Bruce Boudreau’s Lone NHL Hat Trick Comes Against the Minnesota North Stars

When most hockey fans think of Bruce Boudreau, it’s for his work behind the bench rather than on the ice. But on December 16, 1977, “Gabby” had the best game of his NHL playing career with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Boudreau had proven his scoring touch in junior with the Toronto Marlboros (68 goals) and in the AHL with the St. Catharines Saints (50 goals). In the NHL, his best season came in 1977-78 when he tallied 11. Three of those came on one memorable night in Minnesota.

The Leafs were flying high early that season while the North Stars were struggling badly. Toronto rolled to an 8-5 win, and Boudreau was the star.

• His first goal came at 12:00 of the second period, assisted by Börje Salming and Tiger Williams, putting Toronto ahead 3-1.

• Just minutes later, Ron Ellis and Salming set up his second to make it 4-2.

• Early in the third, with Minnesota’s Tom Younghans in the box for hooking, Boudreau buried his hat trick goal on the power play for what proved to be the game-winner.

Salming finished with five assists, three of them on Boudreau’s goals, while Toronto peppered Pete LoPresti with 37 shots.

Boudreau would go on to play 141 regular season and nine playoff games in the NHL with Toronto and Chicago. His legacy, however, would be built as a coach, where he won championships in the ECHL and AHL and became one of the most colorful personalities behind an NHL bench, even if a Stanley Cup title still eludes him.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Bruce Boudreau

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

1. In which season did Bruce Boudreau score his only NHL hat trick?
   1976-77
   1977-78
   1978-79
   1979-80
   
2. Which Hall of Fame defenseman assisted on all three of Boudreau’s goals in that hat trick game?
   Börje Salming
   Brad Park
   Denis Potvin
   Larry Robinson
   
3. How many regular season NHL games did Bruce Boudreau play in his career?
   99
   141
   184
   201
   
4. As an NHL head coach, which team gave Bruce Boudreau his first coaching job?
   Anaheim Ducks
   Minnesota Wild
   Washington Capitals
   Vancouver Canucks
   
5. Which nickname has followed Bruce Boudreau throughout his career?
   Gabby
   Boom Boom
   Chopper
   Moose
   

Lanny McDonald’s Lone Hat Trick With The Colorado Rockies

On February 6, 1981, Lanny McDonald recorded his only hat trick as a member of the Colorado Rockies in a thrilling 6-4 home win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

McDonald was no stranger to multi-goal games, he tallied 18 career hat tricks, including eight with the Toronto Maple Leafs (one a four-goal outing) and nine with the Calgary Flames. But during his short stay in Denver, fans only got to witness one such performance.

In the first period, McDonald opened the scoring just 5:22 in, beating Pittsburgh’s Nick Ricci with help from Merlin Malinowski. After the Penguins tied it up, McDonald struck again in the second frame with his 24th of the season, assisted by Paul Gagné and WaltMcKechnie, giving Colorado a 3-2 edge.

His third goal sealed the night, coming unassisted into an empty net with just 41 seconds left in the game. Not only did McDonald complete the hat trick, but he also collected two assists on goals by Lucien DeBlois and Mike Gillis, finishing with a five-point night. He registered five of Colorado’s 23 shots, while Rockies goaltender Al Smith turned aside 30 of 34 Pittsburgh attempts for the win.

McDonald’s path to Denver began with a December 29, 1979 trade that sent him and Joel Quenneville to Colorado in exchange for Pat Hickey and Wilf Paiement. His Rockies tenure spanned 142 games over parts of three seasons before he was dealt to Calgary on November 25, 1981, in a trade that saw Don Lever and Bob MacMillan head to Colorado.

