Armand Mondou

Armand Mondou will always go down in NHL history as the answer to this popular trivia question: Who was awarded the NHL’s first penalty shot? He was stopped in Toronto on Nov. 10, 1934, by Maple Leafs goaler George Hainsworth.

Mondou played in 386 NHL games, all with Montreal, but he could never seem to settle on a jersey number. He wore 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 44, 64 and 66 in his career!

In addition, he was said to be one of the earliest users of the slap shot, many years before Boom Boom Geoffrion or Bobby Hull really popularized the tactic.

Mondou, a checker primarily but he could make smart plays with the puck, scored only 47 career goals. But the gritty left-winger played a key role in the Canadiens’ Stanley Cup victory in 1930, a huge upset of the defending champion Boston Bruins, and again in 1931. His speed and unselfish team play were two keys of any good player on any championship team in any era of hockey.

Mondou's career took a major blow in the 1937-38 season when he broke he leg in a collision with Boston's freight-train of a defenseman, Eddie Shore. He returned to play the better parts of two more seasons before leaving the NHL.

Armand Mondou passed away in 1976, just before his grandson Pierre Mondou played his first NHL game.