1 NHL Rule Change To Bring Back Offence

Gary Bettman rolled into town in February of 1993 as the first ever Commissioner of the National Hockey League. Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins was the Art Ross Trophy winner in that 1992-93 season with 160 points. Since, the Art Ross Trophy winner has, with the exception of a few blips, scored less and less.

This year, Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars won the award with just 87 points. That is the lowest total since Stan Mikita of the Chicago Blackhawks equalled that mark back in 1967-68.

Each and every year, the NHL's brain trust meets, frantically coming up with goofy ideas meant to increase offence. Almost every year, there are tweaks to the rules that do nothing to increase offence and, quite frankly, make a mockery of the game.

Well, one simple rule change has the potential to bring back some goal scoring. It wouldn't actually be a new rule. It would simply be reverting back to the way things were before the 1956-57 NHL season. I propose the league makes this change but with a twist.

As someone who has played hockey for the past 40 or so years and a who is Canadian, I do not like Gary Bettman. He may have rescued the NHL from financial disaster but he has done little for the actual game. The NHL that exists today is for idiots with short attention spans who are entertained by anything but what is actually going on on the ice.

However, the tweak I'm proposing might meet Bettman's approval because it is bastardized from basketball, Little Gary's first love.

The Two Minute Major

Well, it was never called the 'two minute major' in the olden days, just a minor penalty. Before the 1956-57 season, when a player was put in the box for a minor infraction, he remained for the full two minutes, regardless of how many goals his opponents scored.

The rule was changed to its present form because of the ridiculous success of the 1955-56 MontrealCanadiens. The numbers were crazy with the Habs accounting for more than a quarter of the entire league's power play goals. At the request of the other five teams, the rule was changed to allow the penalized player to leave the box before the two minutes were up if his team was scored upon.

I say, it's time to go back to a full two minute penalty. But, as mentioned, with a twist.

Fouling Out

I propose that the two minute major doesn't come into effect right from the start of the game. Stealing sort of from basketball, once a player has been called on his third minor of the game, then the rule goes into effect. Also, once a team is called for its fifth minor of the game, the hard two minutes apply. These numbers are arbitrary but you get the picture.

It has been suggested before, I believe by Stan Fischler, that the two minute major return but for certain types of calls like high sticking. That's not a bad idea, either.

One other twist ties in the two minute major and the penalty shot rule. I have issues with the penalty shot rule. Currently, which team is really at an advantage when a penalty shot is called? It's a one shot chance to beat a goalie who is wearing today's oversized equipment. Would not there be almost a better chance of scoring over two minutes with a man advantage? The numbers are actually not that far apart.

Of course, this goes back to Bettman trying to sell the game to people who don't play the game and don't know a thing about the game. 'The most exciting play in sport', it has been dubbed. Bullshit. In a time when half the games end in a shootout anyway, the penalty shot is nothing but a free timeout for both clubs.

Here's what I think. They NHL should allow a team to either accept or decline the penalty shot. If they decline, they get the two minute major, regardless of whether the offending player or team has 'fouled out'.

And Another Thing...

Want to make the game more exciting? Want to make teams play for the win in regulation time? Two things.

1. Do a shootout at the start of every game.
2. Make each game a proper three point game.

Fans love shootouts, no matter how impure they are. Run a shootout before each and every game to determine who will win in the case of a tie after the overtime. This means one team will have a reason to be in the lead from the get-go. There will be no dogging and playing for the point. If the game is decided in regulation or overtime, then the shootout means nothing but the entertainment it provided.

Item number two would probably eliminate the need for item number one. Most leagues in Europe play with a proper three points per game system. The IIHF World Championships are based on this. Before the days of overtime and shootouts during the regular season, each and every game was worth the same, two points. If a team won, they got both points. If there was a tie, each team got a point. Each and every game was valued exactly the same.

Then came overtime and shootouts. Now, some games are worth two points and some games are worth three. This is wrong. It just doesn't make any logical sense. Each game should be three points. Three points go to the winner and none to the loser if the game is decided in regulation. The split is two points / one point if the game is decided in extra time.

