The Panther
Registered User
Maybe this is too obscure for a thread, but hey, it's the off-season...
I was wondering what was the biggest "plus" any NHL player ever had in one calendar month of regular season play. I checked some obvious candidates for any "+20" or higher months...
Phil Esposito
+20 Jan. 1969
Bobby Orr
+27 Jan. 1971
+26 March 1971
+24 February 1972
+23 Jan. 1959
+23 Jan. 1972
+22 Feb. 1971
+21 Nov. 1974
Bobby Clarke
+22 Feb. 1976
+24 March 1975
Guy Lafleur
+21 Feb. 1977
Larry Robinson
+27 Nov. 1976
+23 Feb. 1977
+21 Nov. 1982
+20 March 1977
Serge Savard
+22 Jan. 1973
+22 Nov. 1976
+21 Feb. 1978
Guy Lapointe
+21 Feb. 1975
+20 Feb. 1976
Steve Shutt
+22 Nov. 1975
Denis Potvin
+20 Nov. 1980
Clark Gillies
+20 Dec. 1978
Bryan Trottier
+26 Dec. 1978
+23 Nov. 1979
+23 Feb. 1982
+22 Dec. 1983
+20 Jan. 1979
+20 Jan. 1980
Mike Bossy
+21 Feb. 1982
+20 Dec. 1978
Rod Langway
+22 Oct. 1981
Mark Howe
+22 Nov. 1985
Brad McCrimmon
+21 Nov. 1985
Wayne Gretzky
+32 Nov. 1983
+26 Oct. 1984
+23 March 1986
+23 Jan. 1987
+22 Jan. 1984
+21 Dec. 1984
+20 Feb. 1982
Paul Coffey
+20 March 1983
Charlie Huddy
+22 March 1983
Jari Kurri
+26 Oct. 1984
+22 Dec. 1984
(Playing with Orr, Dallas Smith reached +19 in January 1969 and in January 1971.)
(Ray Bourque never quite made it, but he hit +19 in November 1989.)
(Peter Forsberg also reached +19 once -- in March 2003.)
(Sidney Crosby reached +19 in March 2013. Albeit this was in a busy month, with 15 games played, it's still remarkable in that I can't find any comparably high monthly plus/minus in the salary cap era.)
For obvious reasons, there was higher probability of a huge monthly plus/minus in the 1970s and early 1980s than subsequently. I can't find anyone who reached +20 in a calendar month after Gretzky in January 1987!
Ranking my list (so far) by highest numbers in history, it's:
1.
Gretzky +32 Nov. 1983
2.
Orr +27 Jan. 1971
Robinson +27 Nov. 1976
3.
Orr +26 March 1971
Trottier +26 Dec. 1978
Gretzky +26 Oct. 1984
Kurri +26 Oct. 1984
But I'm sure I've missed at least some. Can anyone find any other player with at least a +20 in one calendar month?
I was wondering what was the biggest "plus" any NHL player ever had in one calendar month of regular season play. I checked some obvious candidates for any "+20" or higher months...
Phil Esposito
+20 Jan. 1969
Bobby Orr
+27 Jan. 1971
+26 March 1971
+24 February 1972
+23 Jan. 1959
+23 Jan. 1972
+22 Feb. 1971
+21 Nov. 1974
Bobby Clarke
+22 Feb. 1976
+24 March 1975
Guy Lafleur
+21 Feb. 1977
Larry Robinson
+27 Nov. 1976
+23 Feb. 1977
+21 Nov. 1982
+20 March 1977
Serge Savard
+22 Jan. 1973
+22 Nov. 1976
+21 Feb. 1978
Guy Lapointe
+21 Feb. 1975
+20 Feb. 1976
Steve Shutt
+22 Nov. 1975
Denis Potvin
+20 Nov. 1980
Clark Gillies
+20 Dec. 1978
Bryan Trottier
+26 Dec. 1978
+23 Nov. 1979
+23 Feb. 1982
+22 Dec. 1983
+20 Jan. 1979
+20 Jan. 1980
Mike Bossy
+21 Feb. 1982
+20 Dec. 1978
Rod Langway
+22 Oct. 1981
Mark Howe
+22 Nov. 1985
Brad McCrimmon
+21 Nov. 1985
Wayne Gretzky
+32 Nov. 1983
+26 Oct. 1984
+23 March 1986
+23 Jan. 1987
+22 Jan. 1984
+21 Dec. 1984
+20 Feb. 1982
Paul Coffey
+20 March 1983
Charlie Huddy
+22 March 1983
Jari Kurri
+26 Oct. 1984
+22 Dec. 1984
(Playing with Orr, Dallas Smith reached +19 in January 1969 and in January 1971.)
(Ray Bourque never quite made it, but he hit +19 in November 1989.)
(Peter Forsberg also reached +19 once -- in March 2003.)
(Sidney Crosby reached +19 in March 2013. Albeit this was in a busy month, with 15 games played, it's still remarkable in that I can't find any comparably high monthly plus/minus in the salary cap era.)
For obvious reasons, there was higher probability of a huge monthly plus/minus in the 1970s and early 1980s than subsequently. I can't find anyone who reached +20 in a calendar month after Gretzky in January 1987!
Ranking my list (so far) by highest numbers in history, it's:
1.
Gretzky +32 Nov. 1983
2.
Orr +27 Jan. 1971
Robinson +27 Nov. 1976
3.
Orr +26 March 1971
Trottier +26 Dec. 1978
Gretzky +26 Oct. 1984
Kurri +26 Oct. 1984
But I'm sure I've missed at least some. Can anyone find any other player with at least a +20 in one calendar month?
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