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.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres have been in the National Hockey League for over forty years, entering the league for the 1970-71 season. In that time, they have yet to win the Stanley Cup but have been to the finals on two different occasions. Although the franchise is going through a rough stretch as of the 2013-14 season, the team does have a storied past housing players like Eddie Shack, Tim Horton, Pat Lafontaine, Gilbert Perreault and Alex Mogilny, among others.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge with these four trivia questions focused on the Buffalo Sabres.

Q. When the Buffalo Sabres joined the NHL for the 1970-71 season, what other team came onboard with them?

A. The Vancouver Canucks joined in 1970-71 along with the Sabres in what was the beginning of the second generation of NHL expansion. In that inaugural season, Buffalo had more points than the Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and California Golden Seals. The Sabres ended up tied with the Los Angeles Kings with 63 points in the 14 team league. However, Buffalo finished 19 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the fourth and final playoff position in the East Division.

Q. Who was the first overall draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres?

A. Gilbert Perreault was selected first overall and became the centre piece of the Sabres organization for seventeen years. In Buffalo’s first season in the NHL, Perreault won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. Gilbert was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

Buffalo and Vancouver were slated to take the top two picks in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft. The teams spun a wheel to determine who would go first and Buffalo won. Vancouver took defenseman Dale Tallon second overall. Tallon played 642 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1970-71 and 1979-80 with the Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Q. The number 2 is retired by the Buffalo Sabres for what player?

A. Tim Horton wore number 2 for the 1972-73 season and the 1973-74 season up until his death on February 21, 1974. With the Toronto Maple Leafs, number 7 is honoured for Horton. Tim switched to number 4 with Buffalo because Rick Martin was already in possession of number 7 when he arrived. Horton played in the NHL from 1949-50 with the Maple Leafs, Rangers, Penguins and Sabres. Horton posthumously entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977.

Q. Who is the only Buffalo Sabre player to win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player?

A. Dominik Hasek won the Hart Trophy in 1996-97 and 1997-98. Not only is he the only Sabre to win the Hart, he is the only goaltender to ever win the trophy more than once. Hasek played for Buffalo from 1992-93 to 2000-01 and in the NHL from 1990-91 to 2007-08. Along with the Sabres, Dominik also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings.

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.

Buffalo Sabres by the Numbers

The Buffalo Sabres, the most consistent National Hockey League team in the Toronto Region over the past 40 years, has enjoyed a storied history in a professional ‘small market’. Although the team has never taken home the ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup, every new year is a possibility with the product the Sabres put on the ice. Take a glance at the history of the Buffalo Sabres, by the numbers.

1 Hart Memorial Trophy winner. He did it twice. Goaltender Dominek Hasek won the Hart as the NHL’s most valuable player in two consecutive seasons, 1996-97 and 1997-98.

2 Trips to the Stanley Cup finals. Although they’ve yet to take home the hardware, the Sabres have been to the dance twice in their history. In 1974-75, just Buffalo’s fifth year in the NHL, the Sabres faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers in the finals. The Broad Street Bullies won the series in six games for their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

3 Hat Tricks by Eddie Shack in 1970-71. ‘The Entertainer’ was traded from the Los Angeles Kings eleven games into Buffalo’s inaugural season. Shack scored 25 goals for the Sabres that season, 36% of which came in just three games. Eddie’s stay in Buffalo was short. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins midway through the following season.

6 retired jersey numbers hang from the rafters at the First Niagara Center. The Buffalo Sabres retired numbers include: 2 – Tim Horton; 7 – Rick Martin; 11 – Gilbert Perreault; 14 – Rene Robert; 16 – Pat Lafontaine; 18 – Danny Gare.

8 players that have donned a Buffalo Sabres jersey at some point during their NHL career are now enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. These players include: Dick Duff, Grant Fuhr, Clark Gillies, Tim Horton, Gilbert Perreault, Dale Hawerchuk, Pat Lafontaine and Doug Gilmour.

53 wins represents Buffalo’s best season in that particular category. The Sabres won 53 in 2006-07. It was the second time the team had reached the 50 win plateau after winning 52 the year before.

