NL Hockey Firsts & Records

First NLer to score a goal in an NHL game

Alex Faulkner (Sunday October 14, 1962 at the Detroit Olympia). This was Alex's 3rd game as a Red Wing. His second period goal scored on Montreal goalie Cesare Maniago would be the game-winner in the 3-1 Detroit victory over the Canadiens.

First NL player drafted by an NHL team

Terry French (25th overall by Montreal Canadiens in 1971 NHL Entry Draft)

Highest overall selection of NL player in the NHL Entry Draft

Terry Ryan Jr. (8th overall in 1995 by Montreal Canadiens)

First NLer to play in the Stanley Cup Finals

Alex Faulkner (April 9, 1963 with Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple  Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens) 

First NLer to score a goal in the Stanley Cup Finals

Alex Faulkner (April 14, 1963 with Detroit vs. Toronto at Detroit Olympia). In the third game of the 1963 Cup Finals, Alex netted two goals against Leafs' goaltender Johnny Bower, including the game-winning goal, marking Detroit's sole victory in the series.

First NL player to win the Stanley Cup

Daniel Cleary (June 4, 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings)

NL Leaders in the NHL (to the end of 2014-15 season)

• Most regular season games, career: Daniel Cleary (938)  (1997-2015 with Chicago, Edmonton, Phoenix, Detroit]
• Most regular season points, career: Michael Ryder (484)  [2003-2015 with Montreal, Boston, Dallas, New Jersey]
• Most regular season goals, career: Michael Ryder (237)   [2003-2015 with Montreal, Boston, Dallas, New Jersey]
• Most regular season assists, career:  Michael Ryder (247)   [2003-2015 with Montreal, Boston, Dallas, New Jersey]
• Most regular season penalty minutes, career: Darren Langdon (1251)  [1994-2006 with New York Rangers, Carolina,   Vancouver, Montreal, New Jersey]

First proper NL indoor arena for hockey

The Prince of Wales Rink in St. John's. The Prince's Rink, renamed 'The Arena' in the 1930s, opened in January 1899 as the first proper hockey arena in Newfoundland.

First use of nets around the goal posts

Feb 2, 1903 Fieldians vs. Terra Novas at the Prince's Rink (source: Evening Telegram Feb 3, 1903).

First NL artificial ice surface

An Artificial ice surface in the Arena, formerly The Prince's Rink, was first operational in August 1937. The first hockey game on artificial ice was played in early November. The all-wooden structure was destroyed by fire in December 1941.

First NL "regulation size" artificial ice surface

Grand Falls Stadium (February 1948) [from 1948 to 1951 was the only artificial surface]

First (and last) NL outdoor artificial ice surface

Conception Bay Arena in Bay Roberts (February 1956)

First NL "Olympic size" (200' x 100') artificial ice surface

Stephenville Gardens (1968)

NL's largest hockey arena

Mile One Centre in St. John's (6,287 seating for hockey) [Runner-up: Pepsi Centre in Corner Brook (3,171 seating, 750 standing]

NL's largest active ice surface

Stephenville Dome (100' x 200')

NL's longest active ice surface

Glovertown Gardens (206')

First NL hockey trophy

Hunter Hockey Cup (1900) [St. John's senior league champions].

[note: the 2nd oldest trophy is the McCallum Shield, first presented in 1900 to the St.John's Intercollegiate series champions].

First team to win the Herder Memorial Trophy

Corner Brook (1935)  [All-NL senior champions].

First team to win the Veitch Memorial Trophy

Grand Falls Junior All-Stars (1953) [All-NL junior champions].

First team to win the Evening Telegram Trophy

Bell Island All-Stars (1954) [All-Newfoundland senior 'B' champions].

Earliest documented use of a referee in a game

Thomas Seymour on February 11, 1897 Newfoundlanders vs. Canadians (source: The Evening Telegram - Feb. 12, 1897).

First NL game with six-man rule (5 skaters + goalie)

February 28, 1919 (source: The Evening Telegram  - February 28, 1919)

[Since the city hockey league started in Newfoundland in 1899, there were seven players per team (goal, point, cover-point, rover, centre, right forward, left forward). The first St. John's senior league game of the 1918-1919 season was played on February 28 between the Fieldians and the Victorias using the six-man rule which marked the first time in Newfoundland.]

