Since 1936-37, there have been just five players in the AHL
to lead the league in goals in consecutive seasons. The first came in 1937-38
and 1938-39 with the latest in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Interestingly, none of
these five players has been inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame since its
establishment in 2006. The American Hockey League now consists of 30 teams and
is the prime minor league for the NHL.
Phil Hergesheimer – Cleveland Barons
Phil Hergesheimer led the league in goals in 1937-38 and
1938-39, as a member of the Cleveland Barons. Phil score 25 in the first season
and 34 in the second. Hergesheimer went on to play 124 games in the National
Hockey League from 1939-40 to 1942-43 with the Chicago Black Hawks and Boston
Bruins. Phil returned to the American Hockey League after his NHL stint,
achieving a personal best 48 goals with the Philadelphia Rockets in 1946-47.
Carl Liscombe – Providence Reds
Carl Liscombe was the next to lead the league in consecutive
years, 1947-48 and 1948-49. Liscombe scored 50 goals in the first year and 55
in the second, both as a member of the Providence
Reds. Carl previously played 383 games in the NHL with the Detroit Red
Wings between 1937-38 and 1945-46. In 1943-44, he led the second place Detroit
Red Wings with 36 goals and 73 points in 50 games. The 73 points was good for
fourth in the NHL’s scoring race.
Guy Trottier – Buffalo Bisons
Guy
Trottier led the league with 45 goals in 1968-69 and 55 goals in 1969-70 as
a member of the Buffalo Bisons. Over his career, Trottier played 115 games in
the NHL with the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. He also played 174
games in the World Hockey Association. Previously, Guy scored 68 goals in
1965-66 and 71 goals in 1966-67 with the Dayton Gems of the IHL.
Paul Gardner – Binghamton Whalers
Paul
Gardner is the only one of this group of five to lead the league in
consecutive seasons with two different teams. In 1984-85, with the Binghamton
Whalers, Gardner led the league with 51 and the following season, with the
Rochester Americans, he led with 61. As a junior in the Ontario Hockey
Association, Paul scored 69 goals with the Oshawa Generals in 1975-76.
Gardner was the eleventh overall pick of the Kansas City
Scouts at the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft. He was also taken in the second round of
the WHA Amateur Draft by the Toronto Toros. Paul played 447 NHL games from
1976-77 to 1985-86 with the Colorado Rockies, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh
Penguins, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres.
Alexandre Giroux – Hershey Bears
Alexandre Giroux led the AHL in 2008-09 with 60 goals and,
again, in 2009-10 with 50 goals as a member of the Hershey Bears. Giroux is the
only one of the five players mentioned in this article to be awarded the Willie
Marshall Award. The Award was introduced for the 2003-04 season to honour the
top goal scorer in the AHL and is equivalent to the NHL’s Rocket Richard Trophy.
Giroux was a seventh round pick of the Ottawa Senators at
the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, 213th overall. He has, to date, appeared
in 48 NHL games, most recently with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is currently playing
in Switzerland’s National League A with Ambri-Piotta.
