Danny Gare Haunts the Sabres in Wild 1984 Finish

On October 26, 1984, in just the eighth game of the 1984-85 NHL season, fans at Joe Louis Arena witnessed a bizarre and unforgettable performance by Detroit Red Wings captain Danny Gare. Facing off against his former team, the Buffalo Sabres, Gare seemed quiet with just one assist through 59 minutes of play. But the final 49 seconds flipped the script.

With the Red Wings clinging to a 4-3 lead and the Sabres’ goalie Tom Barrasso pulled for an extra attacker, Bob Manno scored into the empty net. Assisting on the goal? Dwight Foster and Danny Gare. That bumped Gare’s total to two points.

Just five seconds later, Barrasso still off the ice, Gare found the back of the net for his first goal of the night, his second of the season. Assists again went to Foster and the ever-intense Dave “Tiger” Williams.

Still without a goalie, Buffalo watched Gare strike once more. With just 15 seconds remaining, Tiger Williams set him up again for his second of the night and third point in under a minute. Paired with his first-period assist on Foster’s goal, Gare closed out the night with a four-point game, three of them scored in the final 49 seconds.

And that wasn’t all. Tiger Williams added some trademark grit to his stat line with two assists and a first-period fight against Buffalo’s Mike Foligno. Meanwhile, Dwight Foster and second-year phenom Steve Yzerman each notched a goal and two assists. John Ogrodnick chipped in with two goals and an assist.

About Danny Gare

Between 1974-75 and 1986-87, Danny Gare played 827 regular season and 64 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. The Sabres selected him in the second round, 29th overall, at the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft after an outstanding junior career with the Calgary Centennials. In his final year with Calgary, Gare scored 68 goals and totaled 127 points.

With Buffalo, Danny was a 50 goal scorer twice. His career best came in 1979-80 when his 56 goals tied him for the league lead with Blaine Stoughton of the Hartford Whalers and Charlie Simmer of the Losn Angeles Kings. 

Hockey Trivia: Los Angeles Kings Individual Single Season Records

The Los Angeles Kings entered the National Hockey League for the 1967-68 season in what was the first of several rounds of expansion. The Kings have been host to several players with a talent for offence. The team’s individual single season scoring records can be considered unsurpassable in today’s defensive minded NHL game.

Test and expand your hockey knowledge of the Los Angeles Kings with these four trivia questions focused on the team’s individual single season records.

Q. What player holds the Los Angeles Kings record for most points in a single regular season?

A. Wayne Gretzky became a Los Angeles King for the 1988-89 season and he impressed his new fans with a 168 point season. The second highest point total in history also belongs to Gretzky when he contributed 163 in 1990-91. The highest non-Gretzky single season point total in Los Angeles history is the 150 of Bernie Nicholls in 1988-89.

Q. Who holds the Los Angeles Kings single season record for most goals?

A. With the influence of Wayne Gretzky in 1988-89, Bernie Nicholls went over and above his talents and scored 70 goals. The next best goal scoring output by a King was Luc Robitaille with 63 in 1992-93. Nicholls and Robitaille are the only two L.A. players to top the 60 goal plateau. When it comes to scoring 50 goals, just Marcel Dionne, Charlie Simmer, Jimmy Carson and Gretzky can be added to the list.

Q. Two Los Angeles Kings players have led the team in goals scored on eight occasions. Who was the latest to accomplish this feat?

A. Luc Robitaille first led the team with 45 goals in 1986-87. The last occasion was the 1999-00 season when he scored 36. His best was 63 in 1992-93 and he surpassed the 50 goal plateau on two other occasions. Marcel Dionne is the other Los Angeles King to lead the team in goals on eight occasions.

Q. What Los Angeles King holds the team record for most penalty minutes in a single regular season?

A. Marty McSorley surpassed Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams’ team record of 358 PIM with 399 of his own during the 1992-93 season. McSorley came to Los Angeles from the Edmonton Oilers along with Wayne Gretzky for the 1988-89 season and led the Kings in PIM a total of five times.

For Tiger, 1987-88 was his second last season in the NHL and his final full season, playing just 28 games in 1988-89. His 358 PIM placed him second in the NHL in 1987-88, three minutes behind leader Tim Hunter of the Calgary Flames.

McSorley’s 399 PIM led the NHL in 1992-93, 29 more than second place Gino Odjick of the Vancouver Canucks. In over 961 regular season NHL games between 1983-84 and 1999-00, Marty sat 3,381 minutes in the penalty box. This total ranks him fourth all-time, behind Tiger Williams, Dale Hunter and Tie Domi. The group are part of an exclusive nine NHL players to accumulate more than 3,000 PIM in a career.

3 Toronto Maple Leafs With 300 or More PIM in a Single Season

Four times in the history of the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, a player has accumulated 300 or more minutes in penalties during one regular season. Despite Gary Bettman’s propaganda regarding the unpopularity of fighting in the NHL, two of the three players to top 300 PIM are pretty much considered legends by many Toronto hockey fans.

Tie Domi

Tie Domi holds the Toronto Maple Leafs record for the most PIM in a single season with 365 in 1997-98. Domi finished second in the NHL that season, seven PIM behind Donald Brashear of the Vancouver Canucks. This was Tie’s career high, topping the 347 he sat out with the Winnipeg Jets in 1993-94.

Domi totaled 3,515 PIM during his NHL career, ranking him third all-time behind Dave Williams and Dale Hunter. Tie played 1,020 regular season NHL games between 1990-91 and 2005-06 with the New York Rangers, Jets and Maple Leafs. Originally, he was a second round pick of the Maple Leafs at the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, 27^th overall.

Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams

Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams was the previous owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs record before Domi came along. Williams sat out 351 in 1977-78. This total was 54 behind league leader Dave ‘The Hammer’ Schultz, who split his season between the Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Williams topped this total by seven PIM in 1986-87 with the Los Angeles Kings.

Dave is the all-time NHL penalty minutes leader with 3,966 in 962 games. Tiger played in the NHL from 1974-75 to 1987-88 with the Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and Hartford Whalers. He was a second round pick of the Maple Leafs at the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft, 31^st overall.

Williams also topped 300 PIM in the previous season. In 1976-77, Dave led the National Hockey League with 338 PIM, 64 more than the next man, Dennis Polonich of the Detroit Red Wings.

Brian Curran

In 1989-90, a less than memorable Maple Leaf sat out 301 minutes in the sin bin. Brian Curran tied with Dave Manson of the Chicago Blackhawks for sixth place in the category. The NHL was led in 1989-90 by Basil McRae of the Minnesota North Stars with 351. Curran’s career high came in 1986-87 with the New York Islanders when he sat 356 minutes.

Brian totaled 1,461 PIM in 381 NHL games over his career. He played from 1983-84 to 1993-94 with the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Toronto, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals. He played with Toronto between 1987-88 and 1990-91. Originally, Curran was a second round pick of the Bruins in 1982, 22^nd overall.