Dec. 19, 1984

Scotty Bowman takes sole possession of the No. 1 spot in regular-season coaching victories with No. 691, one more than Dick Irvin. The Buffalo Sabres' 6-3 win over the Blackhawks in Chicago is Bowman's 1,178th game; Irvin needed 1,437 to establish his record.

In his 17th season, Bowman won 110 games with the St. Louis Blues (1967-71), 419 with the Montreal Canadiens (1971-79) and 162 with the Sabres (1979-80, 1981-84). Most impressive is that not only does Bowman have the most victories, he also has the top winning percentage at .672.

While Bowman downplays his feat and his ability, others don't. In his book "The Game," former Montreal goalie Ken Dryden wrote, "He is complex, confusing, misunderstood, unclear in every way but one. He is a brilliant coach, the best of his time."

Says former Bruins coach Don Cherry: "The Canadiens didn't like him, but in June, when they got their Stanley Cup checks, they seemed to like him. Scotty rules with an iron hand. That's his style, but who can knock it with the record he's got."