As with so many firsts in Buffalo Sabres history, Gilbert Perreault’s name was right there in the spotlight. On January 29, 1971, during a road game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Perreault recorded the first hat trick in franchise history, leading the Sabres to a 4-2 win over the California Golden Seals.
Perreault opened the scoring in the first period with help from Jean-Guy Talbot. His second of the night, and what would stand as the game winner, came at 8:56 of the third, assisted by Eddie Shack and Paul Andrea, giving Buffalo a 3-1 lead. With Seals goalie Gary Smith pulled late in the game, Perreault sealed the hat trick with an empty-netter at 19:34.
Offense wasn’t something Sabres of the early 70’s shied away from. In their inaugural 1970-71 NHL season, the team recorded six hat tricks, with three belonging to Eddie Shack. For Perreault, this was not only the team’s first but also the first hat trick of his NHL career. He’d eventually rack up 19 in total over his Hall of Fame career, but the second didn’t come quickly. It would be more than three years later, on October 10, 1974, against the Boston Bruins, before he’d hit the milestone again.