Thomas Gradin's Seamless Move from Sweden to NHL Success

Thomas Gradin, a skilled Swedish forward, was selected in the third round of the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Rather than immediately heading to North America, Gradin chose to continue developing his game with Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Elite League. 

It wasn't until the Vancouver Canucks acquired his rights prior to the 1978-79 NHL season that he made the jump to the NHL.Transitioning from European hockey to the North American style, especially in the 1970s, was often a tough challenge. But for Gradin, the adjustment appeared effortless.

In his NHL debut on October 11, 1978, at the Pacific Coliseum, Gradin made an instant impact. The Vancouver Canucks dominated the Colorado Rockies with an 8-2 victory. Just 4:14 into the game, Gradin scored his first NHL goal against goaltender Doug Favell, assisted by veteran defenseman Dennis Kearns.

Gradin continued his stellar performance by opening the second period with another goal, this time assisted by Curt Fraser, and later assisted on a Fraser goal. He finished the game with two goals on two shots and one assist, totaling three points in a dream debut.

Two nights later, Gradin proved his performance was no fluke, netting two more goals in an 8-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues. After four games, he had already tallied five goals and three assists, averaging two points per game.

Though his torrid scoring pace eventually leveled out, Gradin’s rookie season remained impressive. He finished the year with 20 goals and 51 points, earning a tie for 7th place in Calder Trophy voting alongside Brad Marsh of the Atlanta Flames. Gradin’s early NHL success helped pave the way for more Swedish players to make the leap to the NHL, showing that European talent could thrive on North American ice.

About Thomas Gradin

Along with being drafted by Chicago in the third round of the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft, 45th overall, Thomas Gradin was a first round pick by the Winnipeg Jets that year in the 1976 WHA Amateur Draft. He played for neither. 

Between 1978-79 and 1986-87, Gradin played 677 regular season and 42 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. He reached the 20 goal plateau in his first seven seasons and had a career best 37 with the Canucks in 1981-82.

In that 1981-82 NHL season, Thomas helped Vancouver reach the Stanley Cup final, contributing 19 points in 17 games. Vancouver was finally knocked out by the defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders.

Wayne Gretzky’s 7-Assist Game: The Start of an Unmatched NHL Legacy

On February 15, 1980, a young Wayne Gretzky announced his arrival as a force in the NHL with a jaw-dropping seven-assist performance against the Washington Capitals. The game, played at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, marked just the fifth month of Gretzky’s NHL career, but it was a clear sign of things to come.

The Edmonton Oilers dominated after allowing the first and final goals of the game, scoring eight unanswered in between to secure an 8-2 victory. Gretzky was instrumental, assisting on seven of those goals, tying a record first set in 1947 by Bill Taylor of the Detroit Red Wings.

While Gretzky would later be surrounded by Hall of Fame teammates like Mark Messier and Jari Kurri, this early standout night featured goals from Blair MacDonald (3), Bobby Schmautz (2), Brett Callighen, and Dave Semenko. MacDonald had a four-point game, and Semenko contributed a goal, two assists, and avoided the penalty box. This was unusual for the enforcer, who stayed clear of the only fight of the game between Colin Campbell and Mike Gartner.

Gretzky would tie this assist record two more times in his career, but no NHL player has ever recorded more than seven assists in a single game. This performance was an early chapter in a career that would fill the NHL record books and solidify “The Great One” as a hockey legend.

Most Assists In An NHL Game (Runner-Ups)

Gretzky and Billy Taylor remain the only players to record seven assists in a single game. However, there have six assist games recorded 27 times. Wayne is included in that group, as well, with a six assist game against the Los Angeles Kings in 1985. Mario Lemieux had three six assist games, one with an additional two goals and two with a single goal added.

Lemieux's eight point game came on October 15, 1988, just the fourth game of the 1988-89 season for Mario and the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the 9-2 win over the St. Louis Blues, the only goal had didn't figure on for the Pens was scored by Steve Dykstra in the first period. Lemieux assisted on all three Rob Brown hat trick goals, along with singles by Zarley Zalapski, Bob Errey and John Cullen.

The most recent player to record six assists in a game was Connor McDavid on February 13, 2024 against the Detroit Red Wings. In the 21^st century, just McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Kris Letang have accomplished the feat. Prior to Draisaitl in 2021, there was a 24 year gap since the last time, in 1997 by Eric Lindros.

Bobby Orr Dominates as Bruins Crush Capitals in First Ever Meeting At Boston Garden

On November 7, 1974, the Boston Bruins hosted the newly formed Washington Capitals at the legendary Boston Garden. The Bruins, hovering around the .500 mark early in the 1974-75 NHL season, found the perfect opportunity to gain momentum against the struggling expansion team.

The Capitals, sitting at a dismal 1-9-1, were no match for the Bruins and certainly not for Bobby Orr. The Hall of Fame defenseman wasted no time, opening the scoring just 3:51 into the first period. Orr then assisted on goals by Don Marcotte and Johnny Bucyk, wrapping up the period with three points.

Orr wasn’t done. He scored again just 55 seconds into the second period, then completed his hat trick later that frame. He capped off a six-point night with another assist on Phil Esposito’s 14th goal of the season.

The Bruins cruised to a 10-4 victory. Orr finished with three goals, three assists, eight shots, and an impressive +7 rating. Esposito added four points of his own with a goal and three helpers. The Capitals’ goaltending tandem had a rough night. Ron Low allowed six goals on 19 shots before being relieved by Michel Belhumeur, who gave up four more on 22 attempts.

Bobby Orr proved to be a nightmare for Washington all season long. In four games against the Capitals, he tallied 16 points. Boston dominated the season series, outscoring the Caps 41-10 over five games. However, the third meeting ended in a surprising 3-3 tie, a small but meaningful milestone for the NHL’s newest franchise.

Washington Capitals Inaugural Season

The Washington Capitals joined the NHL, along with the Kansas City Scouts, for the 1974-75 season. It did not go well. The eight wins the Capitals recorded remain as the least by any team in a single season with at least a 70 game schedule. The team finished with just 21 points over 80 games, 20 points behind their expansion cousins in Kansas City.

Placed in the Norris Division, the Caps were fifth out of the five teams, a massive 92 points behind the division leading Montreal Canadiens. Tommy Williams led the team with 22 goals and 58 points. Michel Belhumeur was the team's best goaltender with a 5.37 goals against average while Ron Low recorded a 5.45 GAA. John Adams played eight games between the pipes and had a 6.90 GAA and an 0-7 record.

Twice during that 1974-75 season, Washington lost games by the score of 12-1, once to the Boston Bruins and once to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the match with the Pens, Low faced 50 shots and Belhumeur took on 15 in relief for a total of 65. In seven games, that allowed 10 or more goals. The most they scored in a game was eight in an 8-4 win over Pittsburgh.

Ron Low did manage to record the franchise's first shutout, stopping all 32 shots in a 3-0 win over the Kansas City Scouts. It would get slightly better for the team in 1975-76, winning eleven games and totaling 32 points.