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NHL History October 29 features Gordie Howe becoming the first player in league history to reach 1,000 career assists, Maurice Richard tying the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring record, Jean Beliveau reaching 1,000 games and Mario Lemieux becoming one of the fastest players ever to record 1,700 points.
October 29 has also produced memorable milestones for Alex Ovechkin, Theo Fleury, Dwayne Roloson and the Winnipeg Jets. From Original Six legends to modern-era superstars, the date connects several generations of NHL history.
Here is a look back at some of the biggest NHL records, games and milestones to happen on October 29.
NHL History October 29: Biggest Moments and Milestones
1951: Floyd Curry Scores a Hat Trick in Front of the Future Queen
One of the most unusual nights in Montreal Canadiens history took place on October 29, 1951.
Then-Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh attended a Canadiens game at the Montreal Forum during their Canadian tour. Montreal forward Floyd Curry responded by producing the performance of his NHL career.
Curry scored three consecutive goals during the second period as the Canadiens defeated the New York Rangers 6-1.
Remarkably, it was the only hat trick of Curry’s NHL career.
The future Queen Elizabeth II therefore witnessed a performance that Curry never duplicated during more than 600 NHL regular-season games.
Curry spent his entire NHL career with Montreal and won four Stanley Cups with the Canadiens. The October 29 hat trick remains one of the more unique intersections of hockey history and Canadian history.
1952: Maurice Richard Ties the NHL Career Goals Record
Exactly one year later, another Montreal Canadiens star made history on October 29.
Maurice “Rocket” Richard scored the 323rd and 324th goals of his NHL career during a 7-5 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens.
The two goals allowed Richard to tie Nels Stewart for the NHL’s all-time career goal-scoring record.
Richard also recorded two assists in the game, giving him four points despite Montreal’s loss.
At the time, Stewart’s mark of 324 goals had stood as the league record since his retirement in 1940.
Richard would soon move past him and continue pushing the NHL scoring standard to unprecedented levels. By the time he retired in 1960, the Canadiens legend had scored 544 regular-season goals.
He also became the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season and famously did it in only 50 games during the 1944-45 campaign.
Richard’s October 29 performance was another major step toward establishing himself as the most prolific goal scorer the NHL had seen to that point.
1969: Jean Beliveau Plays His 1,000th NHL Game
Montreal Canadiens history is closely connected to October 29, and Jean Beliveau added another milestone to the date in 1969.
Beliveau became the first player in Canadiens history to appear in 1,000 NHL regular-season games when Montreal faced the Minnesota North Stars.
The Canadiens lost 4-1, but the night represented another achievement in Beliveau’s remarkable career.
Few players have represented the Canadiens organization as completely as Beliveau. He combined elite offensive production with leadership and team success during one of Montreal’s greatest eras.
Beliveau retired following the 1970-71 season with 507 goals, 712 assists and 1,219 points in 1,125 regular-season games.
He also won 10 Stanley Cups as a player, including five consecutive championships from 1956 through 1960.
Reaching 1,000 games on October 29 reinforced Beliveau’s place among the most important players in Canadiens history.
1970: Gordie Howe Becomes the First NHL Player With 1,000 Assists
The defining event in NHL History October 29 occurred in 1970 when Gordie Howe reached another unprecedented milestone.
Howe recorded two assists as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins 5-3 at Olympia Stadium.
The first of those assists made Howe the first player in NHL history to record 1,000 career assists.
The milestone came on an especially appropriate date. October 29, 1970 was the 23rd anniversary of the first time Howe wore his famous No. 9 with Detroit.
By that point, Howe had already rewritten much of the NHL record book.
His combination of scoring ability, physical play, durability and longevity made him one of the defining players of the sport’s Original Six era.
Howe eventually finished his NHL career with 801 goals, 1,049 assists and 1,850 points in 1,767 regular-season games.
The significance of 1,000 assists was enormous at the time. No player before Howe had even entered four-digit territory in that category.
Decades later, the milestone remains another example of why “Mr. Hockey” was the standard against which generations of NHL superstars were measured.
1970: Alex Delvecchio Scores His 400th NHL Goal
Howe was not the only Detroit Red Wings legend making history that night.
Longtime linemate Alex Delvecchio scored twice against Boston, with his second goal becoming the 400th of his NHL career.
Howe assisted on the milestone goal.
Delvecchio became only the fifth player in NHL history at the time to reach 400 goals, joining Howe, Maurice Richard, Bobby Hull and Jean Beliveau.
The two milestones occurring in the same game made October 29, 1970 one of the more memorable nights in Red Wings history.
Delvecchio eventually finished his NHL career with 456 goals and 1,281 points, all with Detroit.
