Courtesy of teamhitchcover.com

Writer: Chris Lomon
Editor: Wendy McCreary

They played 514 regular-season games combined and most hockey fans have probably never heard of them. But the names of Mud Bruteneau and Ken Doraty are almost always mentioned during this time of the hockey season...and for good reason.

Mud Bruneteau

A right-winger with a flair for offence, Modere "Mud" Bruneteau had a solid NHL career, one that included three Stanley Cup championships and three 20-goal seasons.

The Manitoba native honed his skills with the Winnipeg Knights of Columbus prior to turning pro with the Detroit Olympics of the IAHL. A creative playmaker and capable scorer, Bruneteau made his NHL debut in 1935-36, scoring just two goals in 24 games with the Detroit Red Wings and eight goals in 23 contests with the Olympics.

It was hardly a memorable start to what would eventually become a strong NHL tenure, but Bruneteau, who lived in relative anonymity during his rookie campaign, was about to become front-page news during the 1936 playoffs.

In the opening game of Detroit's semifinal series with the Montreal Maroons, Bruneteau scored the only goal of the contest, a great accomplishment in itself, even more so in terms of the time of the tally.

At 16:30 of the sixth overtime period, Bruneteau scored to give his team the win and end the longest game ever played in the NHL. It wasn't a dazzling shot that secured the win, but rather an ordinary marker that gave Detroit the hard-fought triumph.

Bruneteau delivered solid two-way play in helping the Wings capture the Cup in 1937. During the early 1940s, the respected forward began to light the lamp on a more regular basis, recording 14, 23 and 35 goals, respectively, from 1941-44.

The veteran of 77 playoff games finished his hockey career with the Omaha Knights of the USHL, spending three seasons with the squad after playing 411 NHL games. In total, Bruneteau registered 277 points.

He no doubt scored more impressive goals throughout his time in the NHL, but of the 139 regular season and 23 post-season tallies he notched, none were more significant than the one the man known as "Mud" netted 67 years ago.

Ken Doraty

Courtesy of sportingnews.com

His career spanned 11 seasons and comprised of only 103 games, but just like Mud Bruneteau, Ken Doraty went the extra mile to work his way into the record books.

Starting his professional career as a member of the Minneapolis Millers of the AHA in 1926-27, Doraty, a former member of the Regina Pats, suited up for 18 games with the Chicago Blackhawks that very same season.

Doraty went pointless with the Original Six club and played the next five campaigns between the Can-Pro league and the IHL, producing four 20-goal seasons. It wasn't until 1931-32 that Doraty would make his return to the NHL, this time as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In his first year with the Buds, Doraty contributed five goals and 16 points in 38 games. The forward saved his best efforts for the playoffs, where he tallied five goals in nine contests, including his headliner goal on April 4, 1933.

It was Doraty, who, just like Bruteneau, notched the only goal of the game in Toronto's 1-0 blanking of the Boston Bruins in their semifinal clash. Doraty finally put an end to the match and the best-of-five series in the sixth overtime, scoring at 4:46 to secure the win.

The game, contested at Maple Leaf Gardens, ended at 1:48 a.m., making it the longest game ever played at the legendary arena. Toronto went on to the Stanley Cup Final, but lost to the New York Rangers.

The Ontario native, who moved to Saskatchewan at an early age, played two more seasons with the Maple Leafs, before ending his NHL career in Detroit, appearing in just two games with the Red Wings.

After completing his playing days with the Seattle Seahawks of the PCHL, Doraty coached the Moose Jaw Canucks for three seasons, leading the squad to a berth in the Memorial Cup Finals in 1947 against the Toronto St. Michael's Majors.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of Doraty's well-documented goal, the one he scored in the second longest overtime game in the history of the NHL and one that still ranks among hockey's most notable markers of all-time.