Welcome to episode 3 of the Hockey Tales and Trivia show. Each show brings you short stories from the epic history of the NHL along with fun hockey trivia questions with indepth answers. The audio version is embedded below.
In this show, we look at trivia focused on the early history of the Los Angeles Kings, an important trade in New York Islanders history and the beginnings of the Conn Smythe Trophy. Our short stories look back a Bryan Trottier 1978 outburst against the Rangers and Derek Sanderson doing something similar against the Maple Leafs in 1969. Our three stars are from January 2, 1971.
Our first trivia question of the show takes a look at the earliest days of Los Angeles Kings history.
By the way – Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our hockey trivia website.
Which player scored the first regular season goal in Los Angeles Kings franchise history?
On October 14, 1967 at the Long Beach Convention Center, the Los Angeles Kings played their inaugural game in the National Hockey League. Their opponents, the Philadelphia Flyers, jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period with goals by Bill Sutherland and Ed Hoekstra.
At 3:20 of the second period, Brian Kilrea finally got the fans to their feet, scoring the first goal in franchise history. Kilrea put one past Philadelphia goalie Doug Favell with help from Jacques Lemieux and Ted Irvine.
Los Angeles would score three unanswered in the third period, including an empty-net goal by Kilrea, for the 4-2 win. Wayne Rutledge was in net for the Kings, making 14 saves on just 16 shots.
For Kilrea, those were the first two of just three goals he would score in the NHL. Brian played a single game with the Detroit Red Wings in 1957-58 and 25 with the Kings in 1967-68. The rest of his playing career was spent in the minors. However, he went on to a legendary career as head coach of the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL.
Next up, we look back on a record setting game by Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders.
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Bryan Trottier Gives New York Islanders Fans An Early Christmas Gift In 1978 Blowout Of Rangers
The 1978-79 New York Islanders had lost just four games going into a December 23, 1978 tilt at home against the rival New York Rangers. Bryan Trottier took it upon himself to get the win and set some records in the process.
Trottier’s overall eight points on five goals and three assists broke his own franchise record of five points in a game, set in 1977. That mark remains an Islanders best today. His six points in the second period remain as an NHL record for most points in a single period. The record has since been tied by Mika Zibanejad of the Rangers.
Trottier started the scoring at 13:40 of the first period and after one, the teams were tied at one. In the second, Rangers goalie Wayne Thomas was, to say the least, having a hard time stopping pucks. Trottier scored three of the seven goals scored by the Islanders in the frame while also assisting on two goals by Mike Bossy and one by Garry Howatt.
Bryan added his fifth goal of the match to start the third period. The Rangers responded with two goals but the game ended in a 9-4 Islanders win. Mike Bossy had a five point game of his own while Garry Howatt got the Gordie Howe Hat Trick with a goal, assist and third period fight. Ron Greschner led the way for the visitors with a pair of goals.
Our second trivia question of the show looks at an important trade in New York Islanders history.
Which player did the New York Islanders receive in a 1980 trade with the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Billy Harris and Dave Lewis?
On March 10, 1980, the Los Angeles Kings traded Butch Goring to the New York Islanders for Billy Harris and Dave Lewis. This trade is widely considered the “missing piece of the puzzle” for the Islanders just prior to the four year domination of the Stanley Cup from 1979-80 to 1981-82.
Goring made an immediate impact, finishing up the 1979-80 regular sesaon with eleven points in 12 games for the Isles. In the post season, he scored seven and assisted on 12 for 19 points in 21 games. The following year, the playoff numbers increased to ten goals and 20 points in 18 games. He was the 1980-81 recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Originally a fifth round pick by the Kings at the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft, Butch went on to play 1,107 regular season and 134 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Kings, Islanders and Boston Bruins. He reached the 20 goal plateau in eleven seasons, four of those 30+. Goring topped out with a career best 37 with the Kings in 1977-78.
Next, is a story about Derek Sanderson letting loose offensively against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1969 playoffs.
Derek Sanderson Preps For the 1969 Playoffs With 6 Point Game Against Toronto
The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs would meet in the opening round of the 1968-69 Stanley Cup playoffs. Before that, going into a March 16, 1969 game between the two clubs at Boston Garden, their final regular season matchup, Boston had the season series edge with three wins in seven games with two ties. Toronto beat the Bruins the night before at Maple Leaf Gardens 7-4.
