The Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League originated
as the Hamilton Canucks in 1992-93. The franchise moved to Syracuse to become
the Crunch for the 1994-95 AHL season. The team has yet to win a Calder Cup
championship and are currently affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the
National Hockey League. The individual single season scoring records of the
team are quite modest.
Goals – Lonny Bohonos
In just his second year of professional hockey, Bohonos set
the Syracuse record for most goals in a season with 40 in 1995-96. Over 74
regular season games, Lonny also assisted on 39 for 79 points. That year, he
also played three games in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks. The goal total
tied him for ninth in the AHL that season, 28 goals behind the leader, Brad Smyth.
At the time, Bohonos was two years removed from leading the
Western Hockey League in goals, assists and points. In 70 games with the
Portland Winterhawks, Lonny scored 62 and assisted on 90 for 152 points to earn
the Bob Clarke Trophy.
Lonny retired from professional hockey after playing for
Adler Mannheim in Germany’s DEL during the 2005-06 season. Along the way, he
played in 83 regular season NHL games with the Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 2000-01, he led Switzerland’s National League A in points as a member of HC
Davos.
Assists – Bill Bowler
Bowler set the mark for Syracuse in 2000-01 with 58 assists.
In 72 games that year, he also scored 21 goals and totalled 79 points. It was
also that year that he appeared in his only nine NHL games, playing for the
Columbus Blue Jackets.
It comes as no surprise that Bowler would own a team’s
assist record. After a stellar junior career in the Ontario Hockey League with
the Windsor Spitfires, Bill is one of just 13 players in the history of the
league to assist on 100 or more goals in a single season. In 1994-95, he
assisted on 102. That total is the ninth best all-time in the OHL and 21 behind
the league record of 123 set by Bobby
Smith of the Ottawa 67’s in 1977-78.
Bowler owns the career record for assists in the OHL with
318 and the Windsor Spitfires record for most points in a career with 467.
Windsor retired his number 9 in 2011. Bill retired from pro hockey after
appearing in seven games for Krefeld Pinguine of the DEL in 2002-03.
Points – Lonny Bohonos and Bill Bowler
The Syracuse Crunch record for points in a season stands at
79. Bohonos reached the mark in 1995-96, the same year he set the record for
goals. Bowler had 79 points in 2000-01, the year he set the record for assists.
Not bad for two players not drafted into the NHL.
