The most dominant player in the NHL, season by season
I decided to take a look at who the most dominant player in the NHL was by season. Each season's highest PPG total is shown at an 82 game pace. Here are the results.
Obviously this doesn't take most defenseman and goalies into account. If I can find a way to properly evaluate those positions I plan on doing so in a separate post.
1926-27 - Bill Cook (68.95pts): 0.3 point lead over Dick Irvin
1927-28 - Howie Morenz (97.26pts): 24.58 point lead over Aurel Joliat
1928-29 - Ace Bailey (59.64pts): 5.59 point lead over Nels Stewart
1929-30 - Cooney Weiland (136.05pts): 15 point lead over Frank Boucher
1930-31 - Howie Morenz (107.23pts): 9.93 point lead over Charlie Conacher
1931-32 - Busher Jackson (90.45pts): 1 point lead over Charlie Conacher
1932-33 - Bill Cook (85.42pts): 10.25 point lead over Busher Jackson
1933-34 - Charlie Conacher (101.52pts): 17.7 point lead over Joe Primeau
1934-35 - Charlie Conacher (99.45pts): 13.55 point lead over Busher Jackson
1935-36 - Sweeney Schriner (76.88pts): 3.99 point lead over Paul Thompson
1936-37 - Sweeney Schriner (78.58pts): 1.72 point lead over Syl Apps
1937-38 - Gordie Drillon (88.83pts): 1.6 point lead over Syl Apps
1938-39 - Bill Cowley (101.29pts): 21 point lead over Toe Blake
1939-40 - Milt Schmidt (88.83pts): 12.55 point lead over Gordie Drillon
1940-41 - Bill Cowley (110.52pts): 22.52 point lead over Syl Apps
1941-42 - Don Grosso (96.58pts): .91 point lead over Bryan Hextall
1942-43 - Bill Cowley (123pts): 3.28 point lead over Doug Bentley
1943-44 - Bill Cowley (161.72pts): 21.64 point lead over Herb Cain
1944-45 - Elmer Lach (131.2pts): 11.48 point lead over Maurice Richard
1945-46 - Max Bentley (106.43pts): 8.03 point lead over Bill Mosienko
1946-47 - Max Bentley (98.4pts): 1.37 point lead over Maurice Richard
1947-48 - Elmer Lach (83.37pts): 1.37 point lead over Buddy O'Connor
1948-49 - Roy Conacher (92.93pts): 2.73 point lead over Doug Bentley
1949-50 - Ted Lindsay (92.7pts): 10.7 point lead over Sid Abel
1950-51 - Gordie Howe (100.74pts): 17.48 point lead over Maurice Richard
1951-52 - Gordie Howe (100.74pts): 19.91 point lead over Ted Lindsay
1952-53 - Gordie Howe (111.29pts): 28.12 point lead over Ted Lindsay
1953-54 - Gordie Howe (93.55pts): 11.55 point lead over Bernie Geoffrion
1954-55 - Maurice Richard (90.57pts): 2.71 point lead over Bernie Geoffrion
1955-56 - Jean Beliveau (103.09pts): 10.55 point lead over Gordie Howe
1956-57 - Gordie Howe (104.26pts): 4.43 point lead over Jean Beliveau
1957-58 - Gordie Howe (98.66pts): 0.26 point lead over Dickie Moore and Andy Bathgate
1958-59 - Jean Beliveau (116.59pts): 4.13 point lead over Dickie Moore
1959-60 - Jean Beliveau (101.13pts): 2.45 point lead over Bernie Geoffrion
1960-61 - Bernie Geoffrion (121.72pts): 14.76 point lead over Jean Beliveau
1961-62 - Bobby Hull and Andy Bathgate (98.4pts): 8.2 point lead over Gordie Howe and Stan Mikita
1962-63 - Gordie Howe (100.74pts): 4.86 point lead over Stan Mikita
1963-64 - Stan Mikita (104.26pts): 2.35 point lead over Bobby Hull
1964-65 - Stan Mikita (101.91pts): 4.68 point lead over Norm Ullman
1965-66 - Bobby Hull (122.37pts): 28.13 point lead over Jean Beliveau
1966-67 - Stan Mikita (113.63pts): 14.24 point lead over Bobby Hull
1967-68 - Stan Mikita (99.08pts): 6 point lead over Phil Esposito
1968-69 - Phil Esposito (139.62pts): 21.05 point lead over Bobby Hull
1969-70 - Bobby Orr (129.47pts): 22.65 point lead over Phil Esposito
1970-71 - Phil Esposito (159.79pts): 13.66 point lead over Bobby Orr
1971-72 - Phil Esposito (143.5pts): 1.63 point lead over Jean Ratelle
1972-73 - Phil Esposito (136.67pts): 5.21 point lead over Bobby Orr
1973-74 - Phil Esposito (152.44pts): 17.25 point lead over Bobby Orr
1974-75 - Guy Lafleur (139.4pts): 1.02 point lead over Bobby Orr
1975-76 - Bobby Clarke (128.39pts): 0.26 point lead over Guy Lafleur
1976-77 - Guy Lafleur (139.4pts): 14.35 point lead over Marcel Dionne
1977-78 - Guy Lafleur (138.77pts): 7.78 point lead over Bryan Trottier
1978-79 - Bryan Trottier (144.58pts): 11.33 point lead over Marcel Dionne
1979-80 - Wayne Gretzky (142.2pts): 1.77 point lead over Marcel Dionne
1980-81 - Wayne Gretzky (168.1pts): 29.72 point lead over Marcel Dionne
1981-82 - Wayne Gretzky (217.3pts): 66.62 point lead over Mike Bossy