1992-93 NHL Top 5 Goal Scorers

The 1992-93 National Hockey League season saw all of the top 5 goal scorers with 60 or more goals. Offense was rampant over the 84 game schedule, largely due to the combined 21 wins by the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks in a total of 168 games.

Two players tied for the goal scoring lead at 76 goals apiece. Alexander Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres got the nod in the tie break over rookie Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets, playing seven less games.

Alex Mogilny – Buffalo Sabres

It was a career year for Mogilny with the 76 goals and 127 points in his fourth year in the NHL. He played in the league from 1989-90 to 2005-06 with the Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs. Alex had one more 50+ goal season, scoring 55 with the Vancouver Canucks in 1995-96.

 

Alex played 990 regular season games in the NHL and scored 473 goals. Those numbers would have been much higher considering Mogilny never played the full schedule in any of his 16 seasons.

Teemu Selanne – Winnipeg Jets

Teemu Selanne set the mark for first year players with his 76 goals for the Jets in 1992-93, although he was 22 and had played three years of elite level hockey in Finland prior to his arrival in the NHL. Selanne retired from the National Hockey League after the 2013-14 season, playing his final season for the Anaheim Ducks. Along the way, he has had two 50+ goal seasons, both with Anaheim. Selanne has also played for the San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche.

Mario Lemieux – Pittsburgh Penguins

Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins finished third for goals in 1992-93. However, his numbers were a thing of awe. Lemieux played just 60 of Pittsburgh’s 84 games and scored 69 goals. On that pace, if he’d played the full season he would have scored between 96 and 97 goals. Numbers like that would have topped Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 92 goals.

Luc Robitaille – Los Angeles Kings

Luc Robitaille of the Los Angeles Kings finished fourth with 63 goals. 1992-93 saw career highs for Robitaille in goals and points (125). Luc totalled 668 regular season goals in 1,431 games in a career that spanned from 1986-87 to 2005-06. He had 50 or more goals in three seasons.

Robitaille also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings during his many years in the National Hockey League. Luc is one of five players to have their numbers retired by the Los Angeles Kings.

Pavel Bure – Vancouver Canucks

Pavel Bure rounded out the top five with 60 goals. The second year player would score exactly the same the following season but while playing seven fewer games. Bure played in the NHL from 1991-92 to 2002-03 with the Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. Pavel scored 437 goals in just 702 regular season games.

Despite his relatively short NHL career, Bure was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012. Pavel joined Mario Lemieux, who was inducted in 1997, and Luc Robitaille, who entered the Hall in 2009.

In An NHL Without Wayne Gretzky And Mario Lemieux

There’s no question that the National Hockey League’s record books are dominated by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Between the two, they own the top 12 single season performances in total assists, the top 13 point totals and three of the top four goal totals. What if neither had existed? What would the record books look like today?

·         Steve Yzerman would hold the points record with 155 points

·         Bobby Orr would still hold the record for most assists in a season

·         Brett Hull would hold the record for most goals

Of course, the butterfly effect would be in effect and guys like Jari Kurri, Bernie Nicholls, Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr and Paul Coffey, although stars, may not have had such great numbers without the help of the Great One and Super Mario. And, of course, this is purely hypothetical as time travel has not been invented yet.

Gretzky will most likely forever hold the record for goals, assists and points in a season. His 92 goals in 1981-82 are pretty much untouchable, although Brett Hull made a pretty good run at it in 1990-91. If the two greats had never played the game, the record for most goals in a single NHL season would belong to Hull at 86 while playing for the St. Louis Blues.

Following ten goals behind would be a trio of players at 76 goals. Phil Esposito owned the record before Gretzky with his 76 goal performance with the Boston Bruins in 1970-71, a mark that was at the time thought to be unbeatable. Alexander Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres and Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets both scored 76 in 1992-93. Mogilny’s total is a Buffalo Sabres record. Selanne still holds the record for most goals by an NHL rookie.

Wayne Gretzky’s record of 163 assists in 1985-86 is 61 more than the next non-dynamic duo mark. Bobby Orr would be our record holder with the 102 assists he accumulated during the 1970-71 season. The 102 is still a team record and the most by any defenseman in NHL history. Orr is the only player other than Gretzky and Lemieux to top 100 assists in a single season.

