NHL Rookies who Led their Team (or the NHL) in Scoring

[The Panther]

Here's one: Which NHL rookies -- if any (?) -- have led the NHL in scoring?

Then, which NHL rookies have led their teams in scoring?
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The former must obviously be extremely rare in any circumstance (except maybe in the 1920s?). The only one that comes to mind is Teemu Selanne co-leading the NHL in goals in 1992-93 (with 76). But of course, he was well off leading in overall scoring.

Gretzky must be the only one to sort-of do this, co-leading the NHL in scoring as a "rookie" (though the NHL didn't consider him a rookie).

I am assuming there is no other post-1920s rookie who has the League in scoring, but is there another Selanne-type who may have led in goals or in assists? (Auston Matthews, of course, was 2nd in goals scored in 2017.)

Any close calls in scoring?

McDavid's 1.06 PPG in 2016, if projected to a full un-injured season, would have put him around 3rd in NHL scoring. Who knows if he would have actually done that.

Mario Lemieux was "only" 9th in PPG as a rookie; Crosby 6th. Hawerchuk wasn't even top-10.

*********

Then, which rookies have led NHL teams in scoring? I think there must have been several.

Some:

G. Perreault (72 PTS) -- Buffalo, 1970-71
D. Potvin (54 PTS) -- NY Islanders, 1973-74
B. Smith (79 PTS) -- Minnesota, 1978-79
W. Gretzky (137 PTS) -- Edmonton, 1979-80
P. Stastny (109 PTS) -- Quebec, 1980-81
D. Hawerchuk (100 PTS) -- Winnipeg, 1981-82
S. Yzerman (87 PTS) -- Detroit, 1983-84
M. Lemieux (100 PTS) -- Pittsburgh, 1984-85
L. Robitaille (84 PTS) -- Los Angeles, 1986-87
T. Selänne (132 PTS) -- Winnipeg, 1992-93
D. Alfredsson (61 PTS) -- Ottawa, 1995-96
A. Ovechkin (106 PTS) -- Washington, 2005-06
S. Crosby (102 PTS) -- Pittsburgh, 2005-06
P. Kane (72 PTS) -- Chicago, 2007-08
A. Matthews (69 PTS) -- Toronto, 2016-17

Must be many more!

Click to read more...

 

[67Leafs67]

In 1926-27, rookie Irvine "Ace" Bailey led the Toronto St. Patricks with 28 points in 42 games, coming from the Peterborough Seniors in the OHA. In 1936-37, Syl Apps led the Toronto Maple Leafs with 45 points in 48 games as a rookie. Then of course, as you mentioned, in 2016-17, Auston Matthews led the Toronto Maple Leafs with 69 points in 82 games. Those are the three for the Leafs franchise as far as I can tell.

For the Montreal Canadiens, John Quilty led the team with 34 points in 48 games in the 1940-41 season. That seems to be the only one, as far as I can tell.

Jimmy Herbert was a rookie who led the 1924-25 Boston Bruins with 23 points in 30 games. Technically a seasoned pro (WCHL), but an NHL rookie, Harry Oliver notched 24 points in 42 games to lead the 1926-27 Boston Bruins.

One of the worse players to do it was 22 year old Vic Ripley. In 38 games he had 13 points to lead the lowly 1928-29 Chicago Black Hawks. He scored 11 of the team's 33 goals, and was the only player with 10+ points.

 

[Admiral Awesome]

D. Heatley (67 pts)- Atlanta 2001-02

 

[MXD]

For the Montreal Canadiens, John Quilty led the team with 34 points in 48 games in the 1940-41 season. That seems to be the only one, as far as I can tell.

On this Habs team :
- Not only their #1 scorer was a rookie, but their #2 scorer as well (Joe Benoit), and I'm wondering if this is the first and only time that situation happened if we disregard WesternLeagues, WHA and NHA)
- They had two regulars who were still in their teens (Quilty and Ken Reardon), and I'm quite positive this was a first, too.

 

[Admiral Awesome]

On this Habs team :
- Not only their #1 scorer was a rookie, but their #2 scorer as well (Joe Benoit), and I'm wondering if this is the first and only time that situation happened if we disregard WesternLeagues, WHA and NHA)

If you mean a team's top 2 scorers both being rookies, it happened again with the Thrashers in 01-02 with Heatley and Kovalchuk.

 

[MXD]

If you mean a team's top 2 scorers both being rookies, it happened again with the Thrashers in 01-02 with Heatley and Kovalchuk.

...Yeah, this one should've been obvious

 

[trentmccleary]

Yashin
Kariya
B. Richards
Tavares
And almost Gaborik with a 36 point season (Pellerin had 39).

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

all three of this year’s calder nominees: barzal, boeser (tied), and keller

 

[tony d]

Yashin led the Sens in scoring in 1994.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Not points, but Nieuwendyk led the '88 Flames in goals with 51 (in 75 games) his 92 points were behind Mike Bullard and Hakan Loob (106)...

Same deal for Bossy in '78...53 goals (in 73 games) but his 91 points were behind Denis Potvin and Bryan Trottier (123)...

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Not points, but Nieuwendyk led the '88 Flames in goals with 51 (in 75 games) his 92 points were behind Mike Bullard and Hakan Loob (106)...