2001: Theo Fleury Reaches 1,000 NHL Points
More than three decades later, Theo Fleury joined the NHL’s 1,000-point club on October 29, 2001.
Fleury recorded two assists for the New York Rangers during a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden.
Both assists came on goals by Mike York, with the second officially giving Fleury 1,000 career points.
Reaching the milestone was particularly impressive considering Fleury had entered the NHL as an undersized eighth-round draft pick.
He developed into one of the most dynamic and competitive forwards of his generation and was an important member of the Calgary Flames team that won the Stanley Cup in 1989.
Fleury ultimately finished his NHL career with 455 goals, 633 assists and 1,088 points in 1,084 regular-season games.
2003: Mario Lemieux Records His 1,700th NHL Point
Mario Lemieux added another remarkable milestone to his career on October 29, 2003.
The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar recorded an assist during a 4-4 tie against the New York Islanders to become only the sixth player in NHL history to reach 1,700 career points.
Even more impressive was how quickly he got there.
Lemieux became the second-fastest player in NHL history to reach 1,700 points. Only Wayne Gretzky reached the milestone in fewer games.
That statistic captures just how dominant Lemieux was offensively when healthy.
Despite battling serious injuries and illness throughout his career, he finished with 690 goals, 1,033 assists and 1,723 points in only 915 NHL regular-season games.
His career average of well over a point per game places him among the most productive offensive players the sport has ever seen.
2009: Alex Ovechkin Ties an October Goal-Scoring Record
Alex Ovechkin made his first major appearance in October 29 NHL history in 2009.
The Washington Capitals captain scored twice during a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers.
It was Ovechkin’s sixth multi-goal game of the month, tying the NHL record for the most multiple-goal performances by a player during October.
Ovechkin’s ability to produce goals in bunches was already well established by that point in his career.
The performance added another scoring record to a résumé that would eventually become defined by his pursuit of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history.
2011: Dwayne Roloson Records a Shutout at Age 42
Goaltender Dwayne Roloson showed that age was only a number on October 29, 2011.
At 42 years old, Roloson made 28 saves to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 1-0 shutout victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
It was the 29th shutout of his NHL career.
The victory also extended Roloson’s remarkable personal record against the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise to 10-0-0.
Roloson’s longevity was especially impressive for a goaltender who did not become a full-time NHL starter until relatively late in his career.
He continued playing in the NHL until age 42 and finished with 227 regular-season victories.
2017: Blake Wheeler Leads a Record-Setting Jets First Period
The Winnipeg Jets produced one of the most explosive opening periods in franchise history on October 29, 2017.
Winnipeg scored five first-period goals on the way to a dominant 7-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Bell MTS Place.
Captain Blake Wheeler scored three of those goals in a span of just 4:20.
Wheeler became the first player in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers franchise history to record a first-period hat trick.
The Jets also scored three goals in only 34 seconds, establishing another franchise record.
Putting five goals past a Pittsburgh team that had won the previous two Stanley Cups made the performance even more memorable.
2019: Alex Ovechkin Passes Luc Robitaille
Ten years after tying an October scoring record, Ovechkin added another historic achievement on October 29, 2019.
Ovechkin scored twice against the Toronto Maple Leafs, including the overtime winner, as Washington earned a 4-3 victory at Scotiabank Arena.
His second goal was the 669th of his NHL career.
That moved Ovechkin past Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille for 12th place on the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring list at the time.
It also gave Ovechkin the most career goals by a left wing in NHL history.
The overtime goal was the 23rd of his career, extending another NHL record that Ovechkin already owned.
Looking back, October 29 provides an interesting snapshot of Ovechkin’s progression through the league’s record book. In 2009 he was setting monthly scoring marks; a decade later he was passing one of the greatest left wings in NHL history.
Why October 29 Is an Important Date in NHL History
NHL History October 29 is especially notable because so many of its biggest moments involve hockey legends reaching major statistical milestones.
Maurice Richard tied the NHL career goals record in 1952. Jean Beliveau became the first Canadiens player to reach 1,000 games in 1969. One year later, Gordie Howe became the first player ever to record 1,000 assists while teammate Alex Delvecchio scored his 400th goal.
The tradition continued into the modern era with Theo Fleury reaching 1,000 points, Mario Lemieux recording point No. 1,700 and Alex Ovechkin adding multiple entries to the NHL record book.
October 29 has also produced less conventional historical moments, from Floyd Curry scoring the only hat trick of his career in front of the future Queen Elizabeth II to Blake Wheeler leading one of the most explosive periods in Winnipeg Jets history.
From Richard, Beliveau and Howe to Lemieux and Ovechkin, few dates connect as many generations of hockey greatness as October 29.
More This Day in NHL History
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