Close behind with 97 assists is another Boston Bruin. Adam Oates achieved this total in 1992-93. Ironically, the third highest total belongs to Joe Thornton with 96. Joe played the first half of the 2005-06 season with the Bruins before being traded to the San Jose Sharks.

Take away the top thirteen point totals in NHL history, including Gretzky’s record 215 in 1985-86 and you’re left with Steve Yzerman as the leading man. Yzerman totaled 155 points in 1988-89 with the Detroit Red Wings. That was good enough for just third in the race for the Art Ross Trophy as Lemieux had 199 and Gretzky had 168.

Phil Esposito’s 152 points in that magic 1970-71 Boston Bruins season stands the test of time and would be the second best without the duo. Bring out the asterix for numbers three and four. Bernie Nicholls totaled 150 points in 1988-89 with the help of Wayne Gretzky and Jaromir Jagr had 149 in 1995-96 with the help of Lemieux. The next two on the list would be Pat Lafontaine with his 148 points with the Buffalo Sabres in 1992-93 and Mike Bossy with 147 with the New York Islanders in 1981-82.

1985-86 Edmonton Oilers: Stanley Cup Playoff Train Wreck

1985-86 was the year the National Hockey League changed rules to try and keep the Edmonton Oilers from obliterating the league’s scoring records. From 1985 to 1993, the NHL allowed teams to play five on five instead of four on four when coincidental minors were handed out. Unofficially, the rule was changed because the Oilers were unstoppable in a four-on-four situation.

1985-86 was also a year when the Edmonton Oilers should have cruised to a Stanley Cup victory. Instead, they allowed the Calgary Flames to oust them from the playoffs in the second round. The series went the full seven games with neither team winning consecutive games and Calgary outscoring Edmonton by a slight margin at 25-24 on the series. Both Edmonton and Calgary had easily swept in their opening round. The Oilers took out the Canucks in three and the Flames took out the Jets in three. Calgary reached the Stanley Cup final before bowing out to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

That season, the Oilers won 56 games while losing only 17 and tying 7 for 119 points. The point total was thirty more than the Flames, who were second in the Clarence Campbell Conference. They Oilers were nine points better than the Philadelphia Flyers who were first in the Prince of Wales Conference. Coincidentally, the Flyers were knocked out in the first round by the New York Rangers who finished the season with just 78 points and were two games below .500.

Edmonton players set National Hockey League individual records that season and several still stand today. Of them, Wayne Gretzky’s 215 points and 163 assists are the records that likely will remain for an eternity. Gretzky also tied the NHL mark for most assists in a single game with seven. Paul Coffey scored 48 goals which stands as the most goals scored by a defenseman in one season. Paul eclipsed the previous mark of 46 set by Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins in 1974-75. Coffey also set the record for the longest point streak for defenseman at 28 games.

Edmonton players dominated the NHL’s top ten in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. Wayne Gretzky was 74 points ahead of the number two man in the league, Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who totalled 141 points. Paul Coffey came in third with 138 points, one less than Bobby Orr’s record for defenseman set in 1970-71. Jari Kurri finished fourth in the NHL with 131 points and led the league with 68 goals. Unfortunately for Kurri, the Rocket Richard Trophy didn’t come into existence for another decade and a half.

The Oilers took home the hardware at the NHL awards ceremony in 1985-86. Gretzky was awarded the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer and the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP. The Oilers won the President’s Trophy for the highest point total during the National Hockey League regular season. Glen Sather won the Jack Adams Award as the top coach despite having a team full of ringers and experiencing such a playoff disappointment. Of course, Paul Coffey won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.

Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey were selected to the NHL’s First Team All-Star team and Jari Kurri made Second Team. Nine Edmonton Oilers players appeared in the NHL’s All-Star Game in 1985-86. Other than Gretzky, Coffey and Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Lee Fogolin, Grant Fuhr, Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier and Andy Moog appeared. Ironically, with such an offensively laden team, their Campbell Conference team lost a low-scoring affair to the Wales Conference squad.

