On This Date in Sports February 16, 1992: 500 Goulet Goals
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Michel Goulet of the Chicago Blackhawks becomes the 17th player in NHL history to score 500 goals. Goulet's goal comes late in the first period, giving the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead at Chicago Stadium. The game would end in a tie, with the Blackhawks and Calgary Flames each scoring five goals. Michel Goulet, who spent a decade with the Quebec Nordiques before joining the Blackhawks, would finish his career in 1994 with 548 goals.
Michel Goulet was born in Peribonka, Quebec, on April 21, 1960. After playing in the QMJHL with the Quebec Ramparts, Goulet signed with the Birmingham Bulls of the WHA at the age of 18. He scored 28 goals with 30 assists in the WHA's final season, finishing behind Wayne Gretzky in Rookie of the Year voting. After the WHA folded, Michel Goulet was picked 20th in the NHL Draft by the Quebec Nordiques, one of four teams from the upstart league to join the NHL.
The Quebec Native, Michel Goulet became a fan favorite for the Nordiques, scoring 50 goals in four consecutive seasons, as he was one of the NHL's top scorers of the 80s. He scored 456 goals in 11 seasons in Quebec. The Nordiques made two appearances in the Wales Conference Finals in 1982 and 1985 but began to struggle at the end of the decade. In 1990, the Nordiques traded Michel Goulet to the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline.
Michel Goulet reached the milestone late in the first period of a game against the Calgary Flames. With 37 seconds left in a 1-1 tie Goulet scored on a perfect pass from Steve Larmer. The Blackhawks would reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1992, losing in four straight to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 1994, Michel Goulet took an awkward hit into the boards at the Montreal Forum, causing a concussion that would end his career.
After announcing his retirement, Michel Goulet rejoined the Quebec Nordiques organization. He retired with 548 goals, 605 assists, and 1,153 points. The Nordiques retired Goulet's number 16 before moving to Denver and becoming the Colorado Avalanche.