About Lanny McDonald

Lanny McDonald played 1,111 regular season and 117 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1973-74 and 1988-89 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies and Calgary Flames. Originally a fourth overall pick by the Maple Leafs at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, McDonald was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Lanny McDonald

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

1. In which year did Lanny McDonald score his only hat trick as a member of the Colorado Rockies?
   1979
   1981
   1983
   
2. Which team did McDonald spend the majority of his NHL career with, including winning a Stanley Cup?
   Toronto Maple Leafs
   Calgary Flames
   Colorado Rockies
   
3. How many career hat tricks did Lanny McDonald record in total?
   12
   18
   22
   
4. What was unique about McDonald’s goal-scoring in the 1982-83 season with Calgary?
   He scored 66 goals, setting a franchise record
   He scored 50 goals in 50 games
   He had more assists than goals for the only time in his career
   
5. In which year was Lanny McDonald inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame?
   1990
   1992
   1995
   

Bonus Round!

NHL Hockey Trivia: Colorado Rockies

1. In what year did the Colorado Rockies first take the ice in the NHL?
   1974
   1976
   1978
   
2. Before moving to Denver, what was the team’s original NHL identity?
   Kansas City Scouts
   Oakland Seals
   Cleveland Barons
   
3. Who was the goaltender most associated with the Rockies, appearing in over 150 games?
   Ron Low
   Chico Resch
   Michel Plasse
   
4. In 1979-80, who coached the Rockies for one memorable season before becoming an NHL legend elsewhere?
   Scotty Bowman
   Don Cherry
   Herb Brooks
   
5. What became of the Colorado Rockies franchise after the 1981-82 season?
   Folded
   Relocated to New Jersey as the Devils
   Merged with the Quebec Nordiques
   

Gerry Cheevers Shuts Out Maple Leafs for First NHL Blank in 1966

Before he became one of the NHL’s most recognizable goaltenders, complete with his trademark mask artwork, Gerry Cheevers was just a rookie fighting for a spot on a struggling Boston Bruins team. By the end of his career, Cheevers would rack up 26 shutouts, most of them during the Bruins’ powerhouse years, but the very first came on November 10, 1966, against the defending Stanley Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs.

Cheevers had a brief history with Toronto, appearing in two games for the Maple Leafs back in 1961-62. By the start of the 1966-67 season, he had just seven NHL games under his belt. The Bruins, despite boasting future stars like rookie Bobby Orr, were still a last-place club searching for brighter days.

That night at the Boston Garden, Cheevers was unbeatable. He stopped all 31 shots he faced, including some prime scoring chances from Toronto’s veteran forwards. Murray Oliver made life easier for his young netminder by scoring the game-winning goal just 1:17 into the first period. Johnny Bucyk, Pit Martin, and Wayne Connelly added insurance markers, giving Boston a 4-0 win.

Remarkably, the Bruins managed just 23 shots of their own, but made the most of them. Toronto starter Terry Sawchuk surrendered three goals on 18 shots before being replaced by Bruce Gamble for the third period, who allowed one goal on five shots.

It was a rare high point in a rough year for Boston, one of only 17 wins all season, and their lone shutout victory. The team also suffered through several lopsided losses, including an 11-2 drubbing by Montreal and a 10-2 loss to Chicago. But change was coming fast. Just three seasons later, Cheevers, Orr, and the Bruins would be Stanley Cup champions.

About Gerry Cheevers

Between 1961-62 and 1979-80, Gerry Cheevers played 418 regular season and 88 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. In the WHA, he appeared in 191 regular season and 19 playoff games between 1972-73 and 1975-76, all with the Cleveland Crusaders. Gerry was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Gerry Cheevers

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

1. How many career NHL shutouts did Gerry Cheevers record?

18
26
31

2. Before joining the Boston Bruins full-time, Cheevers briefly played for which NHL team?

Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers

3. In addition to his NHL career, Cheevers was also a star goaltender in which rival league during the 1970s?

World Hockey Association (WHA)
International Hockey League (IHL)
American Hockey League (AHL)

4. Gerry Cheevers is famous for his goalie mask design, which featured what unique artwork?

Team logo pattern
Stitches marking where pucks had hit his mask
Flames across the front

5. How many Stanley Cups did Cheevers win as a player with the Boston Bruins?

One
Two
Three

NHL Hockey Card Greats: Gerry Cheevers [Video]