NHL players with the most four-goal regular season games

On Wednesday, Colorado Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon scored four goals in a game in a 6-2 Avalanche win over the Washington Capitals. This is actually the second time this season that MacKinnon has scored four goals in a game. The previous time was on December 21 in a 6-4 Avalanche win over the Ottawa Senators. It is the only two times in McKinnon’s career he has scored four goals in a game. Let’s now take a look at the five players in National Hockey League history with the most four-goal regular season games.

5) Cy Denneny

Denneny, a native of Farran’s Point, Ontario had four goals in a game seven times from 1917 to 1924. He achieved the feat all seven times with the original Ottawa Senators. Denneny, in fact, scored six times in a game, on March 7, 1921, in a 12-5 win over the Hamilton Tigers. That is the second most goals a player has ever scored in a game in NHL history.

4)  Mike Bossy

Bossy, a native of Montreal, Quebec, had four goals in a game eight times from 1979 to 1986. He achieved the feat all eight times with the New York Islanders. In one occasion, the four goals Bossy scored for the Islanders was not enough. He scored four times in a 6-5 Islanders loss to the Montreal Canadiens on November 1, 1984.

3) Joe Malone

Malone, a native of Quebec City, Quebec, had four goals in a game a dozen times from 1917 to 1922. He achieved the feat with the Montreal Canadiens, Quebec Bulldogs, and Hamilton Tigers. Malone has the NHL record for most goals in a game with seven. He accomplished the feat in a 10-6 Bulldogs win over the Toronto St. Patricks on January 31, 1920.

1) Wayne Gretzky

Gretzky, a native of Brantford, Ontario had four goals in a game 13 times from 1981 to 1987 with the Edmonton Oilers. In all, Gretzky had a record 50 NHL hat tricks, and four five-goal games.

1) Mario Lemieux

Lemieux, a native of Montreal, Quebec, also had four goals in a game 13 times. He accomplished the feat with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1985 to 1997. Lemieux’s first ever hat trick was actually a four-goal game on New Year’s Eve, 1985, in an 8-4 Penguins win over the St. Louis Blues.