1982-83 - Wayne Gretzky (200.9pts): 65.33 point lead over Peter Stastny
1983-84 - Wayne Gretzky (227.16pts): 82.74 point lead over Mike Bossy
1984-85 - Wayne Gretzky (213.2pts): 61.56 point lead over Jari Kurri
1985-86 - Wayne Gretzky (220.38pts): 74.03 point lead over Mario Lemieux
1986-87 - Wayne Gretzky (189.95pts): 50.68 point lead over Mario Lemieux
1987-88 - Wayne Gretzky (190.91pts): 12 point lead over Mario Lemieux
1988-89 - Mario Lemieux (214.71pts): 38.09 point lead over Wayne Gretzky
1989-90 - Mario Lemieux (170.95pts): 11.44 point lead over Wayne Gretzky
1990-91 - Wayne Gretzky (171.36pts): 16.77 point lead over Adam Oates
1991-92 - Mario Lemieux (167.84pts): 33.76 point lead over Wayne Gretzky
1992-93 - Mario Lemieux (218.67pts): 74.19 point lead over Pat LaFontaine
1993-94 - Wayne Gretzky (131.6pts): 7.76 point lead over Cam Neely
1994-95 - Eric Lindros (124.78pts): 5.2 point lead over Jaromir Jagr
1995-96 - Mario Lemieux (188.6pts): 39.6 point lead over Jaromir Jagr
1996-97 - Mario Lemieux (131.63pts): 13.98 point lead over Paul Kariya
1997-98 - Jaromir Jagr (108.62pts): 4.98 point lead over Peter Forsberg
1998-99 - Jaromir Jagr (128.57pts): 11.58 point lead over Teemu Selanne
1999-00 - Jaromir Jagr (124.95pts): 14.25 point lead over Joe Sakic
2000-01 - Jaromir Jagr (122.49pts): 4.49 point lead over Joe Sakic
2001-02 - Todd Bertuzzi (96.81pts): 0.81 point lead over Jarome Iginla
2002-03 - Peter Forsberg (115.89pts): 4.52 point lead over Mario Lemieux
2003-04 - Martin St. Louis (94pts): 0.12 point lead over Robert Lang and Alex Tanguay
2005-06 - Joe Thornton (126.54pts): 3.54 point lead over Jaromir Jagr
2006-07 - Sidney Crosby (124.56pts): 10.56 point lead over Joe Thornton
2007-08 - Alex Ovechkin (112pts): 0.6 point lead over Sidney Crosby
2008-09 - Alex Ovechkin (114.18pts): 1.18 point lead over Evgeni Malkin
2009-10 - Alex Ovechkin (124.14pts): 12.14 point lead over Henrik Sedin
2010-11 - Sidney Crosby (132pts): 28 point lead over Daniel Sedin
2011-12 - Evgeni Malkin (119.17pts): 19.91 point lead over Claude Giroux
2012-13 - Sidney Crosby (127.56pts): 25.06 point lead over Martin St. Louis
2013-14 - Sidney Crosby (106.6pts): 8.2 point lead over Evgeni Malkin
2014-15 - Sidney Crosby (89.45pts): 0.52 point lead over Tyler Seguin
2015-16 - Patrick Kane (106pts): 18.53 point lead over Connor McDavid
2016-17 - Connor McDavid (100pts): 2.69 point lead over Sidney Crosby
#Top Ten Most Dominant Seasons
- 1983-84 - Wayne Gretzky: 82.74 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1992-93 - Mario Lemieux: 73.19 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1985-86 - Wayne Gretzky: 74.03 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1981-82 - Wayne Gretzky: 66.62 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1982-83 - Wayne Gretzky: 65.33 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1984-85 - Wayne Gretzky: 61.56 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1986-87 - Wayne Gretzky: 50.68 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1995-96 - Mario Lemieux: 39.6 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1988-89 - Mario Lemieux: 38.09 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1991-92 - Mario Lemieux: 33.76 point lead over next highest scorer
#Top Ten Most Dominant Seasons (Sans Gretzky and Lemieux)
- 1965-66 - Bobby Hull: 28.13 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1952-53 - Gordie Howe: 28.12 point lead over next highest scorer
- 2010-11 - Sidney Crosby: 28 point lead over next highest scorer
- 2012-13 - Sidney Crosby: 25.06 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1927-28 - Howie Morenz: 24.58 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1969-70 - Bobby Orr: 22.65 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1940-41 - Bill Cowley: 22.52 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1943-44 - Bill Cowley: 21.64 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1968-69 - Phil Esposito: 21.05 point lead over next highest scorer
- 1938-39 - Bill Cowley: 21 point lead over next highest scorer
#Players With Most Dominant Seasons
- Wayne Gretzky: 11
- Gordie Howe: 7
- Mario Lemieux: 6
- Phil Esposito/Sidney Crosby: 5
- Bill Cowley/Stan Mikita/Jaromir Jagr: 4
- Jean Beliveau/Guy Lafleur/Alex Ovechkin: 3
Posted Jul 21, 2017, 6:27 AM UTC · edited