During the NHL’s hiatus, we at the Last Word on Hockey are going to look back at each date’s historical significance to the game. We’ll remember the moments that shaped the sport of hockey that happened on this day. Here’s our look at this date in hockey history for March 16th, featuring Bernie Geoffrion.
Today in Hockey History
Bernie Geoffrion Second to Score 50 in a Season
1961: Montreal Canadiens forward Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion becomes the second player to reach the 50-goal mark. He joins his recently retired teammate Maurice “Rocket” Richard as the only players (to this point) to reach the milestone. Geoffrion scores off the feed from centre Jean Beliveau at 14:15 of the third period. Montreal would beat Toronto, 5-2.
While he didn’t get his 51st goal in the Habs’ last two games of the regular season to set a single-season record for the time, but he did win his second Art Ross Trophy after getting 95 points in 70 games.
Other Notable Events
1935: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Charlie Conacher nets a hat trick, but also bails out the Leafs by filling in for injured goalie George Hainsworth. Conacher blanks the Canadiens to help the Leafs preserve a 5-3 victory.
1947: Detroit Red Wings centre Billy Taylor sets the league mark for most assists in a game with seven. The Wings would beat the Chicago Blackhawks in a wild 10-6 affair at the old Chicago Stadium. Wayne Gretzky would equal Taylor’s record three times in the 1980s.
1955: “Rocket” Richard is suspended for the rest of the regular season and the 1955 Stanley Cup playoffs after striking linesman Cliff Thompson during a scrum in a game against the Boston Bruins. The subsequent Richard Riot would happen the next day in Montreal.
1969: The Bruins tie a league record with eight goals in the second period in an 11-3 rout of the Maple Leafs. Derek Sanderson posted three goals and three assists in the win. Bobby Orr ironically doesn’t register a single point.
1971: Hall of Fame goalie Glenn Hall gets his 407th and final win in the St. Louis Blues 6-2 victory over Montreal. Hall makes 20 saves in the triumph.
1983: Scotty Bowman guides the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames. Bowman is the first coach to get 100 wins with three different teams. He reached over 100 coaching wins with the Blues and the Canadiens.
2004: Chris Osgood gets his 300th career win in goals as the Blues beat the Los Angeles Kings, 5-3. Osgood gets to the mark in the fifth-quickest number of games.
Happy Birthday to You
1942: Roger Crozier
1952: Al MacAdam
1962: Brian Mullen
1960: Duane Sutter
1971: Greg Johnson
