Hockey Lovers Trivia Quiz

Answer: Maurice Richard

In the 1944-45 season the 'Rocket' scored a magnificent 50 goals in 50 games, and he was the only one ever to accomplish this feat in a 50 game season. Officially only 5 players have been entered into the 50-50 club Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Brett Hull are the others who have done it OFFICIALLY i.e. in the first 50 games of their team's season. Maurice 'Rocket' Richard passed away in May 2000 and was given a hero's funeral in Montreal, where he was more of a legend than a hockey player.

Answer: 39

Wayne Gretzky became the third player to accomplish this feat when he scored an unbelievable 50 goals in the first 39 games of the 1981-82 season. The first was Maurice Richard during the 1944-45 NHL season and the second was by Mike Bossy during the 1980-81 NHL season.
Gretzky scored his 50th at home against Philadelphia Flyers on 30 December 1981.

Answer: Philadelphia Flyers

In the 1970s and early 80s the Flyers, led by men like Dave 'Hammer' Schultz, Mel Bridgman and Bobby Clarke, the Flyers laid the beatings on everyone they came across. They led the league in penalty minutes most of the 1970s and left blood and bruises in their wake.

Answer: Montreal Canadiens

The 'Habs' is actually derived from the French 'Les Habitants' which loosely translated means 'the ones who live here' or even more loosely - the home team. One of the oldest and the most successful franchises in NHL history, the Habs are always under the closest of scrutiny from the 'habitants' in the province of Quebec, so much so that many players have found playing in Montreal too much to handle. (Namely Vinnie Damphousse and Pierre Turgeon who suffered below average results under the pressure there and many believe that Guy Lafleur even though he led the Habs to numerous Cups, retired earlier than he would have had he not have been under the media's microscope for so long).

Answer: Chris Pronger

In 1970, Bobby Orr won the Hart (league MVP), the Norris (best defenseman), the Art Ross (leading scorer) AND the Conn Smythe (playoff MVP). Since then, no defenseman has captured the Hart and the Norris in the same season, until the 1999-2000 season. Chris Pronger did what no one since Orr has done, capture the MVP of the league as a defenseman (understanding of course, that he would virtually automatically be the defenseman of the year). Ray Bourque came within 2 lousy votes of winning the Hart in 1990 but lost it to Mark Messier.

Answer: Flames

In 1980-81 the Flames headed north to what is still their home Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It will be interesting to see if Atlanta can support the Thrashers for long, given the huge baseball contingent supporting the Braves and the resurgence of the Atlanta Falcons in recent years. (Not to mention the NCAA basketball and football)

Answer: Jacques Lemaire

This powerhouse line with Perrault at centre, Robert on the RW and Martin on LW, nearly led the Buffalo Sabres to their first Stanley Cup in 1975, however they fell short losing in six games to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Sabres are still looking to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time.

Answer: Peter Stastny

Stastny led the Nordiques throughout the '80s before ending his career with the St. Louis Blues in 1994-95. He helped the Nordiques to win over some of Quebec's previously-Hab fans, and starred in many memorable battles between the two provincial rivals.

Many believe that if not for Stastny's presence, the Nordiques would not have lasted as long as they did in their small market. Stastny finished his career with 1239 points which puts him behind only Jari Kurri in all-time scoring for a European-born player.

Answer: Phil Esposito

'Espo' shattered the old record held by Hull and Mikita at 97 points in a single season when in 1968-69 he scored a whopping 126 points. This set the new standard by which great seasons are still measured - he 100-point mark! Only 'The Great One' Wayne Gretzky has ever scored more than 200 points and he of course holds the record at 215!

Answer: Darryl Sittler

On February 7, 1976 Sittler scored 6 goals and had 4 assists against the Boston Bruins for a record 10 points. He has the distinction of being one of the most loved Toronto Maple Leafs of all-time and was their first 100-point scorer ever. He is perhaps most well-remembered by Canadian fans for scoring the series winning goal in the first ever Canada Cup series in 1976 against the Czechs - Sittler himself refers to this as his career highlight.

Answer: Boston Bruins

The FleetCenter opened it's doors on September 30, 1995 and on that day spelled the official end of the old Boston Garden. It was the first of the three (arguably) best and most historic hockey facilities to fall to the 'New Order' of state-of-the-art arenas.

The other two: the Montreal Forum and Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens followed suit to be replaced by the Molson Centre and the Air Canada Centre respectively. It's truly sad to see these great buildings disappear into history, but one must admit that the new breed is a heck-of-a-lot more comfortable!

Answer: Billy Smith

On November 28, 1979 playing against the Colorado Rockies Battlin' Billy Smith became the first NHL goaltender to be credited with a goal. Rob Ramage passed the puck back to the blueline where it went the length of the ice and into the vacated Rockie net. Smith was the last Islander to touch the puck and so was credited with the goal. Ron Hextall was actually the first goalie ever to SHOOT the puck into the net for a goal in 1987 and he later scored another goal in the playoffs to become the first goalie to ever accomplish that feat. Martin Brodeur and Chris Osgood have since also added their name to this illustrious list.