In what would be a preview of the opening round, Boston put the previous night’s loss out of their minds and whooped the Buds 11-3. Leading the charge was Derek Sanderson with six points on the night. Sanderson had a hat trick, all in the second period, while assisting on two goals by Garnet “Ace” Bailey and one by Wayne Cashman. All Derek’s goals were scored on Toronto starter Bruce Gamble. The Maple Leafs goalie was chased out of the net after the second and replaced by Al Smith.
Sanderson and Bobby Orr led with eight shots each and the Bruins barraged the Leafs with a total of 51. Despite Orr’s shot total, he was held off the scoresheet. Ace Bailey and Phil Esposito both had 5 point games while Ken Hodge and Wayne Cashman each had four. Gerry Cheevers didn’t have an easy night, despite the final score. He allowed three goals on 30 shots. Norm Ullman led the way for the visitors with two of Toronto’s markers.
A sign of things to come as the Bruins outscored the Maple Leafs 17-0 in the first two games of their quarter-final matchup. Boston swept the series in four games and advanced to the semi-finals before being eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens. Sanderson scored eight goals in nine playoff games for the Bruins that year.
Now, for the third and final hockey trivia question of the night:
Who was the first ever recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy?
The Conn Smythe Trophy was introduced for the 1964-65 NHL season, going to the most valuable player in the post season. Jean Beliveau was the first winner, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a Stanley Cup title.
Beliveau totaled 16 points in 13 games on eight goals and eight assists. Four of his goals were game winners, including three in the final series against the Chicago Blackhawks. In game 7 at the Montreal Forum against the Hawks, Jean scored just 14 seconds into the game and that marker held on as the game, series and Stanley Cup winner.
Montreal won that game 4-0 with all the scoring in the first period. Beliveau also assisted on the second goal of the game, scored by Dick Duff. Bobby Rousseau had three assists while Yvan Cournoyer and Henri Richard scored the other goals for the Habs. Gump Worsley turned away all 20 shots for the shutout.
Three Stars
Each episode, we go back to a random date in NHL history and pick our three stars of the night. The date we look at now is January 2, 1971.
Third Star – Norm Ullman of the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs hosted Ullman’s former team, the Detroit Red Wings at Maple Leaf Gardens and made franchise history. Beating their opponents 13-0, it remains the largest margin in a shutout for the team. It also ties the largest margin in a game, equaling a 14-1 win over the New York Rangers in 1956-57.
Norm had a pair of goals in the match, including the game winner scored just 2:53 into the game, on the power play with assists going to Ron Ellis and Paul Henderson. He added a second goal in the third period to go with assists on goals by Henderson and Billy MacMillan for a four point game.
Henderson and Jim Harrison also had four points each for the Leafs. The goaltending was interesting for Toronto. Despite stopping all 21 shots over the first two periods, Jacques Plante took a spot on the bench for the third and let Bruce Gamble have a perfect period turning away ten.
For Detroit, Jim Rutherford started the game but was pulled at 16:06 of the first after Dave Keon scored on the power play to put Toronto up 3-0. Don McLeod came in for the duration, allowing ten goals on 32 shots.
Second Star – Doug Robinson of the Los Angeles Kings
The Kings hosted the Minnesota North Stars at the L.A. Forum. After a scoreless first period, Tommy Williams had a pair for the Stars in the second and the score was 2-0 going into the third.
Just 39 seconds into the final frame, Doug Robinson got his first of three points in the game, assisting on a goal by Gilles Marotte. Danny Grant regained the two goal margin for Minnesota just 21 seconds later but the rest of the game belonged to Robinson.
At 4:05, Doug scored his eighth of the season, putting one past Cesare Maniago, assisted by Bob Pulford and Lucien Grenier. At 15:49, Robinson gave the Kings a single point in the game, scoring the tying goal in what was a 3-3 draw. Pulford again assisted on that goal, his third helper of the game.
Not a household name, Doug Robinson played 240 regular season and eleven playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1963-64 and 1970-71 with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings.
First Star – Gilles Villemure of the New York Rangers
The New York Rangers walked into the Pittsburgh Civic Arena having lost just seven of 37 to start the 1970-71 NHL season. Pittsburgh was looking for their eleventh win in 39. But, despite the mismatch, it was the Penguins that were relentless and probably would have got the win if not for the goaltending of Gilles Villemure.
After allowing an early goal by Pittsburgh’s Nick Harbaruk, Villemure shut the Penguins down. He was pounded with 42 shots but New York came out with the 3-1 win. Al Smith of the Penguins allowed a first period goal by Jim Neilson and second period markers by Apsley, Ontario’s Arnie Brown and Pete Stemkowski before a scoreless third frame.
Hope you enjoyed this episode! Stay tuned – episode 4 will be out soon!