Reg Leach and Dennis Hull Trade Hat Tricks in a 1974 Blackhawks Blowout

In the early 1970s, matchups with the California Golden Seals often meant big nights for opposing scorers and January 6, 1974 was no exception. Dennis Hull made the most of the opportunity, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 9-4 win at Chicago Stadium. But California’s Reggie Leach wasn’t about to let Hull have the spotlight to himself.

Leach got on the board first, beating Blackhawks goalie Mike Veisor just 2:15 into the opening period. Walt McKechnie and Brent Meeke assisted on the early goal. Hull answered back five minutes later with his 17th of the season, set up by Pit Martin and Bill White.

Before the first period ended, Hull had already added his second of the night, and the Hawks took a 3-2 lead into the intermission. He completed the hat trick just 1:17 into the second period.

Reggie Leach wasn’t done either. He tallied his second goal of the game at 12:07 of the second period, then notched his third at 11:11 of the third. Despite the lopsided final score, Leach’s hat trick earned him some well-deserved respect.

Hull rounded out his stellar night with two third-period assists, giving him five points overall. Both he and Leach led their respective teams with six shots on goal.

In net for the Golden Seals was Bob Champoux, who played 17 games that season. After a single NHL playoff appearance with Detroit back in 1964, the 1973-74 campaign with California marked his only regular-season action in the league. He finished the year with a 5.21 goals-against average and a .848 save percentage.

Dennis Hull vs. Reg Leach in 1973-74

1973-74 was the final year with the California Golden Seals for Reg Leach. His 22 goals were one off his previous best of 23, put up the year before. His 46 points were a career best but these highs would change fast. On May 24, 1974, Leach was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Al MacAdam and Larry Wright. With the Flyers, Reg would see his potential and have career highs of 61 goals and 91 points.

For Dennis Hull, 1973-74 was a decent year with 29 goals and 68 points. However, his goal scoring had been declining since he put up 40 in 1970-71. He would remain in the NHL until the end of the 1977-78 campaign but he would not really have the same scoring success he'd enjoyed.

Quiz: Reg Leach and Dennis Hull Hat Trick Showdown (1974)

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1. Who scored the first goal of the game on January 6, 1974?

Dennis Hull
Reggie Leach
Pit Martin
Brent Meeke

2. How many points did Dennis Hull score in the game?

3
4
5
6

3. Who was the California Golden Seals’ starting goalie that day?

Bob Champoux
Terry Sawchuk
Mike Veisor
Rogie Vachon

4. How many goals did Reggie Leach score in the game?

2
3
4
1

5. How many games did Bob Champoux play in the NHL that season?

10
17
3
1

Bobby Orr Begins His Chicago Blackhawks Career With a Three-Point Statement Game

It never felt quite right seeing Bobby Orr in anything but black and gold. Yet on October 7, 1976, Orr officially began the final chapter of his NHL career, this time wearing a Chicago Blackhawks sweater. After a frustrating 1975-76 season marred by recurring knee injuries, fans in the Windy City were hopeful they'd see flashes of the legendary Orr in action. And on opening night, that’s exactly what they got.

Facing the St. Louis Blues at the Checkerdome, Orr made his presence known just 1:32 into the game, assisting on Pit Martin’s opening goal past Blues goalie Ed Staniowski. Then, just 1:27 into the second period, he found the back of the net himself, scoring his first goal as a Blackhawk with help from Cliff Koroll and Dick Redmond.

Later in the same frame, Orr added a second assist on a powerplay goal by Ivan Boldirev, giving him a three-point night in his return to NHL action. The Blackhawks ultimately won the game 6-4, with Pit Martin’s second of the night holding up as the game-winner.

While Orr showed early promise in his new colors, his knee troubles never fully subsided. He would post 23 points in 20 games that season before sitting out the entire 1977-78 campaign. A brief six-game return in 1978-79 marked the final days of his brilliant career.

About Bobby Orr

Bobby Orr played 657 regular season and 74 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1966-67 and 1978-79 with the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. The two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Bruins won the Norris Trophy eight consecutive times as the NHL's top defenseman.

Along with winning the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 1966-67, Orr was also a three-time recipient of the Hart Trophy while winning both the Art Ross Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy twice. Bobby was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979.

Quick Hockey Trivia Quiz

Just some fun hockey trivia focused on the content above. You can find much more at our hockey trivia website.

Bobby Orr's Chicago Blackhawks Debut Quiz

1. What team did the Blackhawks face in Bobby Orr’s debut?

Detroit Red Wings
St. Louis Blues
Boston Bruins

2. How many points did Orr score in the game?

Two
Three
Four

3. Who scored the first goal of the game assisted by Orr?

Ivan Boldirev
Cliff Koroll
Pit Martin

4. How many games did Orr play in 1976–77?

20
6
82

5. What arena did Orr’s debut take place in?

The Forum
Checkerdome
Boston Garden

J.C. Tremblay’s Historic 4-Assist Period vs. Detroit in 1962

On December 29, 1962, Montreal Canadiens defenseman J.C. Tremblay carved out a slice of NHL history with a second-period performance that stood unmatched for more than six decades. In a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at the Montreal Forum, Tremblay notched four assists, all in the middle frame alone.

That burst of playmaking was part of a dominant showing that helped the Canadiens take a 4-0 lead into the final frame. Bill Hicke and Bernie Geoffrion each scored twice in that middle period, with Tremblay assisting on all four goals. Geoffrion completed his hat trick early in the third.

Detroit’s legendary goaltender Terry Sawchuk faced a barrage of 51 shots, while JacquesPlante had a far quieter night at the other end, stopping 25 of 26. The Red Wings’ lone goal came from AlexDelvecchio at 9:08 of the third period.

Tremblay’s four-assist outburst set the NHL record for most assists in a single period by a defenseman, a mark that stood until Kris Letang tallied five in the second period of a 2023 game between the Penguins and Islanders.

Though others would later match Tremblay’s four in a period, names like BobbyOrr, Phil Housley, Rob Blake, and Scott Stevens, none would surpass it until Letang's historic night.

Tremblay’s offensive contributions only grew from there. He recorded back-to-back seasons with 50+ assists in 1970-71 (52) and 1971-72 (51), and led the WHA with 75 assists as a member of the Quebec Nordiques in 1972-73.

About J.C. Tremblay

J.C. Tremblay played 794 regular season and 108 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1959-60 and 1971-72, all with the Montreal Canadiens. Over that time, he helped the Habs to five Stanley Cup championships.

Between 1972-73 and 1978-79, the full duration of the World Hockey Association, Tremblay played 454 regular season asnd 34 playoff games in the WHA, all with the Quebec Nordiques. He helped the team to an Avco World Trophy championship in 1976-77.

Try The Trivia Challenge

Here's a series of trivia questions derived from the content above. Can you get a perfect score?

We have much more hockey trivia at our Hockey Trivia Website.

J.C. Tremblay Hockey Trivia

1. Which Canadiens defenseman recorded four assists in one period in 1962?

B) J.C. Tremblay A) Doug Harvey C) Serge Savard D) Larry Robinson

2. Who broke Tremblay’s record with five assists in one period?

A) Bobby Orr B) Phil Housley C) Kris Letang D) Rob Blake

3. True or False: Tremblay’s four-assist period happened in the first period.

False True

4. Who scored a hat trick in that same game for Montreal?

C) Bernie Geoffrion A) Henri Richard B) Jean Beliveau D) Dick Duff

5. True or False: Jacques Plante faced more shots than Terry Sawchuk in the game.

False True