The Bobby
Clarke Trophy is presented each season to the WHL player with the
highest point total. Originally dubbed the Brownridge Trophy, it was
re-named in 1987 to honour Clarke, one of the best to play in the
league. The trophy was introduced for the 1966-67 season and Clarke
won the scoring title the next season. Four players have won the
Bobby Clarke / Brownridge Trophy on more than one occasion.
Bobby Clarke - Flin Flon Bombers
Bobby Clarke, himself, was the first to
take the WHL (WCHL at the time) scoring title in consecutive seasons.
As a member of the Flin Flon Bombers, Clarke totaled 168 points in
1967-68, 37 points ahead of teammate Reg Leach. Clarke and Leach
would, of course, reunite with the Philadelphia Flyers team that won
consecutive Stanley Cups in 1973-74 and 1974-75. Clarke led the
league the following season with 137 points.
Bobby was a second round pick of the
Flyers at the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft. He played 1,144 regular seasons
NHL games between 1969-70 and 1983-84, all with Philadelphia. Three
times, Clarke surpassed the 100 point plateau in a season. Three
times he was a Hart Trophy recipient as the NHL’s most valuable
player. He finished his career with 1,210 points and was inducted
into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.
Tom Lysiak - Medicine Hat Tigers
Tom Lysiak was the next WHL player to
win the scoring title in consecutive seasons. With the Medicine Hat
Tigers, Lysiak led the league in 1971-72 with 143 points, ten more
than teammate Stan Weir. The following season, Lysiak led again with
154 points, seven points ahead of Dennis Sobchuk of the Regina Pats.
Tom was the second overall pick at the
1973 NHL Amateur Draft, going to the Atlanta
Flames and behind just Denis Potvin who went to the New York
Islanders. The Houston Aeros also picked Lysiak in the second round
of the WHA Amateur Draft, 23rd overall. Tom played 919 regular season
NHL games between 1973-74 and 1985-86 with the Flames and Chicago
Black Hawks.
Brian Propp - Brandon Wheat Kings
Brian Propp put up serious numbers in
winning the Brownridge Trophy in 1977-78 and 1978-79. In the first
season, Propp finished 22 points ahead of teammate Ray Allison with
182 points. The following year, on 94 goals and 100 assists, Propp
led the league with an incredible 194 points, 41 ahead of Allison in
the WHL scoring race. The two were part of one of the greatest
Canadian junior teams of all-time in 1978-79, as the Brandon Wheat
Kings finished with 58 wins, five losses and nine ties for 125
points.
Propp was the fourteenth overall pick
at the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, going to the Bobby Clarke led
Philadelphia Flyers. By then, the Broad Street Bullies era had pretty
much come to an end but the Flyers were still a great team. Propp
played 1,016 regular season games over his NHL career that lasted
from 1979-80 to 1993-94. Brian played for the Flyers, Boston Bruins,
Minnesota North Stars and Hartford Whalers.
Brian is known for his hard luck with
Stanley Cup finals. Five times over his career, Propp went to the
final series without a single victory to show for it. Three times, he
played for the Cup with the Flyers and he played once each with the
Boston Bruins and Minnesota North Stars.
Rob Brown - Kamloops Blazers
Rob Brown won the scoring race in
1985-86 and 1986-87 in record setting fashion. With the Kamloops
Blazers, Brown led the league with 173 points the first season. In
1986-87, Rob set the present day record with 212 points, 66 points
ahead of the next closer contender in capturing the Bobby Clarke
Trophy.
Despite the numbers, Brown was drafted
way down in the fourth round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft by the
Pittsburgh Penguins. He played a total of 543 NHL regular season
games from 1987-88 to 1999-00 with the Penguins, Hartford Whalers,
Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings. Playing on a
line with Mario Lemieux in 1988-89, Brown enjoyed his best NHL season
with 115 points in just 68 games.
Brown was a standout in the now defunct
IHL, where he played in between NHL stints. On three occasions, he
won the Leo Lamoureux Memorial Trophy as the league’s scoring
leader. In 1993-94, he led with 155 points as a member of the
Kalamazoo Wings. In 1995-96 and 1996-97, he led with the Chicago
Wolves, totalling 143 and 117 points.
