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Has a defenseman ever led his team in goals?

kmad

kmad

riot survivor
Jun 16, 2003
34,133
65
Vancouver
I know defensemen have led their team in scoring many times. Orr a bunch, Reinhart with the Canucks, Tarnstrom with the Penguins, etc.

The closest I could find is the Capitals from 1992-93 where Kevin Hatcher scored 34, but Peter Bondra scored 37.

Has this ever happened?
 
First player I thought of was Sheldon Souray in his Montreal years when they had those dismal scoring teams. In his best goal year (26), Michael Ryder had 30.
 
Vancouver Blazers said:
I know defensemen have led their team in scoring many times. Orr a bunch, Reinhart with the Canucks, Tarnstrom with the Penguins, etc.

The closest I could find is the Capitals from 1992-93 where Kevin Hatcher scored 34, but Peter Bondra scored 37.

Has this ever happened?
Click to expand...

Hatcher actually tied Kelly Miller for Caps' team lead in goals in 1990-91.
 
Bumping an old thread as I was thinking about this and how Brent Burns has a chance to achieve this very rare feat.

So we have:

Carol Vadnais* - 1969-70 - Oakland Seals
Kevin Hatcher - 1990-91 - Washington Capitals (tie with Kelly Miller)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - 2014-15 - Arizona Coyotes


*Mentioned above that Vadnais may have played some forward that season? Guess that would have to be looked into.

Are there really only these 3 instances? (I just found OEL's season!)
 
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Looks like Shea Weber was close in 2013-14 with 23 goals, 1 off tying Craig Smith.
 
I thought Sprague Cleghorn did that, but he was only the 2nd best scoring Cleghorn in 21-22.
 
kmad said:
I know defensemen have led their team in scoring many times. Orr a bunch, Reinhart with the Canucks, Tarnstrom with the Penguins, etc.

The closest I could find is the Capitals from 1992-93 where Kevin Hatcher scored 34, but Peter Bondra scored 37.

Has this ever happened?
Click to expand...

Orr led his team in scoring twice. Never in goals.
 
I got to admit, Hatcher's 1993 achievement is the most impressive. The others are Larsson on the 2015 Coyotes, Vadnais on the 1970 Seals. Those are just horrible teams. Hatcher did tie Miller in 1991, which is more impressive than the other two, but being three off in 1993 when Peter Bondra is your teammate is more impressive I think. It isn't as if the Caps were a bad team in 1993. They weren't. Maybe 10th best overall.

Andy Delmore was four and two off his team's lead for the 2002 and 2003 Predators. But again, lousy teams.

Wait.............there's more. Denis Potvin in 1976. The Isles are an elite team by then. Bryan Trottier is a rookie on the team by then but Potvin had 31 goals and was awfully close to Gillies' lead of 34. Now THAT is impressive, possibly the most impressive.

Flash Hollet almost did it in 1942 (19 goals to Conacher's 24). Granted, the Kraut Line missed about 10 games going off to fight in the War, so there is that context.
 
Vadnais was at least primarily a forward in 1969/70, if not almost exclusively. His goals to points ratio, even-strength points to non-PP TGF ratio, and rate of TGF and TGA per game all say forward. Compare all those to the season before when he was primarily a defenceman and you'll see what I mean.
 
TheDevilMadeMe said:
Happened quite a few times prior to the liberalization of the forward pass prior to 1929-30
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I count only three such instances (looking at what you might call the major leagues - AHAC/CAHL/ECAHA/ECHA/NHA/NHL, FAHL, PCHA, WCHL/WHL) from 1892/93 to 1928/29. And in every instance, it was a tie with a forward who scored the same number of goals in fewer games.

In 1901/02, Hod Stuart scored 5 goals in 8 games for Quebec in the CAHL. Percy Lemesurier scored that many in 4 games.

In 1904/05, C.Kent scored 4 goals in 8 games for the Nationals in the FAHL. Prefontaine scored that many in 3 games.

In 1923/24, Art Duncan scored 21 goals in 30 games for Vancouver of the PCHA. Mickey MacKay scored that many in 28 games. (And yes, Art Duncan did play defence that season.)

So in fact, it seems that a defenceman may have never led his team in goals outright. I found three ties, with no outright leaders.
 
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Is it really possible that Oliver Ekman-Larson is the only defenseman ever to lead his team outright? He had 8 more goals than his nearest teammate. In the absence of other examples being uncovered, this would seem to be an almost insurmountable "record", if you want to classify it as such.
 
Iain Fyffe said:
I count only three such instances (looking at what you might call the major leagues - AHAC/CAHL/ECAHA/ECHA/NHA/NHL, FAHL, PCHA, WCHL/WHL) from 1892/93 to 1928/29. And in every instance, it was a tie with a forward who scored the same number of goals in fewer games.

In 1901/02, Hod Stuart scored 5 goals in 8 games for Quebec in the CAHL. Percy Lemesurier scored that many in 4 games.

In 1904/05, C.Kent scored 4 goals in 8 games for the Nationals in the FAHL. Prefontaine scored that many in 3 games.

In 1923/24, Art Duncan scored 21 goals in 30 games for Vancouver of the PCHA. Mickey MacKay scored that many in 28 games. (And yes, Art Duncan did play defence that season.)

So in fact, it seems that a defenceman may have never led his team in goals outright. I found three ties, with no outright leaders.
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You're obviously excluding the position of Rover as a defensive position then, correct?
 
DNA said:
You're obviously excluding the position of Rover as a defensive position then, correct?
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Well, yes, but that's because it was a forward position. For much of its existence, rover was the most offence-oriented position on the ice. It was only from 1918/19 to 1921/22 in the PCHA that the position became more defensive in nature, and in those seasons no rover led his team in goals anyway.
 
Iain Fyffe said:
Well, yes, but that's because it was a forward position. For much of its existence, rover was the most offence-oriented position on the ice. It was only from 1918/19 to 1921/22 in the PCHA that the position became more defensive in nature, and in those seasons no rover led his team in goals anyway.
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Well, I believe Taylor led both his league and team in 1919, not to mention years previous. But if Rover's not included, fair enough. I just always have a hard time drastically separating Orr & Cyclone by position.
 
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