Ovechkin Wins Eighth Career Rocket Richard Trophy

[GeeoffBrown]

Man, time really is ruthless. 33 doesn't even seem close to old.

 

[tacogeoff]

Hey babies can wreak havoc with your life man.

agreed. it can be quite an adjustment.

 

[Sentinel]

Pens with 9?! Damn. Jagr, Lemieux, Crosby, Malkin are the only one's off the top of my head. Caps with 5 too??

That's a good trivia question. Name the 50 goal scorers for each team.

A bunch of unknowns. Pierre Larouche and Jean Pronovost in 1975-76, Rick Kehoe in 1980-81, Mike Bullard in 1983-84, Kevin Stevens in 1990-91. Goes to show you that there were Draisaitls in all eras.

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

Should be called the Richard Ovechkin award.

LOL even if Ovie can be the greatest goalscorer of all time, it doesn't mean the trophy must be renamed. Rocket Richard legend/legacy is huge in the NHL history.

 

[SI90]

LOL even if Ovie can be the greatest goalscorer of all time, it doesn't mean the trophy must be renamed. Rocket Richard legend/legacy is huge in the NHL history.

Relax! I was just giving Ovi his props and respect.

I don’t really care to see it changed.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Ö


Is there no-one else? Calder has been around from the mid 1930's.

I was thinking though, who else aside from lemieux would be on that list if they did include retro rockets? Lot of the older guys like Geoffrion and Richard are going to be short a Smythe due to it not existing yet or have no Calder to fall back on like Beliveau. I don't think Trottier ever led in goals did he? Bossy never got a Hart. Neither Hulls ever got a Calder. Can't really think of anyone else. Pretty stupid elite company regardless - hats off to Ovie.

I'm almost positive it's just Lemieux and Ovechkin who have done this. Gretzky doesn't qualify because (stupidly) he wasn't eligible for the Calder trophy.

The closest call is probably Bernie Geoffrion - he has a Calder, two Harts and two Art Rosses. He led the league in goals twice (obviously the Rocket Richard trophy wasn't around during his career, as he was Richard's teammate). The Pearson/Lindsay wasn't around during his career, but you'd have to think a two-time Hart winner would win it once. The Conn Smythe wasn't created until after his initial retirement (then he came back and played two seasons at 35 and 36 - very old for that era). But he probably would have won this award in 1957, when he decisively led the playoffs in goals and points, while winning the Stanley Cup.

The point is - even if this is a somewhat arbitrary way of looking at things, it's still a very rare accomplishment.

 

[JasonRoseEh]

Awesome but Ovechkin has limped into the playoffs which is a bit troubling. He's had 2 good games out of the last 14 or so and both were against the Lightning, other than that he has been average to flat out bad. Hopefully he's just been coasting into the postseason.

 

[StephenPeat]

This is maybe a strange sentiment but I think it’s applicable in this case. I once heard an analyst say; I DOUBT there will EVER be another Michael Jordan but I KNOW there will NEVER be another Larry Bird. It’s not because Bird was better or his legacy more impressive or his accomplishments more numerous but there was just something unspoken, intangible, and mystical about Bird (I personally think the same applies to Magic Johnson and the Ovechkin/Crosby Bird/Magic parallels are pretty apt). It also has nothing to do with race (for anyone who was thinking that), i.e. I also think Stephen Curry is pretty darn close to the (NEVER) that analyst was describing.

Just look at Ovechkin amongst fellow Russian Superstars, how quickly he has made us struggle to remember how great Pavel Bure was, how he is beginning to distance himself from Fedorov with far less-talented supporting casts. Imagine Ovechkin on any of the Detroit Red Army teams with Konstantinov, Larionov, Fetisov, and Kozlov. How different his legacy could be.

Again, I just don’t care and don’t think it’s appropriate to view Ovechkin in the context of Crosby, Lemieux, Jagr, or Gretzky. It’s absolutely semantics to try and apply labels and differentiate any of these players and any attempt to do so is going to be influenced by personal opinion, pure and simple. If Ovechkin breaks Gretzky’s Goal Record OR if he doesn’t, either way he’s a legendary figure in the game and we should all enjoy it while he’s still playing because the experience will be less regardless when he’s gone.

 

[895]

Awesome but Ovechkin has limped into the playoffs which is a bit troubling. He's had 2 good games out of the last 14 or so and both were against the Lightning, other than that he has been average to flat out bad. Hopefully he's just been coasting into the postseason.

Hopefully that the fact that they were against the lightning means that he was just sandbagging.

 

[4thTierSport]

Awesome but Ovechkin has limped into the playoffs which is a bit troubling. He's had 2 good games out of the last 14 or so and both were against the Lightning, other than that he has been average to flat out bad. Hopefully he's just been coasting into the postseason.

