The NHL regular season is a grueling 82-game marathon, often dubbed as “The Race for Most Points in NHL Season”. Every team in the league strives to accumulate as many points as possible throughout the season, with the hope of reaching the playoffs and ultimately winning the Stanley Cup. However, for a few elite players, there is an individual quest that takes center stage, the quest to achieve the most points in the season.
The race for most points in a single NHL season dates back to the early days of the league, where legendary players like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr used to dominate the leaderboard. Today, the race is just as competitive as ever with some of the best players in the world striving to etch their name into the history books.
The art of scoring points in the NHL isn’t just about individual skill, but it also requires a great deal of discipline, teamwork, and consistency. These factors are what make the race for most points in NHL season so fascinating to watch. The race for most points is not just a sprint, but a marathon of 82 games that tests a player’s endurance, skill, and ability to play as a team.
One of the most exciting aspects of the race for the most points is the sheer competitiveness amongst the league’s top stars. It’s rare to see a player pull far ahead of the rest for the majority of the season. Instead, the race tends to remain tight with a few players jostling between the first and second positions. This creates an intense spectacle towards the end of the season as the players with the most points battle it out to the finish line.
The 2019-2020 NHL season was no exception to the tight race for the most points. From midseason onwards, the top three points-scorers – Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, and Artemi Panarin – were separated by no more than five points for a long stretch of the season.
It was the Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl who emerged as the top scorer of the NHL regular season, with 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) in 71 games. Draisaitl was a revelation throughout the season, leading the Oilers offensively while cementing his place as one of the best players in the NHL. He also partnered with Connor McDavid to form one of the most lethal duos in the league, propelling them to playoffs contention.
Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche was a close second with 93 points (35 goals, 58 assists) in 69 games. MacKinnon’s exceptional speed, scoring ability, and passing skills were on full display throughout the season, making him one of the most exciting players to watch in the league.
The New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, the third player in the race, finished with 95 points (32 goals, 63 assists) in 69 games. Panarin had an incredible debut season with the Rangers, quickly becoming a fan favorite with his speed, agility, and scoring prowess. Although his team did not make the playoffs, Panarin’s contribution to his team’s success was crucial.
While this year’s race was tight, it was not the only time in the history of the league in which the top scorers were separated by a few points. In the 2006-2007 season, the race was equally tight with Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins edging out Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks by just one point. Crosby finished with 120 points (36 goals, 84 assists) in 79 games, while Thornton had 114 points (22 goals, 92 assists) in 82 games.
The 1985-1986 season saw the closest race for most points in NHL season. Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers and Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins traded the title back and forth throughout the season. In the end, Gretzky finished with an incredible 215 points (52 goals, 163 assists) in 80 games, closely followed by Lemieux with 199 points (48 goals, 117 assists) in 79 games.
Another early example of a tight race for the most points dates back to the 1950-1951 season when Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings and Elmer Lach of the Montreal Canadiens were neck and neck throughout the season. In the end, Lach finished with 61 points (15 goals, 46 assists), edging out Howe by just one point.
The race for the most points in NHL season has come a long way since the early days of the league. The sport has undergone significant changes and improvements, but the race for the most points remains an exciting and closely contested battle. The best players in the world continue to leave everything on the ice, battling it out till the last game of the season to secure the title. As a fan, it is a spectacle that’s hard to match.