First NL game with three 20-minute periods: February 28, 1919 (source: The Evening Telegram  - February 28, 1919)

[Since the beginning of organized hockey in Newfoundland, games had been 60 minutes in length with two 30-minutes halves. The first St. John's senior league game of the 1918-1919 season on February 28, between the Fieldians and the Victorias, used three 20-minute period which was the first time in Newfoundland.]

First use of the two-referee system in an NL hockey game

?

First use of the three-official system in an NL hockey game (one referee, two linesmen)

November 5, 1958 (source: The Daily News November 6, 1958)

[The three-official system change was proposed to the St. John's Hockey Leagues by Howie Meeker in the fall of 1958 shortly after he was hired by the Guards Athletic Association. The leagues approved the change for the coming season in their fall meeting. The first hockey game to use the three-official system was the opening game of the St.John's Junior Hockey League at Memorial Stadium between the Junior Fieldians and the Junior St. Bon's team on November 5 ,1958] 

Earliest organized hockey in NL

St. John's Hockey Club [first meetings in November 1895, first hockey game on Quidi Vidi Lake in February 1896]

First organized hockey league in NL

Newfoundland Hockey Association [The first league started as the St. John's Amateur Hockey Association in February 1897, was subsequently renamed the Newfoundland Hockey Association by 1898. It was re-formed as a 'city' league with seven teams in January 1899 and renamed the 'St. John's Hockey League' in 1935 after formation of NAHA]

First organized ladies hockey in NL

St. John's Ladies Hockey Club at Prince's Rink (February 1899)

First team formed outside St. John's

In 1906 Lewis Dawe formed the Bay Roberts "Icicles"  (source: Snow, © 1986)​

 NL Senior Hockey Championship Records

• Most Herder Trophy wins: 19 (St. John's teams: St. Bon's - 10, Capitals - 7, St. Mikes Shamrocks - 1, BlueCaps - 1), Runner up: 12 - Grand Falls/GFW
• Most consecutive Herder Trophy wins: 5 (St. Bon's 1936-1940 & 1945-1949, Grand Falls 1955-59)
• Most B Section Championships (The Evening Telegram Trophy 1954-59): 3 (Bell Island 1954-56, Grand Falls 1957-59)
• Most Herder Trophy championships by a player: George Faulkner (8)
  

NL Senior Hockey Scoring Records (since 1962/63 when the first NSHL was formed)

• Most career points, regular season:  878  (New Glasgow, Nova Scotia native Frank 'Danky' Dorrington)
• Most career goals, regular season: 348  (Frank Dorrington)
• Most career assists, regular season: 360  (Frank Dorrington)
• Most points in a season: 157  (PEI native Brett Jenkins with Corner Brook Royals in 1987-88)
• Most goals in a season: 68  (Verdun, Quebec native Michel Couvrette with Stephenville Jets in 1987-88)
• Most assists in a season: 102  (Brett Jenkins with Corner Brook Royals in 1987-88)
• Most points in a rookie season: 
• Most goals in a rookie season: 
• Most assists in a rookie season: 
• Best goals-against-average, regular season:

Brigus vs. Bay Roberts: February 15, 1908 (4-0 for Brigus) (source: Hammond 1982)  [in Snow (1986) year is 1909 and score 4-2]

Brigus at St. John's: February 5, 1909  (SJ 6 Brigus 2 - first of a three-game series) (source: The Evening Telegram - Feb 6, 1909)

St. John's at Bell Island: March 5, 1913      (source: The Evening Telegram - March 4, 1913)

Bell Island at St. John's: 1914 (BI 5 SJ 13)   (source: White, 1997)

St. John's at Grand Falls: 1918  [source: photo of St. John's team in a Grand Falls Advertiser flashback]

(#1) Deer Lake at Corner Brook: 1924

St. John's at Corner Brook: Monday January 9, 1928 (St. John's Guards won 2 of 3 games vs Corner Brook)              (source: The Western Star - Jan 11 & 18. 1928)