5g/7a in last 14 games and yesterday was a bit of a throw away. So not sure what you are trying to say.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

I'm almost positive it's just Lemieux and Ovechkin who have done this. Gretzky doesn't qualify because (stupidly) he wasn't eligible for the Calder trophy.

Stupid is right. He was ineligible because of his one season in the WHA, correct? And yet the NHL has never had a problem giving the Calder to guys who played pro hockey in Sweden, Russia, Switzerland etc. Hell, they even gave the trophy to a 31 year old Makarov who was previously an "amateur" in name only. Those old Soviet players lived a more "professional hockey player" lifestyle than most.

 

[LaP]

Awesome but Ovechkin has limped into the playoffs which is a bit troubling. He's had 2 good games out of the last 14 or so and both were against the Lightning, other than that he has been average to flat out bad. Hopefully he's just been coasting into the postseason.

He's an experience guy. He knows what it takes. No need for him to burn himself down while the team has a good lead over the first team outside the playoffs. At his age it's almost impossible to play 100 games at 100%.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Stupid is right. He was ineligible because of his one season in the WHA, correct? And yet the NHL has never had a problem giving the Calder to guys who played pro hockey in Sweden, Russia, Switzerland etc. Hell, they even gave the trophy to a 31 year old Makarov who was previously an "amateur" in name only. Those old Soviet players lived a more "professional hockey player" lifestyle than most.

That's exactly right. Playing in the WHA disqualified Gretzky from the Calder, but anything that he (or other players like Howe, Hull, etc) accomplished in that league are completely ignored by the NHL - a double standard.

 

[HighLifeMan]

Why? You know the Rocket can be shared right?

Hahah, I’m aware. Nobody wants to “share” a prestigious trophy like that though. It’s so much sweeter to be alone! He is the top goals scorer!

 

[Absolut]

Awesome but Ovechkin has limped into the playoffs which is a bit troubling. He's had 2 good games out of the last 14 or so and both were against the Lightning, other than that he has been average to flat out bad. Hopefully he's just been coasting into the postseason.

What a strange coincidence that Ovie had his best games against the Bolts. I can't imagine why....

 

[Voight]

He also did this after being on a bender the entire summer.

the man is legend.

Whats funny is how people on here thought he'd slack off after winning the cup and then partying all summer.

I said back in September that he'd actually have a very good seasons because he no longer has the pressure of winning. He'd also play his best hockey in years because he enjoyed winning the ultimate prize so much he wants to do it again. & again. & again.

 

[SkinsFan09]

5 on 5

Tavares 37
Kane 35
Guentzel 34
Draisaitl 34
Atkinson 33
Ovechkin 33
Skinner 32
McDavid 32
Arvidsson 31
DeBrincat 29
Gallagher 29
Gaudreau 29

What is your point?

 

[God King Fudge]

how can you not love OV

I hate the guy but you just can't deny he's one of, if not the best goalscorer of all time.

 

[Absolut]

5 on 5

Tavares 37
Kane 35
Guentzel 34
Draisaitl 34
Atkinson 33
Ovechkin 33
Skinner 32
McDavid 32
Arvidsson 31
DeBrincat 29
Gallagher 29
Gaudreau 29

Is there a Rocket Richard Trophy for 5 on 5 goals specifically? I must have missed that.

ps. Can you send me a link to a rule change stating that PP goals no longer count in the NHL? Thanks.

 

[ricky0034]

super impressive winning it at 33 too

too lazy right now to dig up the stats before 1998-99 when the trophy came into existence but nobody but Ovechkin has won it at older than 29 in those 20 seasons

meanwhile Ovechkin has managed to win it at 30,32,and now 33

Is there a Rocket Richard Trophy for 5 on 5 goals specifically? I must have missed that.

ps. Can you send me a link to a rule change stating that PP goals no longer count in the NHL? Thanks.

https://www.tsn.ca/coming-home-maple-leafs-win-the-tavares-sweepstakes-1.1128197

 

[shtorm2005]

 

[Absolut]

https://www.tsn.ca/coming-home-maple-leafs-win-the-tavares-sweepstakes-1.1128197

Ah yes, how did I miss that?

 

[Fallschirmyager]

Should be called the Richard Ovechkin award.

See. I'm about to get banned. Use the nicknames for the Ovechkin-Richard trophy. I know it's childish but I'm at work and bored.

 

[WestCoastFinnie]

What is your point?

He's doing anything in his power to make Leafs player's look good.

 

[JasonRoseEh]

5g/7a in last 14 games and yesterday was a bit of a throw away. So not sure what you are trying to say.

There's stats and then there's watching the games, so there's that too.