- Jan 16, 2005
- 9,206
- 17,195
1918: Joe Malone was the leader at the end of the NHL's first season (44 goals for the Montreal Canadiens). Other players may have also briefly held the record during the year (someone would have to go back and do a game-by-game examination).
1919: Malone missed most of the campaign due to injury, and Cy Denneny pulled ahead at some point during this season. At the end of the year, Denneny had scored 54 goals for the Ottawa Senators.
1920: Joe Malone bounced back and led the NHL in goals for the second time in three years, but he was on a new team. Denneny's centre, Newsy Lalonde, took possession of this record at some point during the year, with 83 goals (in 54 games) for the Ottawa Senators. He'd extend the lead up to 120 goals in 1922.
1922: Cy Denneny set the all-time record with his 121 goal for the Senators franchise. This came on January 21st, in what appeared to have been a wild game against Hamilton (the Tigers were down 4-1 at the end of the first period, but scored the tying goal with ten seconds left in regulation, and then won it in overtime). Denneny had one goal in the loss.
Lalonde briefly retook the lead with a hat trick on February 8th, 1922 (in a 6-4 win over Toronto). He was up 124-123 all-time. Denneny then re-took the lead (126-125) on February 18th, 1922 (a 4-2 win over Hamilton). From there, he'd continue to extend his lead. In 1928, Denneny scored his 246th and final goal for the Sens. (He'd score one goal for Boston the next year, before retiring at age 37 - ancient for that era).
1934: Howie Morenz took possession of this record on February 11th, 1934. He had a terrible start to the season (in terms of goal scoring, with just 6 goals in 27 games). But he scored a hat trick against the Rangers, giving Montreal a 5-2 win. The "Stratford Streak" would go on to reach 253 goals for the Canadiens franchise by the end of season. Past his prime, Morenz spent the next two in Chicago and New York before adding four goals in 30 games for the Habs in 1937. (He died this year, indirectly due to injuries sustained in a game). The record was now up to 257 goals for a single franchise.
1937: Morenz's longtime winger, Aurel Joliat, scored his 258th goal for the Canadiens, taking the all-time record (January 24th, 1937). The Habs won 4-1 that night (Joliat also picked up an assist). He'd extend the record to 269 goals. (Note - the following season, Nels Stewart became the first player in NHL history to reach 300 goals, but this was split between three franchises).
1951: Maurice Richard scored his 270th goal for the Canadiens, taking the all-time record. (Unfortuantely it was a meaningless goal in a 4-2 loss to the much weaker Bruins - January 4th, 1951). He'd become the first player to score 300 goals for one franchise in 1952. He'd extend the record to 400 goals in 1955, and 500 goals in 1958. He scored his 544th and final goal for Montreal in 1960.
1964: Gordie Howe scored his 545th goal for Detroit, which gave him sole possession of this record (November 10th, 1963). It was a shorthanded goal in a 3-0 win over the Habs. Howe would eventually become the first player to score 600 goals for one franchise (1966), and then 700 goals (1969). He'd eventually score his 786th and final goal for the Red Wings (1971).
2023: Alexander Ovechkin scored his 787th goal for Washington (November 5th, 2022). It was one of his trademark one-timers on the powerplay. Unfortunately it came in a 3-2 loss to the lowly Coyotes.
I put this together manually and can't guarantee that this is completely accurate. Let me know if you see any errors.
1919: Malone missed most of the campaign due to injury, and Cy Denneny pulled ahead at some point during this season. At the end of the year, Denneny had scored 54 goals for the Ottawa Senators.
1920: Joe Malone bounced back and led the NHL in goals for the second time in three years, but he was on a new team. Denneny's centre, Newsy Lalonde, took possession of this record at some point during the year, with 83 goals (in 54 games) for the Ottawa Senators. He'd extend the lead up to 120 goals in 1922.
1922: Cy Denneny set the all-time record with his 121 goal for the Senators franchise. This came on January 21st, in what appeared to have been a wild game against Hamilton (the Tigers were down 4-1 at the end of the first period, but scored the tying goal with ten seconds left in regulation, and then won it in overtime). Denneny had one goal in the loss.
Lalonde briefly retook the lead with a hat trick on February 8th, 1922 (in a 6-4 win over Toronto). He was up 124-123 all-time. Denneny then re-took the lead (126-125) on February 18th, 1922 (a 4-2 win over Hamilton). From there, he'd continue to extend his lead. In 1928, Denneny scored his 246th and final goal for the Sens. (He'd score one goal for Boston the next year, before retiring at age 37 - ancient for that era).
1934: Howie Morenz took possession of this record on February 11th, 1934. He had a terrible start to the season (in terms of goal scoring, with just 6 goals in 27 games). But he scored a hat trick against the Rangers, giving Montreal a 5-2 win. The "Stratford Streak" would go on to reach 253 goals for the Canadiens franchise by the end of season. Past his prime, Morenz spent the next two in Chicago and New York before adding four goals in 30 games for the Habs in 1937. (He died this year, indirectly due to injuries sustained in a game). The record was now up to 257 goals for a single franchise.
1937: Morenz's longtime winger, Aurel Joliat, scored his 258th goal for the Canadiens, taking the all-time record (January 24th, 1937). The Habs won 4-1 that night (Joliat also picked up an assist). He'd extend the record to 269 goals. (Note - the following season, Nels Stewart became the first player in NHL history to reach 300 goals, but this was split between three franchises).
1951: Maurice Richard scored his 270th goal for the Canadiens, taking the all-time record. (Unfortuantely it was a meaningless goal in a 4-2 loss to the much weaker Bruins - January 4th, 1951). He'd become the first player to score 300 goals for one franchise in 1952. He'd extend the record to 400 goals in 1955, and 500 goals in 1958. He scored his 544th and final goal for Montreal in 1960.
1964: Gordie Howe scored his 545th goal for Detroit, which gave him sole possession of this record (November 10th, 1963). It was a shorthanded goal in a 3-0 win over the Habs. Howe would eventually become the first player to score 600 goals for one franchise (1966), and then 700 goals (1969). He'd eventually score his 786th and final goal for the Red Wings (1971).
2023: Alexander Ovechkin scored his 787th goal for Washington (November 5th, 2022). It was one of his trademark one-timers on the powerplay. Unfortunately it came in a 3-2 loss to the lowly Coyotes.
I put this together manually and can't guarantee that this is completely accurate. Let me know if you see any errors.
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