LeProspector
AINEC
- Feb 14, 2017
- 5,027
- 5,647
Tony hand has some ridiculous seasons too - 216 pts in 35 games in a professional League, mind you a very low tier professional League.
He's considered the UK's Wayne Gretzky and even had a chance to play with him but went back home after getting home sick and the oilers sent him to the WHL to develop for a season....he had 8 pts in 3 WHL games.
I think Messier was quoted saying aside from Gretzky he had the highest IQ of anyone at oilers training camp that year. Definitely a big what -if for the oilers and the NHL in general
fair enough, he did lead that league in scoring a few times though like in 95' when his 207 pts was 40 more than the next top scorer, for example.You have to consider that while Hand had outrageous totals, he was far from the only one to do so in the British leagues. Your 216 point season, for example, he finished second overall in the league, to a teammate even (who had 242 points in 34 games).
As I understand, the British league of the 1980s (when Hand played) was very dependent on Canadian imports for their top lines, while there seems to have been restrictions in terms of import goalies. The results led to lopsided scoring as players coming from AHL/IHL (and even some NHL experience) background feasted on players who were far less skilled. Eliteprospects backs this up: the 1986-87 season (the one in discussion here), has exclusively British goalies in the top 20 for save percentage, while the top scorers are mainly Canadian. It is because Hand, a Scottish player, consistently placed among the imports that he gained notoriety.
fair enough, he did lead that league in scoring a few times though like in 95' when his 207 pts was 40 more than the next top scorer, for example.
But yeah , it was basically always him and a bunch of Canadians in the top 10, all of whom would put up like 150+
I like seeing those players that put up a ton of points and pims in the same season.... Like for instance Shanahan in 93/94 when he got 52g. 50a 102 pts. and 211pims
there were alot of those types of stats back then
Just to put those numbers in context though:Tony hand has some ridiculous seasons too - 216 pts in 35 games in a professional League, mind you a very low tier professional League.
He's considered the UK's Wayne Gretzky and even had a chance to play with him but went back home after getting home sick and the oilers sent him to the WHL to develop for a season....he had 8 pts in 3 WHL games.
I think Messier was quoted saying aside from Gretzky he had the highest IQ of anyone at oilers training camp that year. Definitely a big what -if for the oilers and the NHL in general