Who was the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a season?

Maurice Richard was the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a season.

Richard reached the milestone with the Montreal Canadiens during the 1944–45 season. He scored his 50th goal in the final game of the regular season, against the Boston Bruins, with only 2 minutes and 15 seconds remaining. He finished the campaign with 50 goals in 50 games, a landmark achievement that became one of hockey's most famous records.

The accomplishment was especially significant because Richard was chasing Joe Malone's long-standing NHL single-season record of 44 goals, set in 1918. Richard broke that mark before becoming the first player to reach 50. His 50-in-50 standard stood alone until Mike Bossy matched it for the New York Islanders in 1981.

Richard later became the first NHL player to score 500 career goals, finishing with 544. He played his entire 18-season career with Montreal and helped the Canadiens win eight Stanley Cups. Wayne Gretzky, Phil Esposito, and Gord Howe all became prolific scorers, but none was first to the 50-goal seasonal milestone.