76 goals for Alexander Mogilny in 1992-93 remains a team single season record. The total is the fifth highest in NHL history and Mogilny is one of just eight players to reach 70 goals and beyond. Alex played for Buffalo from 1988-89 to 1994-95.

148 points by Pat Lafontaine in 1992-93 is not only a Sabres team record but the highest point total ever produced by an American born player.

512 goals were scored by Gilbert Perreault during his career with the Sabres. This total leaves Perreault at the top of Buffalo’s all-time list and the same can be said for games played, assists and points. Gil is placed 37^th all-time in the NHL for career goals scored and is one of just 41 players to reach the 500 goal plateau.

1970 was the year that saw the Buffalo Sabres play their first National Hockey League game. The team visited Pittsburgh for the first game of the 1970-71 season and walked away with a 2-1 victory over the Penguins. Buffalo entered the league that season, along with the Vancouver Canucks.

 

Buffalo Sabres Players With 100 Points in a Single Season

The Buffalo Sabres came into the National Hockey League for the 1970-71 season along with the Vancouver Canucks, expanding the league to fourteen teams. The Sabres made an immediate splash by selecting GilbertPerreault first overall at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft. Perreault would lead the team for close to two decades. What follows are the five Buffalo Sabres players that have achieved the 100 point plateau in a single season.

Rene Robert

Rene Robert was the first Buffalo player to total 100 points in a season. In 1974-75, Robert scored 40 goals and assisted on 60 for exactly 100 points in 74 games. Rene finished seventh in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. It was Robert’s fourth of eight seasons with the Sabres. He played in the NHL from 1970-71 to 1981-82 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo and the Colorado Rockies. It was the only time Robert achieved the 100 point plateau during his NHL career.

Gilbert Perreault

Gilbert Perreault was the next player to accomplish the feat. He had 113 points in 1975-76 and 106 points in 1979-80. In the first year, he scored 44 goals and assisted on 69 in 80 games, finishing third in the league.  In 1979-80, he finished with 106 points on 40 goals and 66 assists in 80 games, landing in fourth spot in the league.

Perreault was the first overall pick in 1970. He played seventeen seasons with the Sabres from 1970-71 to 1986-87. Buffalo was the only National Hockey League team Gilbert would ever play for.

Pierre Turgeon

Pierre Turgeon totalled 106 points in 1989-90 on 40 goals and 66 assists in 80 games, identical numbers to Gilbert Perreault in 1979-80. Turgeon finished seventh in the NHL in what was his third of five seasons with the Sabres. Like Perreault, Turgeon was the first overall pick of the Sabres at the 1987 NHL Entry Draft.

Pierre played in the NHL from 1987-88 to 2006-07. His performance in 1989-90 was his first of two 100 points seasons in the NHL. In 1992-93, he accumulated 132 with the New York Islanders.

Alexander Mogilny

Alexander Mogilny reached 127 points in 1992-93, largely due to his incredible 76 goal performance. Mogilny added 51 assists in 77 regular season games to finish seventh in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. It was Alex’s fourth of six years with the Sabres after being a fifth round pick of the club in 1988.

Mogilny played in the NHL from 1989-90 to 2005-06 with the Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils. 1992-93 was his first of two 100 point seasons. He totalled 107 with the Canucks in 1995-96.

Pat Lafontaine

Pat Lafontaine was also a 100+ point man in 1992-93 for the Sabres. Lafontaine set the current Buffalo record for points in a season with 148 on 53 goals and 95 assists in 84 games. He finished second in the NHL, twelve points behind Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was his second of six seasons with the Sabres. Originally, he was the third overall pick of the New York Islanders at the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.

For Lafontaine, it was his second of two 100+ points seasons. He reached 105 with the Islanders in 1989-90. Pat played in the National Hockey League from 1983-84 to 1997-98 with the Islanders, Sabres and New York Rangers. In his final year of junior hockey , 1982-83, with Verdun of the QMJHL, Pat scored an incredible 104 goals and assisted on another 130 assists for 234 points in 70 games.