A Day in Hockey History: March 30

On March 30, 1916, the Montreal Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup championship, before the NHL's formation, defeating the Portland Rosebuds. Two years later, the Toronto Arenas became the first NHL team to win the Stanley Cup.

Maurice "Rocket" Richard scored the first of his three overtime goals in Stanley Cup Finals on March 30, 1946, setting an NHL record. In 1957, Richard had a goal and an assist in an 8-3 win against the New York Rangers.

On March 30, 1979, the NHL announced the addition of four teams from the World Hockey Association, expanding from 17 to 21 teams for the 1979-80 season: Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Winnipeg Jets, and Quebec Nordiques. The Oilers have won five Stanley Cups since then.

Wayne Gretzky tied Mike Bossy's record of nine consecutive 40-goal seasons in 1988. Doug Weight, in 1996, became the seventh player in Oilers history to reach 100 points in a season.

In 1975, the Philadelphia Flyers won 13 games in March, the most by any NHL team in a single month. Teemu Selanne, in 1993, became the first NHL player to score 20 goals in a single month.

In 2013, Tomas Vokoun of the Pittsburgh Penguins made 35 saves in a 2-0 win, setting a record of 15-0-0 for a team in a full month. Nick Schmaltz, in 2022, recorded his 22nd point of the month, the most since the Arizona Coyotes moved from Winnipeg in the 1996-97 season.

Pat Stapleton, Blackhawks defenseman, tied an NHL record with six assists in a game on March 30, 1969. Bobby Orr set records for defensemen with 21 goals and 64 points in the regular season.

Ray Bourque became the second defenseman with 900 assists. Adam Fox, in 2021, recorded his 20th point of the month, joining Brian Leetch and Brad Park.

Gordie Howe, Jean Ratelle, Bryan Trottier, Dino Ciccarelli, Luc Robitaille, and Connor McDavid achieved 100-point milestones in different years. Bernie Parent, in 1974, won his 45th game of the season, breaking the previous record.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice for his eighth 50-goal season in 2019. On March 30, 2024, Josh Doan and other players also set personal records. Auston Matthews scored 60 goals for the second time in his career.