St. John's at Grand Falls: Saturday January 14, 1928   (SJ Guards 11 GF 5)      (source: The Western Star - Jan 18. 1928)

Grand Falls at Buchans : March 2, 1929  [6-5 for Buchans in OT]) (source: The Western Star - March 20, 1929)

Bay Roberts at Grand Falls : January 30, 1935  [9-6 for GF] (source: The Western Star - February 6, 1935)

Bay Roberts at Corner Brook (11-10 for BR): February, 1935  (source: The Western Star)

Bay Roberts at Buchans (7-6 for BR): February, 1935  (source: The Western Star)

Bay Roberts at Bishop's Falls: February 7, 1935    [9-2 for BR] (source: The Western Star - February 20, 1935)

Grand Falls at St. John's: 1936 [The GF Cadets tied the SJ Guards 3-3 at the Prince's Rink] (source: Elliott, A trip down Memory Lane Vol. 3.)

(#2) Deer Lake at Corner Brook Church Lads Brigade senior team (9-6 for CB): late March 1939   (source: The Western Star - March 29, 1939)

Corner Brook C.L.B. at Deer Lake (6-4 for CB): late March 1939  (source: The Western Star - March 29, 1939)

Port aux Basques at Corner Brook: Feb 20-21, 1952 [Corner Brook Cardinals won 15-7 on Feb 20, Humber Hawks won 25-6 on Feb 21]     (Source: Western Star February 26, 1952)

First NL player in Canadian Junior A hockey

Arthur Leyte (Quebec Citadelles (1950/51)

First NL player in a professional minor league

George Faulkner (1954/55 Shawinigan Falls Cataracts of Quebec Hockey League)

First NLer in a professional major league

Alex Faulkner (in the NHL December 7, 1961 with Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens).

First NL player in the World Hockey Association (WHA)

[Assuming they played the team's first regular season game in the inaugural WHA 1972-73 season]

 1. Brian Gibbons (October 11, 1972 with Ottawa Nationals vs. Alberta Oilers in a 7-4 loss)
 2. Terry Ryan Sr. (October 13, 1972 with Minnesota Fighting Saints vs. Winnipeg Jets in a 4-3 loss)

First NL goalie to play in a professional league

Doug Grant (October 1973 with Detroit Red Wings of the NHL)

 First NL player to play in the Memorial Cup playoffs [Canadian junior championship]

Arthur Leyte (Quebec Citadelles 1951)

First NL-born player to win the Allan Cup [Canadian senior championship]

Arthur Leyte (Chatham Maroons 1960)                                [earliest found-to-date]

First NL player to win the Edinburgh Trophy [WHL vs QHL minor-pro champions]George Faulkner (1955 with Shawinigan Cataractes) 

First NL player to win the Memorial CupRobert Dean (1962 with Hamilton Red Wings)   

First NL team to enter the Allan Cup playdowns [Canadian senior hockey championship]

Conception Bay CeeBees (Game 1 vs. Moncton Hawks April 1, 1967 at Moncton, NB)

First NL player to score in Allan Cup competition in Newfoundland & Labrador

Carl Penney of Conception Bay CeeBees vs. Moncton Hawks at S.W. Moores Memorial Stadium in Harbour Grace (April 3, 1967)

First NL team in Canadian Intermediate Senior Hockey Championships (Hardy Cup Playdowns)Labrador City Braves (1968 Eastern Canadian Championship playdowns)

First NL team in Eastern Canadian Senior Championship (Bolton Cup finals)

Grand Falls Cataracts (1971)  

First NL Player to win the AHL's Calder Cup

Brian Gibbons in 1971 with the Springfield Kings [Los Angeles Kings was parent team].[2nd NLer to win Calder Cup was Grand Falls native Don Howse (The Nova Scotia Voyageurs became American Hockey League champions on April 28, 1976 after defeating the Hersey Bears 4-games-to-1). Howse won a second consecutive Calder Cup April 30, 1977]

First NL team to win the G. B. Bolton Memorial Cup (Eastern Canadian Championship/Allan Cup playdowns)

Corner Brook Royals (1985) 

 First NL team to win the Allan Cup

Corner Brook Royals defeated the Nelson Maple Leafs 4-games-to-0 (April 28, 1986 at Nelson B.C.)  

