Who was the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games?

Maurice Richard was the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games. The Montreal Canadiens winger reached the milestone on March 18, 1945, scoring his 50th goal in the final game of the 1944–45 regular season against the Boston Bruins.

Richard scored the historic goal with 2:15 remaining at Boston Garden, beating goaltender Harvey Bennett Sr. on a pass from Elmer Lach. Montreal won the game 4–2, and Richard also helped set up the goal that put the Canadiens ahead.

The achievement was especially remarkable because NHL teams played a 50-game schedule at the time. Richard’s feat stood alone until Mike Bossy matched it for the New York Islanders in 1980–81. Wayne Gretzky later became famous for scoring 50 goals in 39 games, but he was not the first to reach 50 in 50.

Richard, nicknamed “The Rocket,” finished his NHL career with 544 goals and became one of the most influential figures in Montreal hockey history. The Maurice Richard Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s leading regular-season goal-scorer, is named in his honor.