Most consecutive seasons of increasing point totals

[Ace36758]

I was thinking about a quirky stat the other day. Why? Maybe I have too much time on my hands.

What are the most seasons of consecutively increasing regular-season point totals, from the start of a player's career? (or otherwise-I focused on start of career)

There's probably an easy way to find this, but I looked up a few high-profile names the old fashioned way. Here's a few to start:

Al MacInnis: 7 seasons (0, 4, 45, 66, 68, 76, 83)
Adam Oates: 6 seasons (20, 47, 54, 78, 102, 115)
Jaromir Jagr: 6 seasons (57, 69, 94, 99, 70 (in 48 games-projected to be 119 pts), 149

Bit of an asterisk on Jagr, but he won the scoring title and his pace was much higher than 99.

Wayne had 4, Kurri 5, Roenick 5, Thornton 4. There are probably a few examples of 8, maybe 9 or 10 out there. Might be some random third-liner who has the most.

Who you got?

Click to read more...

 

[Hockey Outsider]

The all-time record is held by Vic Stasiuk (whose point totals, over eight consecutive seasons, were 0, 7, 19, 37, 40, 56, 60 and 68). But that was mid-career.

 

[Ace36758]

The all-time record is held by Vic Stasiuk (whose point totals, over eight consecutive seasons, were 0, 7, 19, 37, 40, 56, 60 and 68). But that was mid-career.

Nice! Do we think MacInnis might hold the start of career mark?

 

[Hockey Outsider]

It looks like MacInnis is tied for the record with these 11 players - Adam Graves, Andrew Brunette, Andy Bathgate, Ben Chiarot, Brayden Schenn, Bryan Hextall, Chris Clark, Gary Leeman, Jay Beagle, Paul Mara, Ron Stern.

Keep in mind that for many of these players, the number of games played really influences the outcome. (For example, we're counting MacInnis's 2, 14, 51 and 67 game partial seasons. He actually scored less per game in his 5th and 6th years, than he did in his 4th.

(EDIT - it also depends on if we're counting seasons with the same point totals. For example, Doug Harvey went 8>16>24>29>29>34>37>49. That's eight seasons, but one of which featured a "tie". If this counts, then a few players have surpassed MacInnis - including another HOF defenseman, Bill Quackhenbush, who did it nine years in a row).

 

[MadLuke]

The way stars could take time to get ice in the 06, maybe it was more common for them to do this for a little bit.

Beliveau went
2->5->34->73->88

Howe took like 7 seasons before his ppg to go down, but he missed game early on to break the streak and had a tie.

 

[Crosby2010]

Just a gut reaction, my initial thought would be Steve Shutt from the beginning of his career with 5. But it isn't him.

 

[carjackmalone]

Quinn Hughes could hit 6 this season he just needs to break 92 this season

 

[carjackmalone]

If points per game were the definition then Hughes be shooting for 8

 

[The Pale King]

What about consecutive seasons with declining totals to start a career? I thought about Juneau, Selanne, Gomez but can't get past 3-4.

 

[MadLuke]

Mikko Koivu

58->45->29->21->2

 

[Ishdul]

What about consecutive seasons with declining totals to start a career? I thought about Juneau, Selanne, Gomez but can't get past 3-4.

If you pro-rate Heatley's strike shortened 2012-13 season he's at 5.

 

[The Panther]

If points per game were the definition....

That would probably be a more interesting way of doing this exercise.

 

[The Panther]

Just a gut reaction, my initial thought would be Steve Shutt from the beginning of his career with 5. But it isn't him.

I know why you thought that! Shutt's goal totals from '74 to '77 are funny:
15
30
45
60
Every year, he scored 15 more goals!

 

[Hockey Outsider]

What about consecutive seasons with declining totals to start a career? I thought about Juneau, Selanne, Gomez but can't get past 3-4.

It looks like the record is Bob Hess. He scored 39 and 32 points during two full seasons; then 22 and 14 points during two 50-something game seasons; then 7 points in 27 games; and finally he was scoreless in 4 games.

The all-time record? Borje Salming's point totals decreased 11 consecutive seasons (mid/late career). Stan Smyl holds the record for forwards (9 consecutive seasons, at the end of his career).