Same deal for Bossy in '78...53 goals (in 73 games) but his 91 points were behind Denis Potvin and Bryan Trottier (123)...

nieuwendyk did also lead the entire league in PP goals as a rookie, with a crazy 30+.

rookie bure led the canucks in goals.

 

[Staniowski]

Apps was mentioned as leading the Leafs, but he nearly led the NHL as a 21-yr-old rookie in '36-'37. Finished 2nd in both points and PPG, just one point off the lead. Did lead the league in assists.

Dickie Moore only played 33 games as a 20-yr-old rookie, but his PPG was 2nd, behind only Gordie, in '51-'52.

 

[pappyline]

Not points, but Ed Litzenberger scored 23 goals to lead the Blackhawks in goals in 54-55. Though he did score a few of those goals for Montreal before he changed teams.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Pat Falloon led the 1991-92 Sharks in every category as a rookie (G, A, PTS)

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

he didn't lead the league, because paul coffey was still putting up 100+ point seasons, but brian leetch's rookie season was an offensive marvel.

if he hadn't missed nine games, he would almost certainly have finished second in defensemen points.

Rk	Player	PTS ▼	Tm	Season	Age	GP
1	Paul Coffey*	113	PIT	1988-89	27	75
2	Steve Duchesne	75	LAK	1988-89	23	79
3	Al MacInnis*	74	CGY	1988-89	25	79
4	Chris Chelios*	73	MTL	1988-89	27	80
5	Brian Leetch*	71	NYR	1988-89	20	68
6	Phil Housley*	70	BUF	1988-89	24	72
7	Jeff Brown	68	QUE	1988-89	22	78
8	Scott Stevens*	68	WSH	1988-89	24	80
9	Tom Kurvers	66	NJD	1988-89	26	74
10	Gary Suter	62	CGY	1988-89	24	63
11	Doug Wilson	62	CHI	1988-89	31	66
12	Fredrik Olausson	62	WIN	1988-89	22	75
13	Ray Bourque*	61	BOS	1988-89	28	60
14	Paul Reinhart	57	VAN	1988-89	29	64
15	Dave Ellett	56	WIN	1988-89	24	75

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Rk	Player	P/G	Tm	Age
1	Paul Coffey*	1.51	PIT	27
2	Brian Leetch*	1.04	NYR	20
3	Ray Bourque*	1.02	BOS	28
4	Gary Suter	0.98	CGY	24
5	Phil Housley*	0.97	BUF	24
6	Steve Duchesne	0.95	LAK	23
7	Al MacInnis*	0.94	CGY	25
8	Doug Wilson	0.94	CHI	31
9	Chris Chelios*	0.91	MTL	27
10	Tom Kurvers	0.89	NJD	26
11	Paul Reinhart	0.89	VAN	29
12	Jeff Brown	0.87	QUE	22
13	Scott Stevens*	0.85	WSH	24
14	Fredrik Olausson	0.83	WIN	22
15	Zarley Zalapski	0.78	PIT	20

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[Klaus3154]

he didn't lead the league, because paul coffey was still putting up 100+ point seasons, but brian leetch's rookie season was an offensive marvel.

if he hadn't missed nine games, he would almost certainly have finished second in defensemen points.

Rk	Player	PTS ▼	Tm	Season	Age	GP
1	Paul Coffey*	113	PIT	1988-89	27	75
2	Steve Duchesne	75	LAK	1988-89	23	79
3	Al MacInnis*	74	CGY	1988-89	25	79
4	Chris Chelios*	73	MTL	1988-89	27	80
5	Brian Leetch*	71	NYR	1988-89	20	68
6	Phil Housley*	70	BUF	1988-89	24	72
7	Jeff Brown	68	QUE	1988-89	22	78
8	Scott Stevens*	68	WSH	1988-89	24	80
9	Tom Kurvers	66	NJD	1988-89	26	74
10	Gary Suter	62	CGY	1988-89	24	63
11	Doug Wilson	62	CHI	1988-89	31	66
12	Fredrik Olausson	62	WIN	1988-89	22	75
13	Ray Bourque*	61	BOS	1988-89	28	60
14	Paul Reinhart	57	VAN	1988-89	29	64
15	Dave Ellett	56	WIN	1988-89	24	75

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Rk	Player	P/G	Tm	Age
1	Paul Coffey*	1.51	PIT	27
2	Brian Leetch*	1.04	NYR	20
3	Ray Bourque*	1.02	BOS	28
4	Gary Suter	0.98	CGY	24
5	Phil Housley*	0.97	BUF	24
6	Steve Duchesne	0.95	LAK	23
7	Al MacInnis*	0.94	CGY	25
8	Doug Wilson	0.94	CHI	31
9	Chris Chelios*	0.91	MTL	27
10	Tom Kurvers	0.89	NJD	26
11	Paul Reinhart	0.89	VAN	29
12	Jeff Brown	0.87	QUE	22
13	Scott Stevens*	0.85	WSH	24
14	Fredrik Olausson	0.83	WIN	22
15	Zarley Zalapski	0.78	PIT	20

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Same year Granato lead the Rangers in goals with 36 as a rookie