The National Hockey League (NHL) is the premier professional ice hockey league in the world. Throughout the regular season, teams compete for points in order to secure a playoff spot and ultimately win the Stanley Cup, the most coveted trophy in the sport. Among these teams, a handful of players stand out for their ability to score points and contribute to their team’s success. In this article, we will take a closer look at the journey to the most points in an NHL season and review some of the standout performers in recent years.
First, it’s important to understand how NHL points are earned during the regular season. A team earns two points for a win in regulation or overtime, and one point for a loss in overtime or shootout. As such, a player’s points total consists of both goals (worth one point) and assists (worth one point each). The most points in a single NHL season is 215, set by the legendary Wayne Gretzky in the 1985-86 season. This record seems unbreakable, but there have been some impressive performances in recent years that have come close.
In the 2018-19 season, Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning put on a scoring clinic, finishing the year with 128 points (41 goals, 87 assists). Kucherov’s remarkable season was one of the main reasons why the Lightning were the NHL’s best team during the regular season, finishing with 62 wins and 128 points overall. Kucherov led the league in points by a comfortable margin, finishing 12 points ahead of Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. Kucherov’s 128 points were the most by any player since Mario Lemieux’s 161-point season in 1995-96.
Another notable performance from recent years came from McDavid during the 2017-18 season. McDavid finished the year with 108 points (41 goals, 67 assists) and won his second straight Art Ross Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s leading scorer. McDavid’s dynamic speed and playmaking ability make him an offensive force to be reckoned with. His 108 points were the most by any player since Patrick Kane’s 106-point season in 2015-16.
The 2018-19 season also saw the emergence of another young superstar in the league: Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon finished with 99 points (41 goals, 58 assists), good for third in the league behind Kucherov and McDavid. MacKinnon’s explosive skating and shot-making abilities make him a constant threat on the ice. He was also instrumental in leading the Avalanche to the second round of the playoffs, where they fell to the San Jose Sharks in a tightly contested seven-game series.
Looking back further, the 2016-17 season was another standout year for scoring in the NHL. This season saw multiple players eclipse the 90-point mark, including McDavid (100 points), Sidney Crosby (89 points), and Brent Burns (76 points). McDavid’s 100 points were the most by a player since Crosby’s 104-point season in 2013-14, and helped him win his first Art Ross Trophy. Crosby, widely considered one of the best players of his generation, has finished in the top 10 in NHL scoring in each of the past 10 seasons.
One of the most memorable and historic seasons for scoring in the NHL came in 1992-93, when Mario Lemieux and Pat Lafontaine engaged in a thrilling scoring race that went down to the final day of the season. Lemieux finished the year with 160 points (69 goals, 91 assists) while Lafontaine had 148 points (53 goals, 95 assists). Lemieux’s remarkable season was made all the more impressive by the fact that he missed 21 games due to injury. His 69 goals were the most in the NHL since the 1970s, and he won his fourth Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer.
While it’s always exciting to watch elite players put up big numbers throughout the regular season, it’s worth noting that scoring isn’t the only measure of a player’s value to their team. Several players, such as Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm, excel at other aspects of the game such as winning faceoffs, playing solid defense, and contributing to their team’s penalty kill. These contributions may not show up on the scoresheet, but they are just as important to a team’s success.
In conclusion, the journey to the most points in an NHL season is one that requires a combination of skill, hard work, and consistent performance. While Gretzky’s record of 215 points is unlikely to be broken anytime soon, there have been several standout performances in recent years that have come close. Whether it’s Kucherov’s dominant 2018-19 campaign, McDavid’s dazzling speed and playmaking, or the historic scoring duel between Lemieux and Lafontaine, there is no shortage of thrilling moments and impressive feats in the history of NHL scoring.
