Joe Malone

Lore & Background

Malone played hockey from an early age, noted in local newspapers as early as 1904. He made his senior debut with the Quebec Bulldogs in 1909. After the NHA formed in 1910, Quebec was initially excluded, so Malone played for the Waterloo Colts in the Ontario Professional Hockey League, scoring nine goals in eleven games. He returned to Quebec in 1911 and centred linemates Eddie Oatman and Jack Marks, scoring 21 goals in 18 games in 1911–12 as Quebec won the Stanley Cup. Quebec again won the Cup in 1913 as Malone led the league with 43 goals in 20 games, including a career-best nine goals in a Cup match against Sydney. His brother Jeff Malone also played for Quebec in 1913.

When the NHL was founded in 1917, Quebec did not operate a team, and Malone was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens. Playing on a forward line with Newsy Lalonde and Didier Pitre, Malone shifted to left wing. He scored one of the first goals in NHL history on opening night, December 19, 1917, finishing with five goals. He had two other five-goal games that season and finished with 44 goals in 20 games, leading the league. Malone scored at least one goal in his first 14 NHL games, setting a record for the longest goal-scoring streak to begin an NHL career. He missed games in 1918–19 due to work commitments and a lingering arm injury. Quebec revived its franchise in 1919, and Malone rejoined, leading the league in scoring with 39 goals and setting a single-game mark of seven goals against Toronto on January 31, 1920. The team relocated to Hamilton in 1921; Malone joined late due to business interests. He served as player-coach and manager for the Tigers in 1921–22. He was traded back to the Canadiens in 1923 and played his last game on January 26, 1924, against the Toronto St. Patricks.

Malone spent most of his career as a centre, known for finding open space. He earned the nickname 'Phantom Joe' for his dark eyes and ability to find openings offensively. In an era known for violence, he was regarded as a finesse player, also called 'Gentleman Joe,' and was considered one of the cleanest players in the game. He was not among the fastest players but was smooth and knew how to position himself around the goal.

Reader's Guide

Malone finished his career with 343 goals and 32 assists over 15 professional seasons. His 179 goals in the NHA were the most in the league's history. The 44 goals he scored in the 1917–18 NHL season were an NHL record until Maurice Richard broke it in 1944–45 with 50 goals, while Malone's 49 points in 1919–20 were the most until Howie Morenz had 59 in 1927–28. He is the only player in NHL history to score six goals in a game more than once. Malone holds or shares 13 NHL records that have stood unbroken over a century after his retirement, including seven that have never been matched. In the inaugural 1917–18 NHL season, he scored 2.20 goals per game over 20 games, a single-season record that remains the highest ever. He is also the only player in NHL history to score seven goals in a single game, accomplishing the feat in 1920. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1950 and is also a member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, inducted in 1975. In 1998, he was ranked number 39 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Did You Know?

• Malone scored one of the first goals in NHL history on the league's opening night, December 19, 1917.
• His 2.20 goals per game in the 1917–18 season remains the highest single-season average in NHL history.