Answer: Dave Williams

To hockey fans, there is really only one Tiger. Tiger Williams, best known for being the all-time penalty minute leader in the NHL, was a guy who left his heart on the ice every night. Loved wherever he played and generally hated wherever he didn't, he was a premier enforcer in the league when tough guys were a still considered a necessity.

He was also quite talented at scoring, which is often forgotten, though his stick-riding celebration will never be.

Answer: New York Islanders

The original 6 teams were the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings. The NY Islanders entered the league in 1972.

Answer: Bobby Hull

The 'Golden Jet' Bobby Hull, who many believe to be the greatest winger of all-time left the Blackhawks after the 1971-1972 season to become hockey's first millionaire for the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA. (Note: Hull was already nicknamed, ironically enough, the 'Golden Jet' prior to being traded to the Jets--people are often confused about that).

The NHL didn't take too kindly to losing one of the greatest players in their history, and 'punished' Hull by not electing him to Team Canada in the now-legendary 1972 Summit Series against the Russsians. Bobby, much-like his son Brett - obvious where he learned his stuff - was renowned for his incredible shot which struck fear in the hearts of goalies across the league. Regardless of the ill-feelings from NHL big-wigs that may have followed him out of Chicago, Bobby Hull was inaugurated into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 - right where he should be.

Answer: Mario Lemieux

Anyone who has seen the 1972 Summit Series (and who is Canadian, especially) would say that there was simply no greater moment in hockey than when Paul Henderson scored the 'Goal heard round the World' to complete the comeback and give Team Canada the victory in the final minute of play. That goal is so etched in Canadian Hockey History that many would say that it is unthinkable that Henderson's goal could ever be matched or surpassed - and I'm not saying this one did - but Lemieux's goal at 18:34 of the third period (which is for all intents and purposes OT) taken from Wayne Gretzky to win the series 6-5 (which by the way all three games finished in the finals) was about as close as you can get to the incredible drama and joy realized in 1972! Lemiuex reached super-stardom after this tournament as he scored 4 game-winning goals including this one.

The 'Great One', still led all in scoring with 21 points, and as mentioned he set-up Lemiuex's game-winner so he was still 'The Man' if you ask me-but Lemiuex had an awesome series and finished up with 18 points right behind Gretzky.

It was in this series that Mario Lemiuex truly earned the right to be called 'Magnificent' and he went on to lead the Pens to a couple of Stanley's Cups to add to this Canada Cup before he retired due to illness.

Answer: Colorado

In 1982 the Colorado Rockies became the New Jersey Devils. Prior to that move, the team originally came from Kansas City where they were the 'Scouts' from 1974-1976. The Devils have done something neither of the other two were able to do, and done it twice! (that being winning the Stanley Cup, of course). Colorado however, through the Avalanche, were able to capture the elusive Cup in 1996 - led by the Conn Smythe winning Joe Sakic.

Answer: Dave Semenko

Dave 'Cement Head' Semenko, though I would never call him that to his face, was a renowned tough guy and credited with being the braun behind the Oiler Greatness. NHLers who had the displeasure of playing against him all agree that he was one of the toughest guys to play in the 80's and of all-time for that matter.

He had a head as hard as a rock and fists to match, and without him Gretzky, Kurri, Anderson, Coffey and even Messier would have been on the head-hunting list of every team in the league--not to mention the fact that the 'Great One' and the others might not have lasted in the NHL as long as they did.

Answer: Jacques Plante

Plante was an innovator of the game in more ways than just this one, although this is the fact for which he is most remembered. He was also the first to signal with his arm to his D when an icing was {pending;} the first to stop the puck behind the net on shoot-ins {regularly;} he made a habit of skating out of his net to cut down angles and challenge shooters which was uncommon in his day. All in all, he drastically changed the face (no pun intended) and the role of the goaltender in the game of hockey - and he won a whole bunch of Vezina trophies (7, a record), Stanley Cups (6 total!), posted a lifetime GAA of 2.37 and had 82 career shutouts! Not too shabby.

Answer: Wayne Gretzky

I never saw Bobby Orr play live, since I was not alive when he started his career and was still learning to do the walking and talking thing by the time he retired - so I cannot comment on him. That said, however, given what I did see and what I do know - Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player of all-time TO ME. Also, I've got to say I was appalled to see that Athlete of the Century or Millenium or whatever the heck it was - and see that Mario Lemiuex was the hockey representative up against Jordan and the rest. Pathetic! Lemiuex was a great player, no doubt - but what a joke to put him ahead of the 'Great One' - no way, no how not to me. Thanks for playing.