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Quinn Hughes could hit 6 this season he just needs to break 92 this season

If points per game were the definition then Hughes be shooting for 8

not exactly

his second full season was a lower pt/game ratio than his rookie year, but if the season had been 82 games instead of 56, he would have outscored his rookie year.

and of course, even accounting for the four games missed, he is currently on pace to outscore his norris winning year, which is unreal.

 

[mrhockey193195]

If points per game were the definition then Hughes be shooting for 8

I'd love to know who has the record if we looks at points per game instead of raw points. I think someone else mentioned above, Hughes' PPG dropped from his 2nd to 3rd season (0.78 to 0.73) so his streak is actually five right now. I'm struggling to find anyone over six (Jagr, Thornton, Oates, Kucherov, a few others).

 

[mrhockey193195]

What about consecutive seasons with declining totals to start a career? I thought about Juneau, Selanne, Gomez but can't get past 3-4.

Zhamnov is also at 4 (aided by his third season being the 94-95 lockout, which was arguably his best season).

EDIT: Borshevsky & Makarov at 4 as well. (if it counts, I wonder if this is the mold of player that will be the winner? Older rookie who joins the NHL in late 20s/early 30s?)

 

[Crosby2010]

I know why you thought that! Shutt's goal totals from '74 to '77 are funny:
15
30
45
60
Every year, he scored 15 more goals!

And ironically 8 to 15 from his rookie to his sophomore season.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

I'd love to know who has the record if we looks at points per game instead of raw points. I think someone else mentioned above, Hughes' PPG dropped from his 2nd to 3rd season (0.78 to 0.73) so his streak is actually five right now. I'm struggling to find anyone over six (Jagr, Thornton, Oates, Kucherov, a few others).

The database I have with me on this computer only goes from 1960 to 2020.

With that in mind, Cam Neely is the only player in NHL "history" (again, defined as 1960 to 2020) who's PPG increased nine years in a row (0.47 > 0.96 > 1.00 > 1.01 > 1.21 > 1.33 > 1.33 > 1.38 > 1.51). Nobody else ever did that eight years in a row, but five players had seven year streaks - Todd Bertuzzi, Jonathan Huberdeau, Jeff Petry, Rod Seiling, and Jozef Stumpel.

The aforementioned Jozef Stumpel has the record for longest streak from the start of his career (0.25 > 0.31 > 0.39 > 0.41 > 0.71 > 0.97 > 1.03). More than two dozen players have streaks of six years from the start of their career (big names include Jagr, Kucherov, Park, Thornton, Oates, and St. Louis).

I didn't set any minimum for games played. Some of these streaks are surely the result of tiny sample sizes (ie Stumpel's streak starts with 1 point in 4 games).

 

[Michael Farkas]

Looks like some people owe Ulf Samuelsson an apology...errrrr....something...?

A lot of beefy forwards on these lists...Neely, Bert, Huberdeau isn't exactly a little fast guy out there, Stumpel...then on that start the career list, you have Jagr and Thornton too...

Of course, St. Louis and Seiling are there, that's not lost on me...but there's some serious power there. They (who?) often say that the bigger forwards take a little longer to get it going...some evidence of that here.

 

[The Panther]

I never understood Cam Neely's first three seasons in Van. His rookie year (just going by stats), he did fairy well, I'd say, scoring at a 23-goal, 44-point pace and going +1 in a pretty nothing team. Then, his production declines somewhat in year two, and declines yet again in year three. Neely's shooting percentage declines from 18 to 15 to 12 those three seasons. Why?

(Obviously the subsequent trade was terrible for the Canucks, but as Neely appeared to getting worse, not better, you can kind of see what they were thinking.)

 

[Michael Farkas]

He played down in the lineup, for one.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Zhamnov is also at 4 (aided by his third season being the 94-95 lockout, which was arguably his best season).

EDIT: Borshevsky & Makarov at 4 as well. (if it counts, I wonder if this is the mold of player that will be the winner? Older rookie who joins the NHL in late 20s/early 30s?)

tyler myers is a non-old guy and non-lockout-caused four year downslope