The Oilers learned from their playoff disaster. The following season, Gretzky scored 32 less points, the team scored 54 less goals, had seven less wins and 13 less points. Edmonton still won the President’s Trophy but with only 106 points. Most importantly, they won the Stanley Cup in seven games over the Philadelphia Flyers. As for the Calgary Flames, they lost in the opening round in 1986-87 to the Winnipeg Jets in six games.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Steve Yzerman

For three decades, Steve Yzerman was the face of the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings. Yzerman retired after the 2005-06 season and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. Steve’s number 19 was retired by the Red Wings in 2007 and is one of just seven numbers retired by the team. Stevie-Y is now the General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Test and expand your knowledge of Steve Yzerman hockey trivia with the following questions.

Q. In his best offensive year, 1988-89, how many regular season points did Steve Yzerman have?

A. Yzerman contributed 155 points for a Detroit Red Wings team that finished the regular season at exactly .500 and lost out in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks. Yzerman put up career high numbers for goals (65) and assists (90). Steve finished third in league scoring behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.

To this day, the numbers Yzerman put up for goals, assists and points in 1988-89 remain team single season records. The 155 points is still the 14^th highest total in National Hockey League history and the most by a player whose name is not Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux.

Q. How many teams did Steve Yzerman play for during his NHL career?

A. Despite several trade rumours throughout his career, Yzerman played for just the Detroit Red Wings. In 1994, it was thought he was bound for the Montreal Canadiens and the following year the rumour had him going to the Ottawa Senators.

Q. How many seasons did Steve Yzerman play in the NHL?

A. Yzerman played 22 seasons in the NHL. He began his career with Detroit in 1983-84 after two years with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. Steve was a fourth overall pick of the Red Wings in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, behind Brian Lawton (Minnesota North Stars), Sylvain Turgeon (Hartford Whalers) and Pat Lafontaine (New York Islanders). After missing the 2004-05 season, along with the rest of the league due to the lockout, Yzerman returned for one more season in 2005-06.

Q. How many times during his NHL career did Steve Yzerman surpass the 50 goal plateau?

A. Five times in his 22 NHL seasons, Steve Yzerman had 50 or more goals in a season. In 1988-89 and 1989-90, Yzerman took it a step further and surpassed the 60 goal plateau. Overall, Steve scored 692 regular season goals over his NHL career, putting him in the ninth position all-time. Yzerman scored two less goals that Mark Messier and two more than Mario Lemieux. Teemu Selanne finished the 2013-14 season with 684.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Guy Lafleur

Guy Lafleur was a huge part of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty during the 1970’s in the National Hockey League. He played with the Canadiens from 1971-72 until 1984-85. He came out of retirement and played three more seasons from 1988-89 to 1990-91.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of Guy Lafleur with the following four trivia questions.

Q. How many times did Guy Lafleur win the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading point-getter?

A. Lafleur won the Art Ross three times consecutively, 1975-76, 1976-77 and 1977-78. His point totals in those seasons were 125, 136 and 132 respectively. This was right in the middle of a six year stretch of 100+ point season for Guy that spanned from 1974-75 to 1979-80.

In 1975-76, Lafleur finished with a six point edge over Bobby Clarke of the Philadelphia Flyers. That year, he neither led the league in goals or assists. The following year, Guy’s cushion over second place increased to 14 points, this time finishing ahead of Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings. He once again did not lead the NHL in goals but did lead in assists. In 1977-78, Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders was second best, nine points behind. Lafleur led the National Hockey League in goals with 60.

Q. Guy Lafleur finished his NHL career off playing for what team?

A. When Lafleur made his three year comeback from 1988-89 to 1990-91, he played his first year with the New York Rangers and his final two with the Quebec Nordiques. In the two seasons in Quebec, Lafleur managed just 39 and 59 games with twelve goals in each season.

Q. When Guy Lafleur was taken first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, who was second overall?

A. Always a rival of Lafleur’s in the scoring race, Marcel Dionne was selected second overall in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Lafleur came out of the QMJHL where he played for the Quebec Remparts. Dionne was a Quebec born hockey dissident, playing in the OHA for the St. Catherines Black Hawks. When Guy won his three Art Ross Trophies, Marcel Dionne was never very far behind. The bulk of Dionne’s success came while playing for the Los Angeles Kings. The two played together for the Rangers in 1988-89.