First NL team to win the Col. J. Bourgue Trophy (Eastern Canadian Senior AA Championship)

Port-aux-Basques Mariners (1989) 

 First NL team to win the W. G. Hardy Trophy, a.k.a. the Hardy Cup (Canadian Senior AA Championship)

Port-aux-Basques Mariners (1989) 

First NL player on a Canadian Team

John Higgins (Oxford Canadians tour of Europe 1909/10)

First NL player to represent Canada at the Olympics

Harry Watson (Toronto Granites represented Canada in 1924)

First NL player to represent Canada at World Hockey Championships

George Faulkner (1966)

First NL player to represent Canada at World Junior Hockey Championships

Dwayne Norris (1990)

First NL player to win Gold at World Junior Hockey Championships

Dwayne Norris (1990)

First NLer to represent Canada in international women's hockey

Sarah Davis (2015 IIHF World Women's Hockey Championships in Sweden Mar 28-Apr 4, 2015)

First remote radio broadcast from an NL hockey game

James Joseph Collins broadcast a Wednesday night senior hockey game between the Fieldians and the Guards from the Prince's Rink on January 21, 1925.   (source: Evening Telegram - January 21 & 22, 1925). Collins, considered by many as the father of radio in Newfoundland, broadcast parts of the hockey game using the telephone at the Prince's Rink to transmit the play-by-play to his 8JJC studio (formerly 8AK). His studio was located in his home on Field Street. James' wife held the telephone to the radio studio microphone so the game could be broadcast to the city but Collins was disconnected after transmitting the first twelve minutes. The connection was repaired in time to broadcast the final few minutes of the match. (The station was known as V.O.S. when it became NL's first Radio Station, then changed to 8AK by1924. V.O.S had its first official broadcast on July 29, 1922.

First Live Radio Broadcast of a complete NL hockey game

Loyal Reid broadcast the entire senior league game between the Fieldians and the Terra Novas on Friday January 30, 1925  from the Prince's Rink. (Source: Evening Telegram - January 31, 1925).

Loyal Linton Reid, head of the firm L. L. Reid Ltd. (located in the Reid building) was the son of former Reid Newfoundland Railway superintendent and NL hockey pioneer Robert G. Reid Jr. A radio license with the call letters 8AR was issued to Robert Reid Jr. ca.1923 for a signal transmitting station that was operated by Mr. Reid and his two sons, Robert and Loyal. These three are considered to be in the group of NL radio pioneers. Loyal was the radio technician for their station.

First Island-wide live Radio broadcast of an all-Newfoundland  Hockey Championship

Corner Brook vs. St. John's Guards on Saturday night March 23, 1935 at the Prince's Rink with play-by-play commentary by John (Jack) M. Tobin on VONF (source: The Western Star - March 27, 1935). In 1932 St. John's radio station VONF (the Voice of Newfoundland) was the first to make an island-wide broadcast. In 1949 VONF was taken over by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and renamed CBN. Jack Tobin was a Hockey broadcasting pioneer in Newfoundland. In the 1930s Jack was broadcasting hockey games from the Prince's Rink and in the 1940s he had his own radio program Over the Blue line with Tobin. In 1935 there was an estimated 10,000 radio sets in Newfoundland. On Saturday night March 23, 1935 there was a live island-wide broadcast on VONF of the 2nd and final game of the first all-Newfoundland hockey championships (first Herder Trophy finals) held at the Prince's Rink in St. John's. Jack Tobin provided the play-by-play of the final game between the Corner Brook (representing the west) and the Guards (representing the East . The final score was 4-2 for Corner Brook.

First live Television broadcast of an NL hockey game

In 1959, the overtime period of a St. John's Senior League game between the Guards and St. Bon's was broadcast live on CJON (source: Our Sports - Dee Murphy). Bill Callahan delivered the play-by-play, while Dee Murphy provided the color commentary.