Top 10 Fastest NHL Goals After a Faceoff

In ice hockey, a goal can arrive before many fans have even settled into their seats. The opening faceoff normally begins a period of positioning, puck movement and early pressure, but a few NHL players have needed only seconds to find the net. The fastest opening goals in league history show how quickly a faceoff win, a defensive mistake or an aggressive rush can completely change a game. Some of these records have survived for decades, while others came during the modern NHL era.

When the Opening Faceoff Leads Straight to a Goal

For this ranking, the clock starts with the opening faceoff of the game. This provides a clear and consistent way to compare goals scored immediately after play begins. The official NHL record for the fastest goal from the start of a game is 5 seconds, and several players share that remarkable mark.

There are also several goals at 6 and 7 seconds, meaning the difference between making NHL history and simply producing an excellent start can be only a single second. Here are 10 of the fastest opening goals recorded in league history.

10. Mel Bridgman, Calgary Flames, 7 Seconds

Mel Bridgman needed only 7 seconds to score for the Calgary Flames against the Detroit Red Wings on October 14, 1982. Calgary eventually won the game 6-4.

Scoring this early gives an immediate advantage, but it also changes the atmosphere inside the arena. The opposing team barely has time to establish its defensive structure before it suddenly has to chase the game.

Bridgman became part of a small group of NHL players to score inside the opening 7 seconds. Decades later, his goal remains among the quickest starts officially recorded by the league.

9. Danny Gare, Buffalo Sabres, 7 Seconds

Danny Gare scored only 7 seconds into a Buffalo Sabres game against the Vancouver Canucks on December 17, 1978. Buffalo went on to win 6-3.

Gare was known as a dangerous goal scorer, so his ability to punish an opponent immediately after the opening draw suited his attacking style. There was almost no time for Vancouver to settle into the contest before Buffalo had the lead.

A 7-second goal requires more than simply winning the faceoff. The attacking team has to move the puck forward immediately, find an available shooting opportunity and finish before the defense can organize.

8. Charlie Conacher, Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 Seconds

Charlie Conacher produced one of the earliest examples of an extremely fast NHL goal when he scored 7 seconds into a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins on February 6, 1932.

Toronto won the game 6-0, making the quick opening goal the beginning of a dominant performance. What makes the achievement particularly impressive is how long the record has remained near the top of the NHL list.

Hockey has changed dramatically since the 1930s. Equipment, tactics, skating speed and goaltending have all developed, but 7 seconds remains an extraordinary amount of time in which to turn an opening faceoff into a goal.

7. Alexandre Burrows, Vancouver Canucks, 6 Seconds

Alexandre Burrows joined an even more exclusive group when he scored only 6 seconds into a game for the Vancouver Canucks against the Detroit Red Wings on March 16, 2013.

It was one of the fastest opening goals of the modern NHL era. Vancouver could hardly have asked for a better start, although Detroit recovered and eventually won the game 5-2.

The result is an important reminder that even an historic opening goal does not guarantee victory. An NHL game lasts 60 minutes, and a team that falls behind after only a few seconds still has almost the entire contest available to respond.

6. Jean Pronovost, Pittsburgh Penguins, 6 Seconds

Jean Pronovost scored 6 seconds into the game when the Pittsburgh Penguins faced the St. Louis Blues on March 25, 1976. The Blues eventually won 5-2, but the opening goal still placed Pronovost among the fastest scorers from the start of a game in NHL history.

A goal after only 6 seconds leaves very little room for unnecessary puck movement. The play normally has to develop directly from the opening faceoff, with players moving forward immediately and looking for the quickest possible route toward the net.

Pronovost remained one of the NHL record holders at 6 seconds for decades, and only the group of players who scored in 5 seconds sit ahead of him.

5. Henry Boucha, Detroit Red Wings, 6 Seconds

Henry Boucha also reached the 6-second mark when the Detroit Red Wings played the Montreal Canadiens on January 28, 1973. Detroit won 4-2, so the extremely fast goal became the opening moment of a successful night for the Red Wings.

Boucha achieved the mark several years before Pronovost and four decades before Burrows. Together, the three players demonstrate how difficult it has been to move from 6 seconds to the NHL record of 5.

One second might appear insignificant in normal circumstances. In an NHL record involving an opening faceoff, however, that single second separates an elite historical performance from the fastest mark ever recorded.