Q. What was the highest single regular season goal total during Guy Lafleur’s NHL career?

A. He scored 103 and 130 goals in his final two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Guy Lafleur’s NHL single season best was not nearly as high as those totals but still quite respectable. Lafleur scored 60 goals in 1977-78. At the time, Guy was just the fourth player in NHL history to reach 60 goals in a single season. He was the second Montreal Canadien to reach the plateau with Steve Shutt scoring 60 the year before.

The 130 goals stood as a QMJHL single season record until 1983-84. That year, Mario Lemieux of the Laval Voisins topped the mark with 133 goals. Lemieux played in seven more games.

8 NHL Players To Win The Art Ross Trophy In Consecutive Seasons

The Art Ross Trophy has been handed out to the regular season points leader in the National Hockey League each season since 1947-48.  Over the 61 years since the trophy was first awarded, eight players have captured the trophy in consecutive years.

Gordie Howe – Detroit Red Wings

Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings became the first NHL player to accomplish this rarity. Howe won the trophy four times consecutively from 1950-51 to 1953-54. Over his great playing career, Gordie would take home the award twice more, both while playing in Detroit.

Dickie Moore – Montreal Canadiens

Shortly after, Dickie Moore of the Montreal Canadiens was awarded the Art Ross Trophy twice in a row. Moore led the league with 84 points in 1957-58. The next year, he increased the NHL record to 96 points while winning his second Art Ross. Moore’s record would stay in the books until 1965-66 when Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks bettered it by a single point. Hull won three scoring championships over his career, however, never consecutively.

Stan Mikita – Chicago Blackhawks

Bobby Hull’s teammate with the Blackhawks, Stan Mikita, was the next player to lead the National Hockey League in points over consecutive seasons. Mikita did it twice. The first pair occurred during the 1963-64 and 1964-65 seasons. The second time was immediately following Hull’s record performance, 1966-67 and 1967-68. In 1966-67, Mikita would equal Hull’s 97 points.

Phil Esposito – Boston Bruins

The late 1960’s and early 1970’s brought several new expansion teams to the NHL. The original six teams weren’t willing to share the Art Ross and didn’t give it up until 1978-79. With expansion came a lot more scoring. Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins was awarded the Art Ross in four straight seasons from 1970-71 to 1973-74. His point totals of 152, 133, 130 and 145 over those four years shattered the previous scoring marks of Mikita and Hull.

Guy Lafleur – Montreal Canadiens

Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens replaced Esposito as the NHL’s premier point-getter in 1975-76 and won the Art Ross three years consecutively, playing for what is arguably the best hockey team to ever play.

Wayne Gretzky – Edmonton Oilers

The game of hockey changed drastically in 1979-80 as Wayne Gretzky first skated in the league. In just his second season with the Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky won the Art Ross and bettered Phil Esposito’s record with 164. Gretzky went on to win seven in a row with the Edmonton Oilers, setting the NHL record for points in a single season during the 1985-86 season with 215. Gretzky would also win consecutive Art Ross trophies as a member of the Los Angeles Kings in 1989-90 and 1990-91. He would win one more time in his career for a total of 10.

Mario Lemieux – Pittsburgh Penguins

Mario Lemieux challenged but could not eclipse Gretzky’s mark of 215 points. However, he did win the Art Ross consecutively on three different occasions. He neared Gretzky’s record with 199 points in 1988-89, the second of his first two in a row. He would capture the Art Ross in 1991-92 and 1992-93 and then again in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

Jaromir Jagr – Pittsburgh Penguins

Lemieux’s teammate on the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jaromir Jagr took home the Art Ross four times consecutively from 1997-98 to 2000-01. Jagr won the trophy five times during his NHL playing career. Jagr, to date, is the last to win the award in straight seasons.

1982-83 QMJHL Scoring Leaders

1982-83 was the only year Pat Lafontaine played in the QMJHL and the second of three years in the Q for Mario Lemieux. That combination was a catalyst for an extreme season of offense in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Pat Lafontaine – Verdun Juniors

Pat Lafontaine led the league with 234 points, playing 70 games for the Verdun Juniors. Lafontaine scored 104 goals and assisted on 130 more. The New York Islanders quickly picked him up third overall at the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Pat was drafted behind just Brian Lawton (Minnesota North Stars) and Sylvain Turgeon (Hartford Whalers).

