Scoring 50 goals in one season is one of the most celebrated individual achievements in the National Hockey League (NHL).[1] In 1944–45, Maurice Richard became the first player to score 50 goals in a season. Bernie Geoffrion became the second player to reach the milestone 16 years later in 1960–61. Fifty-goal seasons increased in frequency during the 1970s and 1980s as the schedule was extended to 80 games and offense increased across the league. By 1980, it had been reached 24 times in NHL history; the plateau was reached 76 times in the 1980s alone.
Wayne Gretzky scored his 50th goal in his 39th game in 1981–82, the fastest any player has done so. He also shares the record for most 50-goal seasons with Mike Bossy and Alexander Ovechkin, each having reached the milestone nine times in their careers. A record fourteen players exceeded 50 goals in 1992–93, when the schedule was extended to 84 games. After this, offence declined across the league and the schedule was reduced back to the present 82 games, and with these developments the number of players to reach the total declined.
Since 1969–70, there have been four completed 82-game NHL seasons (the first being 1998–99) in which no player scored fifty goals, in addition to no player scoring fifty goals in any of the four seasons of play shortened by lockouts or the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of completion of the 2023–24 season, 99 different players have scored 50 goals in an NHL season one or more times in their career, doing so a combined 209 times.
History
editJoe Malone scored 44 goals for the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL's inaugural season of 1917–18—a season with a twenty-game schedule. It was a record that stood nearly 30 years.[2] The introduction of the centre red line and permission of forward passing out of the defensive zone in 1943 increased scoring;[3] six players scored 30 goals in 1943–44, the first time in league history so many players reached that total in one season.[4] Maurice Richard averaged a goal per game for Montreal in 1944–45 and surpassed Malone's record of 44 late in the season.[5] He was as obsessed with reaching the 50-goal mark as his opponents were with preventing it. Richard faced opponents who repeatedly elbowed, hooked and held him in an effort to prevent him from reaching 50.[2] As a result, he scored only seven goals in his final 13 games.[6] Richard scored his 50th goal, in 50 games, in the third period of Montreal's final game of the season against the Boston Bruins.[7] The league introduced the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in his honour in 1999, and the Canadiens donated the physical trophy.[8]
Richard's mark stood untouched for 16 seasons until Bernie Geoffrion became the second player to score 50 goals in 1960–61, also for Montreal, doing so in his 62nd game of the season (and the Canadiens' 68th).[1] Early in the 1960s, Chicago Black Hawks teammates Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull began experimenting with curved blades, noticing that different bends made shots more unpredictable for goaltenders. Mikita led the NHL in scoring four times using a curved blade,[9] while Hull became the third player in NHL history to score 50 goals in 1961–62. It was the first of five times he would reach the milestone.[10]
While playing for Boston in the 1970s, Phil Esposito scored 50 goals in five consecutive seasons, led by a then-NHL record 76 goals in 1970–71.[11] By 1980, 24 players had reached the mark.[12] Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders joined Richard as the second man in NHL history to score 50 goals in 50 games in 1980–81. He did so by scoring two goals in the final five minutes of the Islanders' 50th game.[12] Bossy, who had set a league rookie-scoring record with 53 goals in 1977–78, surpassed the 50-goal mark in each of his first nine NHL seasons.[13] The 1980s represented one of the highest scoring eras in NHL history:[14] on 76 occasions, a player scored 50 goals in a season.[1] Wayne Gretzky was responsible for nine of those occasions, including his league-record 92 goals in 1981–82.[15] In that season, Gretzky scored five goals in his 39th game of the season to total 50, bettering Richard and Bossy by 11 games as the fastest to reach the mark.[16]
Bossy, Gretzky, and Alexander Ovechkin are tied for the most 50-goal seasons, with nine each. Bossy holds the record for most consecutive 50-goal seasons with nine. Ovechkin is still an active player.
A record three players from the same team, the Edmonton Oilers, had a 50-goal season in 1983–84, with Gretzky, Glenn Anderson, and Jari Kurri; the Oilers, with the same three players, would match the record in 1985–86.[17] The Oilers also hold the record for most seasons, five, with multiple players achieving a 50-goal season; the Los Angeles Kings are second, with four seasons with multiple 50-goal scorers.[17]
A record 14 players scored 50 goals in 1992–93,[18] the same season that a record 21 players reached the 100-point plateau. Among the 50-goal scorers that season was Teemu Selanne, who scored 76 goals as a rookie, surpassing Bossy's record for first-year players by 23 goals.[19] The next season, 1993–94, Brett Hull achieved his fifth 50-goal season, matching father Bobby's five 50-goal seasons three decades earlier; the two are the only father-son pair to each achieve a 50-goal season, let alone achieving it five times each.[20]
As teams shifted their focus to defensive play rather than offensive, scoring rapidly declined in the late 1990s.[21] No player scored 50 in 1998–99, the first time that had happened in 29 years, excluding the lockout-shortened 1994–95 NHL season.[22]
Only five players reached the 50-goal mark between 1999 and 2004: Pavel Bure, Joe Sakic, Jaromir Jagr, Jarome Iginla, and Milan Hejduk. Following the 2004–05 lockout that cancelled the season, the league introduced numerous rule changes designed to increase scoring.[21] While five players scored 50 in 2005–06, scoring immediately fell off thereafter, with only 15 marks of 50-goals over the next 12 years (contrast that to 14 different 50-goal scorers in 1992–93 alone). Starting with the minor spike in 2005–06, the most prolific 50-goal scorer in the past 16 seasons (to 2021–22) is Alexander Ovechkin, reaching 50 goals in 9 of those seasons, including four seasons where he was the only 50-goal scorer: 2008–09, 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16.[23] Ovechkin is the oldest player to record a 50-goal season at 36 years and 215 days old; the previous oldest was Johnny Bucyk at 35 years and 308 days old.[23]
Players and their 50-goal seasons
edit- Key
- * Player is active in the NHL in 2023–24
- ^ Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
- (#) Denotes the consecutive count, only if more than one, that player achieved a 50-goal season
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g McGourty, John (2009-03-20). "A 50-goal season is cause for celebration". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2009-03-24. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ a b McKinley, Michael (2006). Hockey: A People's History. McClelland & Stewart. p. 141. ISBN 0-7710-5769-5.
