Obscure hockey facts/stats

[VanIslander]

Bob Probert held the Red Wings single season playoff points record until Fedorov broke it.

Joe Juneau to this day holds the single season assist record for left wingers with 70

Neither is obscure. Both are CLEARly the product of Adam Oates.

As is goon Chris Simon's unusual 29-goal, 5 game-winner season.

And Hull suddenly going from 41 goals the year before (not top 10) to SUDDENLY having 1st, 1st, 1st in goal seasons of 72, 86, 70. Then SUDDENLY down to 54 (9th) and never again having 30 even-strength goals despite three consecutive league-leading 45+ seasons with the aforementioned pivot.

And how the Capitals suddenly went in a Stanley Cup Finals run with Oates in his first full season in Washington, the team having missed the playoffs the year before and with no playoff series wins in years, no Cap scoring more on that finals run than Oates.

And how a not-so Mighty Ducks team with 10,000 to 1 odds of winning the cup (only four teams had less odds by official Vegas betting line when a 4o-year-old Oates began the season in town) could suddenly go on a 12-2 run to the Finals and be in Game 7 of the championship round with no one on the Anaheim team scoring more than the aged pivot.

A book ought to be written: The Obscurity of the Oates Effect.

 

[lottster14]

Oh my goodness, that is correct. Hard to believe huh?

Goes to show just how much of a pure team they were where everyone contributed. Also the fantastic defense

 

[Big Phil]

Neither is obscure. Both are CLEARly the product of Adam Oates.

As is goon Chris Simon's unusual 29-goal, 5 game-winner season.

And Hull suddenly going from 41 goals the year before (not top 10) to SUDDENLY having 1st, 1st, 1st in goal seasons of 72, 86, 70. Then SUDDENLY down to 54 (9th) and never again having 30 even-strength goals despite three consecutive league-leading 45+ seasons with the aforementioned pivot.

And how the Capitals suddenly went in a Stanley Cup Finals run with Oates in his first full season in Washington, the team having missed the playoffs the year before and with no playoff series wins in years, no Cap scoring more on that finals run than Oates.

And how a not-so Mighty Ducks team with 10,000 to 1 odds of winning the cup (only four teams had less odds by official Vegas betting line when a 4o-year-old Oates began the season in town) could suddenly go on a 12-2 run to the Finals and be in Game 7 of the championship round with no one on the Anaheim team scoring more than the aged pivot.

A book ought to be written: The Obscurity of the Oates Effect.

To think, Detroit gave him away for basically one year of Bernie Federko at the end of his career. Didn't they see his magic ahead of time? He had a 62 assist season before he was traded.

 

[Big Phil]

Did I mention this yet? Anyway, Scott Stevens holds the New Jersey Devils record for assists in a season with 60. 60! That's it. No one in the history of that team - and I realize not a lot of big scorers have come out of there - had a year where they had 60 assists and maybe 85 points? Also, there has never been a 100 point player in Devils history.

 

[VanIslander]

To think, Detroit gave him away for basically one year of Bernie Federko at the end of his career. Didn't they see his magic ahead of time? He had a 62 assist season before he was traded.

Wings GM Devellano has said it was his biggest mistake to trade Oates for Federko, mistakenly thinking veteran Bernie (of the epic 1986 playoffs) would put the Wings into cup contention.

 

[The Panther]

At the Saddledome on February 10th, 1993, Theoren Fleury of the Flames went +9 vs. San Jose. Fleury scored 1 goal and 5 assists in Calgary's 13 - 1 victory. Fleury was on the ice for 9 (or perhaps 10, I'm not sure) even strength goals by the Flames.

Conversely, Doug Wilson of the Sharks was -7. It was the third-to-last game of his NHL career. (His very last game was four days later at Winnipeg.)

 

[The Panther]

In 1983-84, Rick Vaive of the Maple Leafs scored 34 goals in his first 38 games, and 40 in his first 49. To that point, he was second in the NHL to Gretzky in goals.... However, he scored only 12 more the rest of the season.

 

[The Panther]

Bob Gainey (1979-80), who won four of them, and Steve Kasper (1981-82) are the only players ever to win the Selke trophy while being a "minus" for the season.

Gainey was only a -1 on the .669 Habs, but this -- outside of his rookie season -- was the worst plus/minus of his career. Kasper was a -18 on the .600, second-place Bruins in '82, the very worst such mark of his career.

 

[Super Fadio Bro]

It's something similar as Patrick Roy having negative record (6-7 IIRC) in games 7 of playoff series.

Yep, and not a single one of his win was on the road.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Learned this just by happenstance from two uncommon events this year.

Jack Hughes scored his first NHL goal in a game where his brother was on the opposing team. It boggles my mind that this has happened more times than a player scoring two empty-net goals to complete a hat-trick; a feat of Alex Ovechkin also this season

 

[ES]

Brothers Marko and Miikka Kiprusoff both had 0 goals and 10 assists in their NHL career.

Miikka is of course known as one of the best Finnish goalies ever, Marko was a defenseman.

 

[Laphroaig]

Every one knows that Wayne Gretzky passed Gordie Howe to become the career leader in goals scored. It is equally well known that Howe passed Rocket Richard for the career lead but it is less known that the goal scoring leader before Richard was Nels Stewart.

 

[Tarantula]

Every one knows that Wayne Gretzky passed Gordie Howe to become the career leader in goals scored. It is equally well known that Howe passed Rocket Richard for the career lead but it is less known that the goal scoring leader before Richard was Nels Stewart.