Lafontaine spent much of the 1983-84 season with the United States Olympic team but did make his NHL debut, scoring 13 goals in just 15 regular season games for the Islanders. He also played in 16 playoff games as the Islanders reached the Stanley Cup finals before falling to the Edmonton Oilers. Lafontaine went on to play 865 regular season games in the NHL, scoring 468 goals while playing for the Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers.

Claude Verret – Trois Rivieres Draveurs

Claude Verret of the Trois Rivieres Draveurs finished second with 188 points over 68 regular season games. It was his third and final season in the QMJHL. Verret topped 100 points in each of those three years. Claude was an eighth round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 1982. He played a total of 14 games in the NHL, all with the Sabres. In 1983-84, Verret was rookie of the year in the American Hockey League, amassing 90 points in 65 games for the Rochester Americans.

Mario Lemieux – Laval Voisins

Mario Lemieux of the Laval Voisins finished third with 184 points in 66 games, a mere warm-up for his record setting season the following year. Super Mario was in his second of three years with Laval. In 1983-84, he would set an unreachable Canadian Hockey League record of 282 points on 133 goals and 149 assists. With playoffs added in, he totalled 334 points.

The Pittsburgh Penguins grabbed Lemieux first overall at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. Mario simply became the franchise, leading the team to their first two Stanley Cup championships and leading the league in scoring on six occasions.

Sylvain Turgeon – Hull Olympiques

Sylvain Turgeon finished fourth with 163 points in 67 games for the Hull Olympiques. It was his second of two seasons with Hull. As mentioned earlier, Turgeon was taken second overall by the Hartford Whalers at the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Turgeon was an immediate star for the Whalers, scoring 40 goals in his rookie season. Sylvain played 669 regular season games in the NHL from 1983-84 to 1994-95 with the Whalers, New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators.

Paul Adey – Hull Olympiques

Paul Adey of the Hull Olympiques rounded out the top five with 162 points in 70 games. Adey is perhaps the most interesting of these five players. After playing three years in the QMJHL, Paul went undrafted and played three years of minor pro in North America. In 1988-89, he cross the Atlantic to play for the Nottingham Panthers of the BHL and he became a legend.

Scoring 1,600 points for Nottingham, Adey has his number 22 retired by the club and is a member of the British Hockey Hall of Fame. Paul is currently the Head Coach of Val Pusteria in Italy’s elite Lega Italiana Hockey su Ghiaccio.

Hockey Trivia: You Gotta Have Hart

The Hart Memorial Trophy has been handed out to the National Hockey League’s Most Valuable Player since 1924. The trophy was donated to the NHL by Doctor David Hart, who was the father of Cecil Hart, former coach and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge with these following questions regarding the Hart Memorial Trophy.

Q. What Philadelphia Flyers player won the Hart in 1994-95?

A. Eric Lindros won the Hart Trophy in 1995. Lindros tied Jaromir Jagr of the Pittsburgh Penguins for most points during the shortened 1994-95 NHL season. Lindros and Jagr both had 70 points, five more than Alexei Zhamnov of the Winnipeg Jets. Jagr was awarded the Art Ross Trophy because he had more goals.

After a junior career with the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League, Lindros played 760 regular season games in the National Hockey League from 1992-93 to 2006-07 with the Flyers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars. His numbers were impressive with 372 goals and 493 assists for 865 points.

Q. Who is the only NHL goalie to win consecutive Hart Trophies?

A. Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres won the Hart Trophy in 1996-97 and 1997-98. Hasek and Jose Theodore are the only goalies to win the Hart since Jacques Plante won it in 1962.

Hasek started his NHL career humbly with the Chicago Blackhawks, appearing in just five games in 1990-91 and 20 the following season. However, once he was sent to the Buffalo Sabres for the 1992-93 season, Dominik’s NHL career took off. He played with the Sabres until the end of 2001-02 before joining the Detroit Red Wings. Hasek also played a year with the Ottawa Senators along with pro hockey in the Czech Extraliga and the Russia based KHL before retiring after the 2010-11 season.

