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NHL Trivia: Most Common Wrong Answers (Fun Post)

Some NHL trivia questions reliably trip people up because the "obvious" answer feels right but isn't. These are the questions where your gut instinct betrays you, where recent memory overrides historical facts, and where the most famous player isn't actually the record holder. Test yourself: do you instinctively think of the wrong answer too?

January 25, 2026

1. "Who has the most career NHL goals?"

Common Wrong Answer: Alex Ovechkin

Correct Answer: Wayne Gretzky with 894 goals

Why People Miss It: Ovechkin's active chase of Gretzky's record has dominated headlines for years, so many casual fans assume he already passed "The Great One." The media coverage around Ovechkin's pursuit created false memories that he already broke the record.

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2. "Which team has the most Stanley Cups?"

Common Wrong Answer: Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs

Correct Answer: Montreal Canadiens with 24 championships

Why People Miss It: Fans often default to the most recent dynasties they've seen (Detroit in the 1990s-2000s), or their own favorite team, forgetting Montreal's dominance from the 1950s through 1970s. Recency bias is powerful in sports trivia.

3. "Who first scored 50 goals in 50 games?"

Common Wrong Answer: Wayne Gretzky

Correct Answer: Maurice "Rocket" Richard in 1944-45

Why People Miss It: Gretzky's "50 in 39" is the most famous stat line and gets referenced constantly, but Richard was the first to hit the 50-in-50 milestone decades earlier. Gretzky broke the pace record, but Richard set the original benchmark.

4. "Who has the most career points by a defenseman?"

Common Wrong Answer: Bobby Orr

Correct Answer: Ray Bourque with 1,579 points

Why People Miss It: Orr is widely seen as the best defenseman ever, so fans assume he holds every defensive record. In reality, longevity and consistency give Bourque the point crown. Orr's career was cut short by knee injuries, limiting his counting stats despite otherworldly peak performance.

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5. "Which goalie scored the first goal by a goaltender?"

Common Wrong Answer: Ron Hextall

Correct Answer: Billy Smith in 1979 (credited on an own-goal)

Why People Miss It: Hextall was the first to shoot the puck into the opposing net intentionally, which is more memorable and visually impressive than Smith's statistical credit. The distinction between "first credited" and "first shot" confuses people.

6. "Who is known as 'Mr. Hockey'?"

Common Wrong Answer: Wayne Gretzky

Correct Answer: Gordie Howe

Why People Miss It: Gretzky's "Great One" nickname is so dominant that some fans mix up the honorifics. Both are legends, but "Mr. Hockey" specifically belongs to Howe, who played professionally across five decades.

7. "Which player scored the 'Golden Goal' in 2010?"

Common Wrong Answer: Alex Ovechkin, Jonathan Toews

Correct Answer: Sidney Crosby

Why People Miss It: Highlights often mash multiple iconic goals together, and some fans default to the biggest name from "their era" or their favorite player. The 2010 Olympics happened during a peak period for multiple superstars, creating confusion.

8. "Which goalie has the most career shutouts?"

Common Wrong Answer: Patrick Roy, Dominik Hašek

Correct Answer: Martin Brodeur with 125 shutouts

Why People Miss It: Roy and Hašek are often top-of-mind in "best goalie" debates because of their highlight-reel saves and dominant playoff performances, while Brodeur quietly stacked regular-season shutouts and wins through consistency and longevity.

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9. "Which team last won the Stanley Cup among Canadian franchises?"

Common Wrong Answer: Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks

Correct Answer: Montreal Canadiens in 1993

Why People Miss It: Many fans forget that the Leafs' last win came in 1967 and misremember later playoff runs as Cup wins. The 30+ year Canadian drought is so long that younger fans have no memory of any Canadian team winning.

10. "Which team won four straight Stanley Cups in the 1980s?"

Common Wrong Answer: Edmonton Oilers

Correct Answer: New York Islanders (1980-1983)

Why People Miss It: The Oilers dynasty is more famous and featured more legendary players (Gretzky, Messier, Kurri), so fans assume they won four straight. In reality, Edmonton won five Cups in seven years but never four consecutive. The Islanders accomplished the four-peat just before Edmonton's dominance began.

Why These Wrong Answers Persist

Memory is reconstructive, not photographic. We remember narratives (Gretzky = best at everything) rather than specific facts (Bourque played longer). Recent events overwrite older memories (Ovechkin's chase eclipses Gretzky's achievement in casual fans' minds). And frankly, some fans just repeat what they heard without checking.

The Meta-Quiz Challenge

Before reading this article, how many of these wrong answers did you think were correct? If you caught yourself on 3+ wrong answers, you're exactly the audience this article helps. If you knew all ten correct answers instinctively, congratulations—you're a trivia expert who double-checks facts.

Using This Knowledge

Next time you're in a bar trivia or arguing with friends, watch for these common traps. When someone confidently states Ovechkin has the goal record or Orr has the most defensive points, you can politely correct them and explain why the confusion exists. Knowledge is power, but explaining why mistakes happen makes you seem smart without being condescending.

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