Just about every single kid who grows up playing hockey dreams of one day getting the chance to play the game for a living, but only a few ever get to live out that dream.
But just because you get selected in the draft or sign a contract as an undrafted free agent it doesn’t mean your childhood dream is going to turn out as planned. The players on this list all had different career paths, but they all share one thing in common; they finished with one career goal.
Tim Armstrong was selected 211th overall in the 11th round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 193 OHL games with the Toronto Marlboros, Armstrong scored 81 goals and totalled 250 points. However, his OHL totals and AHL totals (87 goals and 133 assists for 220 points in 239 games) didn’t carry over to the NHL, where he played just 11 games and scored one goal; which came on December 31, 1988, in a 6-1 win over the Quebec Nordiques.
Darren Lowe’s NHL career was even shorter than Tim Armstrong’s, but he managed to finish with two more career points. Lowe scored one goal and three points in eight games with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1983-84 season, but two of those points including his lone goal didn’t come until his final game on March 13, 1984, in a loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Selected 84th overall in the 3rd round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, Brad Fast didn’t join the club until the 2002-03 season as he ended up committing to Michigan State for four years. On April 4, 2004, Fast made his NHL debut against the Florida Panthers and finished the game with a goal; truly making the most of his only game in the NHL.
Dean Morton wouldn’t qualify for the category because he only played one career game, but he might have the best shooting percentage in NHL history. Selected 148th overall in the 8th round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Morton spent two seasons in the AHL before he finally got a shot with the NHL club. On October 5, 1989, Morton made his NHL debut and finished the game with a goal on two shots. Unfortunately, it would be the only appearance he would ever make in the NHL (but now's a referee).
Don Spring had the longest career out of anyone on this list as he went on to play 259 games with the Winnipeg Jets from 1980-1984. His lone goal came near the end of his rookie season in a loss to the Los Angeles Kings on March 22, 1981, and he went on to record 54 assists for 55 career points.
Just about anyone who finished their career with one goal or less was most likely drafted in the late rounds of the draft (after all, there used to be double-digit rounds), but that wasn’t the case for Gary Yaremchuk. Coming off a WHL season where he scored 56 goals and 145 points in 72 games, the Edmonton, Alberta native was selected 24th overall in the 2nd round of the 1981 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, he only played 34 NHL games from 1981-1985, and didn’t score his lone goal until March 22, 1985, in a tie against his hometown Oilers. He went on to finish his career with a goal and five points.
Their careers might not have turned out the way they expected, but at least they actually got to play in the NHL.