I remember reading when Rocket took over the scoring title over Nels Stewart, almost fifty years ago in a badly repaired book in the school library. I didn't see either play despite rumors to the contrary, but good point. I doubt many under 60 would remember who was the all time leader before Richard.

 

[NyQuil]

The record for goals in a season by a rookie defenceman is only 23, held by Brian Leetch.

It took some of the top d-men of all-time this long to eclipse that mark:

Bobby Orr - 4th season.
Paul Coffey - 2nd season.
Denis Potvin - 3rd season.
Ray Bourque - 2nd season.
Al MacInnis - 5th season.
Brad Park - 5th season.

Interestingly, Nicklas Lidstrom never scored 23 goals in a season.

 

[Retire91]

Fun topic I don't know if I can get as obscure as you guys but wanted to contribute.

Nick Lidstrom appeared in the playoffs his entire career 20 straight seasons. Only one break was the 04-05 lockout.

Sergei Fedorov is the oldest player 39 to score a game 7 game winning goal.

Sergei Makarov is the oldest player to win the Calder Trophy at 31

Yzerman was the wings captain for so long many people don't know or have forgotten the name of the wings previous captain.

In March 19th 2002 Jiri Slegr was traded to the Detroit redwings. He played 8 regular season games, and got one playoff game in that landed his name on the cup. Nice trade for Jiri.

 

[The Panther]

Fastest 90 goals from start of season:
Wayne Gretzky - game 76 (1981-82)
Fastest 80 goals from start of season:
Wayne Gretzky - game 65 (1981-82)
(He did this in 65 games again in 1984, but it was his team's 71st game.)
Fastest 70 goals from start of season:
Wayne Gretzky - game 59 (1981-82)
(He did this in 57 games in 1984, but it was his team's 63rd game.)
Fastest 60 goals from start of season:
Wayne Gretzky - game 49 (1981-82)
Fastest 50 goals from start of season:
Wayne Gretzky - game 39 (1981-82)
Fastest 40 goals from start of season:
Wayne Gretzky - game 35 (1983-84)

The "fastest 40" is interesting in that, while Gretzky does it again, it was in 1983-84 and not in 1981-82. (What's also interesting is that, as far as I can tell -- someone correct me if I'm wrong -- the 2nd-fastest 40 goals ever in games played is Cam Neely in 1993-94, who just missed Gretzky by scoring his 39th in his 35th game, and then his 40th and 41st in his 36th game. In other words, both Gretzky '84 and Neely '93 scored 41 goals in 36 games. However, Neely's wouldn't have "counted" as the record anyway, as he'd already missed several of Boston's games by the time he did it.)

Does anybody know what are the fastest 30 goals? 20? 10?

 

[psycat]

The record for goals in a season by a rookie defenceman is only 23, held by Brian Leetch.

Bobby Orr - 4th season.
Paul Coffey - 2nd season.
Denis Potvin - 3rd season.
Ray Bourque - 2nd season.
Al MacInnis - 5th season.
Brad Park - 5th season.

Interestingly, Niklas Lidstrom never scored 23 goals in a season.

Doug Harvey never scored 10.

 

[The Panther]

Doug Harvey never scored 10.

Well, no defenceman scored more than 19 (Red Kelly) during Harvey's prime of roughly 1950-51 to 1961-62, so it's not really a shocker. Also, the Habs of the 50s had some other guys who could score the goals...

 

[ImporterExporter]

Matt Murray is the only player in NHL history to win the SC twice.

As a rookie.

 

[mrhockey193195]

Matt Murray is the only player in NHL history to win the SC twice.

As a rookie.

This is an interesting one. I wanted to look at players on some back-to-back winners who were rookies both years. Knuble on the Wings in 97 & 98 (9 RS games in 97, no playoff games...). Anders Eriksson as well (no playoff games in 97).

But surely Jimmy Paek counts with the Pens in 91 & 92? His name is on the cup both years, and he was a rookie in both.

That being said, I get the spirit of factoid - no one had such a big impact as Murray while also being a rookie both years.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Fastest 40 goals from start of season:
Wayne Gretzky - game 35 (1983-84)

Wouldn't that be Joe Malone - 44 goals in 20 games? I bet fastest 10/20/30 goals would all be from Malone's era.

 

[ImporterExporter]

This is an interesting one. I wanted to look at players on some back-to-back winners who were rookies both years. Knuble on the Wings in 97 & 98 (9 RS games in 97, no playoff games...). Anders Eriksson as well (no playoff games in 97).

But surely Jimmy Paek counts with the Pens in 91 & 92? His name is on the cup both years, and he was a rookie in both.

That being said, I get the spirit of factoid - no one had such a big impact as Murray while also being a rookie both years.

I don't think Eriksson qualified to have his name on the Cup having played no playoff games and only 23 regular season games in 97. That would disqualify him right there unless the Wings made an exception. Same thing for Knuble.

Paek would count so that's a good find.

 

[Talisman]

I don't think Eriksson qualified to have his name on the Cup having played no playoff games and only 23 regular season games in 97. That would disqualify him right there unless the Wings made an exception. Same thing for Knuble.

Paek would count so that's a good find.

does Jagr count also as rookie with those 1991 & 92 stanley cups.

 

[Pominville Knows]

does Jagr count also as rookie with those 1991 & 92 stanley cups.

Since he played a full season in 91, no. That was his lone rookie year then.

 

[Sanf]

Bryan Trottier is the only player to play against all of the teams in the California Seals "franchise storyline". California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, Minnesota North Stars, San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars.