Many athletes consider – or at the least fake to consider – that information are made to be damaged. If that’s the case, they haven’t taken a have a look at the NHL’s file books, or ought to I say the ebook that Gretzky re-wrote.
Wayne Gretzky’s identify is scribbled all through the pages of this explicit ebook. Actually, he holds or shares 61 present information acknowledged by the Nationwide Hockey League. Whereas a few of his information will discover their manner onto this listing, a few of these untouchable information could shock the common hockey fan.
No matter how surprising or unbelievable a few of these milestones are, all of them of 1 factor in frequent. Good or unhealthy, they’re all on the prime of the NHL’s most untouchable information.
Particular person Information
These information had been set by particular person gamers. Till now, they’ve withstood the take a look at of time. If hockey’s historical past and the path of at present’s sport are any indication, these particular person feats ought to stay untouched.
10 Factors in 1 Recreation for Sittler
Two groups – headed in two totally different instructions on Feb. 7, 1976 – met in an Adams Division matchup. As Boston was 20 factors up on Toronto within the standings, the Maple Leafs got here into the sport enjoying .500 hockey – solely to hammer the Bruins 11-4.
Associated: Sittler’s Unbelievable 10 Level Evening
That evening was extra particular than anybody might’ve imagined. On the time, Leafs’ ahead Darryl Sittler simply broke the file for many factors by a participant in a single sport – beforehand held by Maurice Richard and Bert Olmstead. Richard recorded eight factors (5g-3a) in a sport in 1944, whereas Olmstead put up eight factors (4g-4a) in a single sport in 1954. Sittler achieved two higher posting 10 factors (6g-4a) towards the Bruins and goaltender Dave Reece.
Whereas it was an incredible accomplishment on the time, nobody in attendance that evening might’ve predicted that the file would stay intact 38 years later. A file – that barring some miracle – would possibly by no means be touched.
Nice Seasons For The Nice One
Now Wayne Gretzky didn’t simply have one spectacular season in Edmonton. Actually, The Nice One set single-season information for targets, assists, and factors by a participant in two totally different seasons.
In 1981-82, Gretzky set a mark that can most definitely by no means come near falling. In simply 80 video games, he scored 92 targets for the Oilers serving to them to complete first within the Smythe division. However the face of hockey wouldn’t cease there. In 1985-86, he set two extra information that can doubtless by no means change palms.
On their strategy to the Division Finals, Gretzky posted 163 assists and 215 factors in simply 80 video games. Whereas he didn’t win the Stanley Cup in both of those two seasons, he would lead the Oilers to 4 championship seasons in his 9 years in Edmonton – coming away with greater than his share of accomplishments.
Born The Finnish Flash
Teemu Selanne entered the NHL on a excessive word – one which lasted his complete profession. Whereas his numbers dwindled as he aged, his rookie season is one which hockey followers nonetheless discuss – his glove-hunting aim celebration a significant a part of that dialogue.
The 1992-93 season marked the start of an illustrious profession for the Finnish ahead. Nevertheless it’s what he did in his first 12 months with the Winnipeg Jets – his rookie season – that can preserve his identify within the NHL’s file books for many years to come back.
Whereas no one’s come shut of their freshman 12 months since Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin reached the 100-point plateaus of their rookie campaigns, Selanne’s mark of 76 targets and 132 factors by a rookie will doubtless by no means be touched.
Many argue that Gretzky bettered Selanne’s rookie factors file with 137 (51g-86a) in simply 79 video games in 1979-80, however having performed within the WHA, the NHL didn’t think about The Nice One a rookie making manner for Selanne to set the mark 13 years later.
Finest on the Blue Line
In 1970-71, Bobby Orr completed one thing that no different blueliner has duplicated since.
Together with profitable the league’s MVP, Orr led all defencemen in scoring with a record-setting marketing campaign. Whereas Paul Coffey got here shut on a number of events to breaking Orr’s 139 factors (37g-102a) in a single season, no one else even eclipsed the 110-point mark. And there’s definitely no manner – in at present’s NHL – we’ll see a defenceman surpass Orr’s file.
Orr Amongst the Most Optimistic
On prime of his unbelievable offensive seasons, Orr established himself amongst the very best gamers within the plus-minus class throughout his profession. Whereas it’s a statistic that has change into extra irrelevant to some in at present’s sport, the Bruins’ defenceman established a file plus-124 through the 1970-71 season with Boston as a 22-year-old.
A mark that can greater than definitely by no means be touched, his record-setting season in plus-minus got here throughout the identical marketing campaign wherein he tallied his career-high 102 assists and 139 factors. It’s simply one other file that Orr will maintain onto with the best way the sport has modified.
Darkish Mark in Capitals’ Historical past
The Washington Capitals maintain their very own single-season file set through the 1974-75 season. Nevertheless, it’s not a milestone that the staff or Caps followers can be proud to confess to. It was throughout this marketing campaign that the Capitals – led by captain Doug Mohns and main scorer Tommy Williams – completed the season with a mere eight wins.
Their file over this dismal season was 8-67-5. They solely scored 181 targets over 80 video games whereas giving up 446. Absolutely, we’d all wish to suppose that this file won’t ever come near being damaged. So as to add insult to damage – the Capitals picked 18th of 18 groups within the following draft and acquired ahead Alex Forsyth within the first spherical. Forsyth would play one sport within the NHL and file zero factors.
All-Time Information
Whereas particular person information are fairly spectacular, setting a career-long file is simply as noteworthy. Whereas single-season milestones usually assist people on their strategy to all-time marks, these people constantly carried out over their careers to set these untouchable information.
Gretzky: Without end On Prime
As talked about, The Nice One was one of the crucial outstandingly constant gamers to lace them up within the NHL. Except for setting particular person and single-season information, he additionally stands on the prime of the profession hierarchy in three main offensive classes – three that can doubtless by no means be examined.
Over his 20-season profession – from 1979-1999 – Gretzky set the all-time marks for targets, assists, and factors whereas enjoying for 3 franchises (Oilers, Kings, Blues, and Rangers). In 1,487 video games, Gretzky scored 894 targets, 1,963 assists and a complete of two,857 factors.
The closest to his general level whole is Mark Messier – who completed his profession with 1,887 factors. As for the closest lively participant, that title goes to Joe Thornton who’s 1,375 factors again of The Nice One’s all-time file – a file that can doubtless stay his.
The Iron Report
In sports activities, we check with some gamers as iron males. An iron man is a participant who has performed an extended streak of consecutive video games with out lacking one. In baseball, that participant was Cal Ripken Jr.
On the subject of goaltenders within the NHL, no netminder has made extra consecutive begins than Glenn Corridor. From 1955-1962, Corridor began in 502 consecutive video games for the Detroit Pink Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks – a streak that’s unparalleled in at present’s NHL. The 502 video games accounted for greater than half of Corridor’s profession regular-season video games performed (906).
Corridor was inducted into the Hockey Corridor of Fame in 1975. Barring a miracle, the file for consecutive video games began by a goaltender ought to – and certain will – all the time learn subsequent to it: Glenn Corridor.
A King Contained in the Crease
Beginning in 1991, Martin Brodeur donned the New Jersey Devils. And it’s his time with the Devils, the 23 years, that put the goaltender within the NHL’s file ebook.
Brodeur holds two goaltending information – shutouts (125) and wins (691). Brodeur retired in 2015 and was named as one of many prime 100 gamers in NHL historical past.
The closest lively participant, by way of profession wins, is Henrik Lundqvist. He sits at 451 profession wins. As for shutouts, Lundqvist can be the closest lively participant to Brodeur’s file. With 63 shutouts, he’s 62 away from Marty within the file ebook.
Not Sufficient Fingers
In 20 seasons as a participant within the NHL, Henri Richard completed greater than anybody might think about. He performed in 1,256 profession common season video games for the Montreal Canadiens. Over that point, he racked up 1,046 factors (358g-688a).
His Canadiens made the playoffs in 19 of his 20 seasons wherein he recorded 129 factors (49g-80a) in 180 profession playoff video games. However what’s – and can all the time be – most spectacular about Richard’s illustrious profession is his 11 Stanley Cup rings.
Whereas many Canadiens’ gamers from the identical period have their names inscribed on the Cup a number of instances, no one then or now has been in a position to surpass this unbelievable mark set by Richard.
50 in 39
Everybody’s heard of the Gretzky present that occurred in 1981-82. On the time, The Nice One was 20 years outdated. That’s when he set the all-time file because the quickest participant to succeed in 50 targets in a single season.
It took him 39 video games – that’s it. The subsequent quickest was – you guessed it – Wayne Gretzky. Once more with the Edmonton Oilers, in 1983-84, Gretzky reached the 50-goal plateau in simply 42 video games. However no participant has come near reaching what he was in a position to obtain – not in his profession and never in any single season of their profession.
These are solely among the information that exist – which have been acknowledged – by the NHL. Whereas there are different information which are doubtless untouchable, these are the few which have subsequent to no probability of ever altering palms. Then once more, something can occur.
Initially written in 2014
Join our NHL Historical past Substack e-newsletter