4. Alexander Mogilny, Buffalo Sabres, 5 Seconds

Alexander Mogilny became part of NHL history on December 21, 1991, when he scored 5 seconds into a Buffalo Sabres game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Buffalo eventually won 4-1.

Mogilny was one of the most explosive offensive players of his era, and this goal demonstrated how quickly he could turn space into a scoring opportunity. His combination of speed, acceleration and finishing ability made him especially dangerous when defensive players were not fully organized.

The goal tied the existing NHL record rather than breaking it, but reaching 5 seconds placed Mogilny alongside a very small collection of players. No player has officially produced a faster goal from the start of an NHL game.

3. Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders, 5 Seconds

Bryan Trottier scored after only 5 seconds for the New York Islanders against the Boston Bruins on March 22, 1984. The game eventually finished 3-3 after overtime.

Trottier was already one of the most complete forwards in hockey, combining scoring, playmaking and strong two-way play. His 5-second goal added another unusual achievement to an outstanding NHL career.

For an attacking player, an opening faceoff creates a rare opportunity. Every player begins in a fixed position and both teams know exactly where the puck will enter play. If one team executes a planned movement perfectly, the opponent can immediately be placed under pressure.

2. Doug Smail, Winnipeg Jets, 5 Seconds

Doug Smail tied the NHL record on December 20, 1981, scoring 5 seconds into a game for the Winnipeg Jets against the St. Louis Blues. Winnipeg eventually won an entertaining contest 5-4.

Smail achieved the mark more than half a century after the original NHL record had been established. The fact that so much time passed without anyone improving on 5 seconds demonstrates just how difficult the record is to break.

A player has almost no margin for delay. Even after a clean faceoff win, the puck must be moved toward the attacking zone, controlled and shot almost immediately. Any extra pass or hesitation can add enough time to move the goal away from record territory.

1. Merlyn Phillips, Montreal Maroons, 5 Seconds

Merlyn Phillips holds the oldest share of the NHL record. Playing for the Montreal Maroons on December 29, 1926, Phillips scored just 5 seconds into a game against Chicago.

Chicago eventually won 5-4 in overtime, but the opening goal created a record that has survived for approximately a century. Other players have matched Phillips, yet nobody has officially scored earlier than the 5-second mark from the start of an NHL game.

The age of the achievement makes it particularly remarkable. Generations of faster players, improved training methods and increasingly sophisticated offensive systems have entered the NHL, but the basic challenge remains the same. There is simply very little that can happen between an opening faceoff and the 5-second point.

Why Scoring in the First Few Seconds Is So Difficult

The opening faceoff takes place at center ice, which means the attacking team is still a significant distance from the opposing net. A player cannot simply win the draw and shoot directly at close range.

Several things normally have to happen almost perfectly:

• The puck must be controlled immediately after the faceoff.
• The attacking players have to accelerate without hesitation.
• The defensive structure must be beaten before it becomes organized.
• The puck has to reach a dangerous shooting position extremely quickly.
• The final shot still has to beat an NHL goaltender.

That combination explains why the fastest records are separated by such small margins. A goal in 10 or 15 seconds is already an exceptional start. Reaching the net in only 5, 6 or 7 seconds requires almost everything to happen correctly from the moment the puck is dropped.

Can the 5-Second NHL Record Be Broken?

It is possible, but breaking the record would be extremely difficult. A player would have to score in 4 seconds or less. The attacking team would need an almost perfect opening faceoff sequence, immediate forward movement and a shot without wasting any time.

The NHL has shown that very fast goals are still possible in the modern game. Players continue to score inside the opening 10 seconds, so the opportunity remains. Modern skating speed may even help attackers reach dangerous areas more quickly.

However, modern defensive systems and goaltending also make scoring difficult. Players study faceoff tendencies, defensive coverage begins immediately, and goalies are prepared from the moment the puck drops.

A Record Where Every Second Matters

The fastest goals after the opening faceoff represent one of the most unusual records in ice hockey. Four players share the 5-second NHL mark, followed closely by several players at 6 and 7 seconds.

Merlyn Phillips created the standard in 1926, and Doug Smail, Bryan Trottier and Alexander Mogilny later matched it. Until someone manages to turn an opening faceoff into a goal in 4 seconds or less, those four players will continue to share one of the fastest records in NHL history.

These goals also demonstrate why the opening seconds of a hockey game should never be ignored. Sometimes the first faceoff is not simply the beginning of the action. It is the beginning of a scoring play that reaches the net almost immediately.