Wednesday

Bill Mosienko

It is said that everyone gets 15 minutes of fame. Bill Mosienko only had 21 seconds.

Bill Mosienko holds an amazing NHL record that likely will never be matched. On March 23, 1952, Mosienko scored three goals in a 21 second time frame! And legend has it he actually missed what should have been an easy goal just afterwards, thus preventing him from scoring 4 goals in less than one minute! All three goals were assisted by Gus Bodnar, and they came in the third period helping the Hawks get by Lorne Anderson and the New York Rangers by a final score of 7-6.

The following day's issue of the New York Times suggests Rangers fans at Madison Square Gardens were immediately appreciative of this display of greatness.

"The crowd of 3,254 cheered Mosienko with a volume that seemed to come from twice that number when the record breaking accomplishment was announced," and that "Anderson might have stopped Mosienko on the Hawk star's first shot, an open thrust from the center alley. But the second and third shots were neatly executed, and could have fooled any goalie in the league."

"That record will never be broken. Never," suggested Hall of Fame teammate Bill Gadsby. "It was just fantastic, it was damn near the same play off the face-off each one. He could really skate. he could really fly and he scored those three goals. I mean, it was unbelievable just to watch it!"

Obviously Mosienko was quite pleased with the feat.

"It was quite an accomplishment, I hope (the record) stays. After I scored the third goal, Jim Peters skated up to me and told me to keep the puck because I had set a new record. I was very happy and proud. It was like being on cloud nine."

His achievements have been overshadowed, for better or worse, by that amazing performance, but he was much more than just the answer of an excellent trivia question. A Hall of Fame player, Mosienko was a talented and solid right winger on the "Pony Line" with the brothers Bentley, Max and Doug. Together they were one of the greatest lines in hockey history.

In his 14 year career spent exclusively with the Chicago Blackhawks, Mosienko tallied 258 goals and 282 assists. He was the recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy in 1945 as the most sportsmanlike player. Although he and the "Pony Line" made Chicago a true Stanley Cup contender for many seasons, the two time All Star never did have his named engraved on the Stanley Cup.

After retiring, the Manitoba native went home to Winnipeg where he operated Billy Mosienko Lanes, a bowling alley, for many years.

9 comments:

Carlos Saldivia 2:38 AM  

Hi Joe--great remembrance, thanks for posting this..



Carlos
@hockeynuts

Alan,  1:12 PM  

I had a chance to meet Bill Mosienko in the early 90's and talk about his three goals. He too mentioned having just missed a fourth goal (I believe he commented on hitting a post), and on returning to the bench his coach made some quip about how he must be slowing down.

Anonymous,  4:14 PM  

My son Eric Grantz is a 15 year old hockey player. Yesterday his travel team the southern Maine huskies played against Auburn Maine at the university of Southern Maine arena. Eric scored with 28 seconds left in the third again with 13 seconds left and again with 7 seconds left in the game to win the game 4-3. A hat trick in 21 seconds.. It was an amazing feat and the second and third goals were so similar it was amazing....thought I would share.

Paul T Grantz
Erictomsdad@aol.com

Xavier McGillivary,  6:31 PM  

I was born and raised in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia Canada. My date of birth was 26 October 1936. On the evening of 22 March 1952 I was tuned in to a New York radio station, (WINS, methinks) and was listening to the New York Rangers - Chicago Black Hawks game when Wee Willie Mosienko scored his three goals in 21 seconds. I could hardly wait for the next morning so that I could inform my friends about the record that I said would last forever. Radio signals were always great at night because Glace Bay, like New York, was on the Atlantic Ocean coast and there was rarely radio interferance.
I am soon to be 76 years old and am a retired Squadron Leader of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Xavier McGillivary, retired in Ottawa, Canada

Unknown 7:51 AM  

I lived on Glenwood Crescent in Elmwood and was born in 1951. Billy Mosienko Lanes was a 15 minute walk for me across the Redwood Bridge.My friends and I were there several times and Billie himself told us about his unmatchable feat of scoring 3 goals in 21 seconds.INCREDIBLE. A Hockey Legend ! Jim Wall

brian fisher,  9:40 AM  

I am reading about Billy Mosienko's goal scoring feat on Aug. 8, 2015. It was so amazing. I was born
in 1946 but I just learned about it.

Forklift 6:40 AM  

Those Winnipeg boys do OK in Chicago, don't they?

Anonymous,  7:53 AM  

My Dad used to talk about him all the time. Always asked everyone, "do you know who scored the quickest hat trick in hockey history?" I will now, never forget.
Now I know why the Blackhawks were my Dad's fave team. My Dad also mentioned that he drove cab and used to drive Billy from here to there every now and then. Sure wish I knew more of my Dad's background when he lived in Winnipeg.

DMC

loyalist 9:06 AM  

Does anyone remember what jersey number Bill Mosienko was assigned during his career with the Hawks? I spoke with Cooley Smith and Teeter Kennedy at the Fort Erie Race Track when Teeter was the Chief of Security there and they said (each having played with the TML when Bill was with CBH) that he (Bill) wore both No. 8 and No 10, but they were not 100 percent sure. I was 8 years old in 1943 and living in Eastern Ontario with my mother and siblings when my Dad (who was in the RCAF and stationed in Cape Breton) sent me a Chicago Black Hawks sweater, socks, gloves, pants and (even back then) a helmet. I then became a life-long fan of the CBH. Never
played pro hockey but did get in some ice time with the RCAF Flyers in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Buzz - rcaf56@gmail.com

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