Crazy 8s

What a game last night for Sam Gagner. He was named as the first, second and third star, and rightfully so! He scored 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in a single game!



Now just about everybody knows the NHL record is 10 by Toronto's Darryl Sittler. It is one of the few NHL records not owned by Wayne Gretzky.

Gretzky's best night was also 8 points against the hapless New Jersey Devils in 1983. That game might be better remembered for The Great One's post game comments when he called the Devils "a Mickey Mouse organization."

Here's Gretzky's 3 goals and 5 assists:



Think that's crazy? Less than 2 months later Gretzky had another 8 point night (4 goals and 4 assists) in a 12-8 win over the Minnesota North Stars!

One other Edmonton Oiler managed to score 8 points in a single game. Can you name him? Here's a hint: It was a defenseman! Of course that means it was Paul Coffey. Coffey's crazy night only tied the NHL record for most points in a game by a defenseman. Who set it? Bobby Orr? No. Denis Potvin? No way. It was none other than Tom Bladon!

Others to score 8 points in a game: Rocket Richard (1944), Bert Olmstead (1954), Bryan Trottier (1978), Patrik Sundstrom (1988 playoffs), Bernie Nicholls (1988) and Mario Lemieux three times (1988 x2 and the 1989 playoffs) and, amazingly brothers Peter and Anton Stastny in the same game (1981).