Q. Other than Wayne Gretzky, who was the only player to win the Hart Trophy during the 1980’s?

A. Mario Lemieux won the Hart in 1988 while playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Gretzky won the previous eight as a member of the Edmonton Oilers and won again the year following Lemieux as a member of the Los Angeles Kings.

The first overall pick at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, Lemieux won the Hart Trophy two more times over his career. He played his entire NHL career with the Penguins from 1984-85 to 2005-06 with a three year layoff between 1997-98 and 1999-00.

Q. Who was the first player to win the Hart Trophy when it was introduced in 1924?

A. Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators won the first ever Hart Trophy. Nighbor was also the first ever recipient of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy when it was introduced the following year. In that 1923-24 season, Frank scored ten goals and assistsed on three for 13 points over 20 games. Ottawa placed first overall in the four team league over the 24 game regular season schedule. The Senators then fell to the Montreal Canadiens in a two game total goal Stanley Cup final.

Nighbor played with the Senators from 1915-16 until a midseason traded sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1929-30, his final year in the NHL. Frank was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947. It was just the second round of inductions with 1945 being the first.

 

3 NHL Players With Multiple 70 Goal Seasons

In the National Hockey League, the 50 goal plateau has been equalled or surpassed over 190 times. The 60 goal plateau was met for the 38^th time in 2007-08 when Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scored 65. However, only eight players have reached the 70 goal milestone with just three doing it on more than one occasion. These three players accomplished this feat in the short era between 1981-82 and 1990-91.

Wayne Gretzky

As would be expected, Wayne Gretzky leads the way, surpassing 70 goals in a single NHL season on four separate occasions as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. His first time was a 92 goal performance in 1981-82. That total remains as the NHL record for most goals in a single season. The second highest single season total also belongs to Gretzky, 87 goals in 1983-84. Rounding out his four 70+ goal seasons are 71 in 1982-83 and 73 in 1984-85.

Brett Hull

His father, Bobby Hull, was responsible for four of the five 50 goal performances during the 1960’s and would argue that if the schedule was the same length as now, he would also have surpassed the 70 goal plateau. Brett Hull scored 70 or more on three occasions during his career, all as a member of the St. Louis Blues. His 86 in 1990-91 is the third highest total behind the two amazing performances of Wayne Gretzky. On either side of the 1990-91 season, Hull hit or exceeded 70. In 1989-90, he scored 72 and in 1991-92, he scored 70.

Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux scored 133 goals and totalled 282 points with the Laval Voisins in 1983-84, his last year of junior hockey in Quebec. Although he would never reach those numbers in the NHL, he did score more than 70 goals on two occasions. In 1987-88, Mario scored exactly 70. The following season, he scored 85. Lemieux came close on two other occasions, scoring 69 goals in 1992-93 and 1995-96. What’s incredible about those two 69 goal performances is that Lemieux played just 60 and 70 games respectively. In 1992-93, Mario was on pace for a 96.6 goal season if he’d appeared in all 84 regular season games for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Unfortunately, his career was plagued with injuries and illnesses which kept him from his true potential.

Will it happen again? Things change. Coaching styles, rules, player talent are all factors that could be different in the future, bringing back the offensive game and producing 70 goal scorers again. Until that time, the legends of Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and Mario Lemieux will have to do.

Hockey Trivia: NHL 70 Goal Scorers

In the history of the National Hockey League, the 50 goal plateau has been met 189 times (the latest in 2010-11 with Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks scoring exactly 50) and the 60 goal plateau has been met 38 times. However, the 70 goal plateau truly separates the men from the boys.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of the NHL’s 70+ goal scorers with the following four trivia questions.

Q. Which NHL player was the first to surpass the 70 goal plateau?

A. In 1970-71, Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins added 18 goals to the NHL record previously held by Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks. Esposito scored 76 goals in 78 games for the Bruins. With an additional 76 assists that season, his 152 points were also an NHL record at the time.

Q. Which NHL player is the only player to surpass the 70 goal plateau on four occasions?

A. Who else but Wayne Gretzky could accomplish this feat?! Gretzky scored 92 in 1981-82 (current NHL record), 71 in 1982-83, 87 in 1983-84 and 73 in 1984-85. Brett Hull came close. In a three year stretch with the St. Louis Blues between 1989-90 and 1991-92, Hull scored 72, 86 and 70 goals. He followed that up with two more 50+ goal performances but never would get above 60 again. Age and injuries played a factor in his reduced production but the NHL also had entered an era of boring low scoring hockey that persists today.

