’ 23 shots himself, an outstanding solo effort that powered the team to its first-ever win over Montreal. The three-goal night was his second career hat trick, and he went on to lead the club with 35 goals that season, the highest total among players from the NHL’s six new expansion teams. His 35 goals also tied him with Phil Esposito and Norm Ullman for fourth overall in the league.

About Wayne Connelly

Between 1960-61 and 1971-72, Wayne Connelly played 543 regular season and 24 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks. He surpassed the 20 goal plateau twice and had a career best 59 points with the Red Wings in 1969-70.

In the WHA, Connelly played an additional 366 regular season and 37 playoff games between 1972-73 and 1976-77 with the Minnesota Fighting Saints, Cleveland Crusaders, Calgary Cowboys and Edmonton Oilers. He had two 40+ goal seasons, topping out with 42 in 1973-74 with the Fighting Saints.

The PDF versions of some of our hockey books are now available for free download: Take a look!

NHL Hockey Trivia: Wayne Connelly

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

1. Wayne Connelly led all players from the NHL’s six expansion teams in goals during the 1967-68 season. How many goals did he score that year?

28
32
35
38

2. Before joining the Minnesota North Stars, Connelly played for which NHL franchise?

Boston Bruins
Chicago Black Hawks
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens

3. Connelly’s most famous game came on March 4, 1968, when he scored all three goals in Minnesota’s first-ever win over which team?

Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
New York Rangers

4. In addition to the NHL, Connelly also spent several seasons in which major North American professional hockey league during the 1970s?

AHL
WHL
WHA
IHL

5. Over his professional career, Wayne Connelly played for all of the following teams except which one?

Minnesota North Stars
Vancouver Canucks
Cleveland Crusaders
Indianapolis Racers

Blues Stun Red Wings with Third Period Rally on Opening Night 1978-79

On October 11, 1978, at Detroit’s historic Olympia, the Red Wings looked poised to start the 1978-79 NHL season with a win. Dale McCourt was the star early, assisting on a second-period goal by Reed Larson before netting his first of the year just 90 seconds later to give Detroit a 4-2 lead. Brian Sutter struck late in the period for St. Louis, keeping the Blues within reach.

Garry Unger and Curt Bennett Lead Blues Third Period Rally

McCourt fired a game-high 11 shots at St. Louis goalie Phil Myre, who stood tall with 38 saves on 42 shots. At the other end, Detroit netminder Rogie Vachon faced only 14 shots but the Blues made them count. Curt Bennett tied the game 4:30 into the third, assisted by Garry Unger and Larry Giroux. Then, at 12:17, Unger scored the game-winner with help from Bennett and Doug Palazzari.

For Unger, it was the first of 30 goals in what would be his final season with the Blues, including three game-winning tallies. Both he and Bennett would join the Atlanta Flames the following year.

Detroit stuck with Vachon despite his rough opener, starting him in 50 games that season. After Jim Rutherford took the next start (a loss to Philadelphia), Vachon bounced back with a 3-2 victory over Buffalo, stopping 25 of 27 shots.

Hockey Trivia: Garry Unger

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

1. Garry Unger famously held the NHL ironman streak for consecutive games played. How many straight games did he play?
   814
   902
   914
   936
2. Which NHL team did Garry Unger start his career with?
   St. Louis Blues
   Toronto Maple Leafs
   Detroit Red Wings
   Atlanta Flames
3. Unger was traded from Detroit to St. Louis in 1971 in a blockbuster deal involving which star player going the other way?
   Red Berenson
   Phil Esposito
   Marcel Dionne
   Bernie Federko
4. What was Garry Unger’s highest single-season goal total in the NHL?
   38
   41
   50
   54
5. Unger’s consecutive games streak ended in 1979 when he was benched by which coach?
   Al Arbour
   Don Cherry
   Al MacNeil
   Bernie Geoffrion

NHL Hockey Card Greats: Garry Unger

NHL Hockey Trivia: Los Angeles Kings Retired Numbers

In the 40+ year history of the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings, five jersey numbers have been retired by the club. The Los Angeles Kings retired numbers feature some of hockey’s greatest players of the past four decades and all are well deserving of the honour.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of the Los Angeles Kings and the numbers that the NHL club has retired with the following four questions.

Q. Number 16 is retired by the Los Angeles Kings in honour of what player?

A. Marcel Dionne played for the Kings from 1975-76 until 1986-87. In that time, he won an Art Ross Trophy, Lady Byng Trophy and two Lester B. Pearson Trophies. He remains the all-time team leader in assists with 757 and points with 1307.

After dominating the OHA with the St. Catherines Black Hawks for three years from 1968-69 to 1970-71, Dionne’s National Hockey League career started with the Detroit Red Wings in 1971-72 after the Wings took him second overall at the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft. Marcel played four years with Detroit before moving to Los Angeles, where he played the bulk of his career. Dionne finished his Hockey Hall of Fame career with the New York Rangers, after being traded from Los Angeles near the end of the 1986-87 season.

Q. Who is the only goaltender to have his number retired by the Los Angeles Kings?

A. Rogatien ‘Rogie’ Vachon’s number 30 was retired by the Kings in 1985. Vachon played between the pipes for Los Angeles from 1971-72 to 1977-78. Rogatien remains the all-time leader amongst Los Angeles Kings goalies for games played, minutes played, wins, losses, ties and shutouts.

Vachon’s NHL career started with the Montreal Canadiens in 1966-67, leading the team to a Stanley Cup championship in 1968-69.After playing 70 of 80 games for the Kings in 1977-78, he was shipped off to Detroit for the following season. Rogie played two years with the Red Wings and two years with the Boston Bruins before retiring. For some unknown reason, Rogie Vachon is still not a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Q. Number 20 is retired by the Kings for what ‘lucky’ player?

A. Luc Robitaille wore number 20 for the Kings over three different tenures during his NHL career. He first was a King from 1986 until 1994. He returned for 1997 until 2001 then finished off his career with Los Angeles from 2003-04 to 2005-06. Robitaille was the first and only Calder Trophy winner for the Kings. Luc was a lowly ninth round pick at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, 171^st overall, after just his first of three years as a star in the QMJHL with the Hull Olympiques. With Hull, Robitaille would total 148 points in his second year and an amazing 191 points in his final season.

Q. Drafted 210^th overall by the Kings in 1975, what player overcame the odds and had his number 18 retired by the team?

A. Dave Taylor is the lowest drafted player in National Hockey League history to record more than 1,000 points in a career. The Los Angeles Kings were the only team Taylor played for during a career that stretched from 1977-78 to 1993-94. He served as team captain for the Kings from 1985-86 to 1988-89 before relinquishing the ‘C’ to Wayne Gretzky. Taylor was part of the Triple Crown Line that consisted of himself, Marcel Dionne and Charlie Simmer.