- ^ Pincus, Arthur (2006). The Official Illustrated NHL History. Reader's Digest. p. 58. ISBN 0-88850-800-X.
- ^ McKinley, Michael (2006). Hockey: A People's History. McClelland & Stewart. p. 139. ISBN 0-7710-5769-5.
- ^ Pincus, Arthur (2006). The Official Illustrated NHL History. Reader's Digest. p. 57. ISBN 0-88850-800-X.
- ^ Fisher, Red (2009-01-24). "Maurice Richard: 'The Rocket' most intense ever in the sport or country". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2010-03-09. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ a b "50-in-50". Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ "Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-04-25. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
- ^ McKinley, Michael (2006). Hockey: A People's History. McClelland & Stewart. p. 168. ISBN 0-7710-5769-5.
- ^ a b c d e f "Bobby Hull biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ a b c d e f "Phil Esposito biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ a b Brooks, Larry (1981-02-02). "It was a 50–50 proposition". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Mike Bossy biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ Heika, Mike (2003-05-11). "In defense of exciting hockey". Dallas Morning News.
- ^ Schwartz, Larry. "'Great' and 'Gretzky' belong together". ESPN. Archived from the original on 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ "Gretzky recalls his record run of 50 goals in 39 games". Edmonton Journal. 2006-12-22. Archived from the original on 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ a b "Most 50-Goal Scorers, Season". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2023-01-23. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ Doyle, Paul (2004-01-18). "Taking the offense". Hartford Courant. p. S13.
- ^ a b c d "Teemu Selanne player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2013-10-24. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ a b c d e f "Brett Hull statistics". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ a b Klein, Jeff Z. (2006-12-17). "Scoring in the NHL goes south for the winter". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-07-01. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ Luft, Jacob (2001-02-21). "NHL snipers falling well short of milestone stats". CNN/SI. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ a b Gulitti, Tom (2022-04-21). "Ovechkin scores twice, ties Gretzky, Bossy with nine 50-goal NHL seasons". NHL.com. Archived from the original on 2022-04-21. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Layberger, Tom (2006-02-09). "The fifty fraternity". CNN/SI. Archived from the original on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ a b "Mickey Redmond player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ "Rick MacLeish player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2017-01-19. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ a b "Rick Martin player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2012-02-03. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ "Ken Hodge, Sr. player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ a b c d e f "Guy Lafleur biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ a b "Reggie Leach player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ "Jean Pronovost player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ a b "Danny Gare player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2019-03-28. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ "Bill Barber biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Steve Shutt biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c d e f "Marcel Dionne biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Charlie Simmer player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Blaine Stoughton player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Wayne Gretzky Biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-03-28. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Dennis Maruk player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Dino Ciccarelli player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c "Rick Vaive player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Rick Middleton player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-08-26. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Mark Messier biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Bryan Trottier biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Lanny McDonald biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c d "Michel Goulet biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Al Secord player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c d "Tim Kerr player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Glenn Anderson biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c d "Jari Kurri biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Mike Bullard player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-29. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "John Ogrodnick player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-07-13. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Bobby Carpenter player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2012-01-27. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Dale Hawerchuk biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Mike Gartner biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-12-20. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mario Lemieux biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2019-03-28. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Craig Simpson player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-08-25. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Jimmy Carson player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c "Luc Robitaille biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Joe Nieuwdendyk player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c d e "Steve Yzerman biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Stephane Richer player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-04-28. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Bernie Nicholls player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-07-13. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Joe Mullen biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c "Cam Neely biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Brian Bellows player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2012-01-28. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Pat LaFontaine biography". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Theoren Fleury player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-01-27. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Kevin Stevens player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Jeremy Roenick player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-07-13. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Alexander Mogilny player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-05-04. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c d e "Pavel Bure player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2008-04-19. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Pierre Turgeon player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
- ^ a b "Dave Andreychuk player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Mark Recchi player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-29. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
- ^ a b "Brendan Shanahan player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
- ^ "Sergei Fedorov player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Ray Sheppard player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-29. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Mike Modano player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-07-13. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c "Jaromir Jagr player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Peter Bondra player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c "John LeClair player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Joe Sakic player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Keith Tkachuk player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Paul Kariya player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Jarome Iginla payer profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2016-04-10. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Milan Hejduk player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-05-29. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Johnathan Cheechoo player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b "Ilya Kovalchuk player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Alexander Ovechkin player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2010-01-07. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
- ^ a b "Dany Heatley player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Vincent Lecavalier player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Sidney Crosby player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
- ^ a b "Steven Stamkos player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2010-04-19. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
- ^ "Corey Perry player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2011-04-07.
- ^ "Evgeni Malkin player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 2012-12-24.
- ^ a b c "Leon Draisaitl player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2019-04-07. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
- ^ a b "Auston Matthews player profile". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
- ^ "Chris Kreider player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2022-04-29. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
- ^ "Connor McDavid player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2022-02-05. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ "David Pastrnak player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ "Mikko Rantanen player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ "Brayden Point player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2023-04-15. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ "Sam Reinhart player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ "Zach Hyman player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ "Nathan MacKinnon player profile". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2023-07-25. Retrieved 2024-04-18.