Q. Who is the only first year NHL player to surpass the 70 goal plateau?

A. The Finnish Flash, Teemu Selanne, scored 76 goals in 1992-93 as a rookie with the Winnipeg Jets, tying him for the NHL lead in goal scoring with Alexander Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres. Due to injuries and NHL labour problems, it would take until 1996-97 before Selanne would exceed the 76 POINT mark again. Of course, Teemu was not your typical rookie in 1992-93. After playing pro in Finland before coming to North America, Selanne was already 22 when he scored his 76 goals, the age of third year player.

Q. Playing on a line with Wayne Gretzky could boost the offensive performance of any player. Which Los Angeles Kings player scored 70 while playing with the Great One?

A. Bernie Nicholls scored exactly 70 in 1988-89 while playing with Gretzky. Over the rest of his career, Bernie’s best goal production would be just 27. Wayne scored 54 and assisted on 114 for 168 points while Bernie added 80 assists for 150 points. Despite the high totals, neither led the NHL that year. Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins finished first with 85, Nicholls finished second, Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings finished third with 65 and Gretzky placed fourth. In points, it was Gretzky placing second and Nicholls placing fourth.

Jari Kurri is another who rode Gretzky’s coattails enroute to a 70 goal season. Kurri scored 71 in 1984-85 with the Edmonton Oilers while his linemate Gretzky scored 73. The two finished one-two in NHL goal scoring. They also finished first and second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy with Wayne totalling 208 points and Jari settling with 135.

Single Season Scoring Records of the Chicago Blackhawks

It’s been around two and a half decades since the Chicago Blackhawks single season record for goals, assists or points has been re-written. The Blackhawks may not be the Edmonton Oilers or Pittsburgh Penguins when it comes to these individual records, by the numbers are quite respectable.

Most Goals – Bobby Hull

You have to go back to the year they put a man on the moon for the record for most goals in a single season by a Chicago Blackhawks player. Bobby Hull set the then National Hockey League record with 58 goals during the 1968-69 season. He broke his own record of 54 goals set three years earlier and his 58 would stand as the best ever for only two years. Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins shattered the mark with 76 goals during the 1970-71 season.

That year, 1968-69, Hull’s performance was the only highlight of Chicago’s season. The team finished last in the six team Eastern Division and out of the post season. Bobby finished second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy, 19 points behind Esposito. Hull was selected the Left Winger on the First All-Star Team.

Most Assists – Denis Savard

Denis Savard owns the record for the most assists by a Blackhawk in a single season with 87 in 1981-82. He matched the total in 1987-88. Despite the fact that 87 assists is a Chicago record, the total was good enough for just third place in 1981-82, behind Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers and Peter Stastny of the Quebec Nordiques. Chicago, despite finishing fourth in the Norris Division with a lacklustre record of 30 wins, 38 losses and 12 ties for 72 points, made it through to the Conference finals in the Stanley Cup playoffs before losing to the Vancouver Canucks.

In 1987-88, Savard was once again third in the league in the assists category, this time behind Gretzky and Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team had a mediocre season, finishing third in the Norris with 69 points and making a quick first round exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs at the hands of the St. Louis Blues.

Most Points – Denis Savard

Denis Savard also holds the Chicago record for most points in a single season. In 1987-88, Denis produced 131 points. It was his fifth and final 100+ point season with the Blackhawks. Once more, his thunder was stolen by Lemieux and Gretzky, who finished 1-2 in scoring with 168 and 149 points. The 131 points ties Savard for the 41^st highest single season point total in NHL history.

Both of these gentlemen are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hull was inducted in 1983 and Savard entered in 2000. Bobby’s number 9 and Denis’ number 18 are two of only six Chicago Blackhawks retired numbers. In the history of the Blackhawks, they are among a select group with their accomplishments. Just Savard, Hull, Steve Larmer and Jeremy Roenick have produced 100+ point seasons. Al Secord and Jeremy Roenick are the only other two Chicago players to score 50 or more goals in a single season.