All Four Players Scored a Goal in Their Only NHL Game

Published on November 3rd, 2024 4:37 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel

The NHL Players Who Scored in Debuts but Never Returned.

It seems hard to comprehend - how could a NHL player score a goal in their debut, only to never play in the league again?

How is that possible?

This is exactly what happened to Brad Fast, Samuel Henley, Roland Huard and Dean Morton. They all scored goals in their NHL debuts and never played in the league again.

Let's take a look at the circumstances behind each of these players:

Brad Fast - after playing at Michigan State, Fast was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes 84th overall in the 1999 NHL Draft.

Fast was called up by the Hurricanes in the 2003-04 season, scoring a game-tying goal in his first and only appearance.

The 2004-05 lockout meant that Fast had to spend the entire season with the Lowell Lock Monsters. He was forgotten about and never played in the NHL again.

Samuel Henley - after getting called up by the San Antonio Rampage to play for the Colorado Avalanche, Henley scored a goal in his first and only NHL game.

After the game, Henley was sent back down. Henley was not offered a new contract by the Avalanche at the end of the season, and he elected to take a one-year "sabbatical" from professional hockey, never to return.

Roland Huard - Rolly Huard played in his first and only NHL game during the 1930-31 season, scoring in his debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs clearly weren't that impressed by Huard, as he didn't stay in the NHL following his successful debut. Huard would toil in the professional ranks for five more seasons before ultimately electing to retire.

Dean Morton - Morton, who served as a referee in the NHL, scored in his first and only NHL game during the 1989-90 season with the Detroit Red Wings.

Morton never played again in the NHL, as he was sent back down to the Adirondack Red Wings. Morton would toil in the minor league for a few more seasons before ultimately electing to hang up his skates after the 1992-93 season.

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Four players. Four NHL games. Four goals.