The best performers in their 30's

[VanIslander]

Nothing before age 30 counts.

Immediately i think of two goalies.

Let's herald those who excelled later in years.

Click to read more...

 

[VanIslander]

Hasek won muiltiple Harts and Vezinas in his 30's. Let's get that away and move on...

 

[jigglysquishy]

Gordie Howe won an Art Ross and 3 Hart Trophies.

7x 1st AS
6x 2nd AS

Scored 1024 points after 30th birthday.

 

[buffalowing88]

Philadelphia management bet on Briere, Timonen, and Pronger in their 30s.

They all produced for a bit there.

I think you're asking for guys who were later bloomers, so I would also say Ray Whitney, Corey Stillman, and Rod Brind'amour. Although Rod was especially touted in his twenties but seemed to peak at like 35-37.

 

[JianYang]

Robert Lang scored around 700 points in his career, but about 500 of those points came during his 30 year old season or afterwards.

Bucyk scored around 910 points in his 30s and beyond

 

[Steven Toast]

Messier had a very good career in his 30's. Won a Hart, a Lindsay, a 1ast, a Cup. 247-497-744 in 681 games played plus 33-62-95 in 88 GP in the playoffs.

 

[VanIslander]

Gordie Howe won an Art Ross and 3 Hart Trophies.

7x 1st AS
6x 2nd AS

Scored 1024 points after 30th birthday.

It'd be pretty hard to be known for having the unbreakable record of 20 consecutive seasons of top-5 NHL scoring and not be an exceptional example of success in his 30's.

Next let me guess... Bourque, the 18-year 1st or 2nd team all star.

Let's move on...

 

[VanIslander]

The greatest Maple Leaf goaltender ever (Belfour may have been better, but didn't produce as much in T.O.) started his NHL career two months shy of his 30th birthday.

Johnny Bower didn't start for the Leafs until age 34 but owned the crease for a decade since then.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Lidstrom won all seven of his Norris trophies past 30.

Mike Knuble was relatively speaking a fringe NHLer in his 20s, with a career high of 15 goals, 35 points. Ages 30 through 38, he would play 615 games, score 218 goals and 419 points: 78% of his goals and 76% of his points, in just 58% of his NHL games played.

 

[VanIslander]

Lidstrom won all seven of his Norris trophies past 30.

And he earned 3 of them.

Pronger only won once, Weber never.

The voting was ****'d up. Seriously.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

And he earned 3 of them.

Pronger only won once, Weber never.

The voting was ****'d up. Seriously.

Outside of 2011, I haven’t heard the strong case that Lidstrom’s Norris wins weren’t earned.

 

[JackSlater]

Howe is the gold standard at forward, Hasek is the gold standard in goal, and Lidstrom, Harvey, and Bourque each have an argument as the first pairing defencemen on the old team and Chelios isn't far behind.

Bill Cook has an excellent 30s career as well.

Outside of 2011, I haven’t heard the strong case that Lidstrom’s Norris wins weren’t earned.

Yeah it's a weird argument to make. I can't see what year someone else should have won. I think it's very likely based on media at the time that Pronger would have gotten the trophy in 2001 and 2007 had he not gotten injured... but he did. Year after year Lidstrom played like the best defenceman in the league, and the year he didn't (2004) he didn't get the trophy.

 

[The Panther]

Ray Whitney was mentioned, but he needs another 'like'.

He seemed to transition from average 2nd line forward in his twenties to 1st-line forward in his thirties. If you go by the 'adjusted stats' at Hockey Ref., 3 of his top 4 highest-scoring seasons are in his mid- to late-30s, which must be unique. And all of 4 of them are from age 30 onward.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Ray Whitney was mentioned, but he needs another 'like'.

He seemed to transition from average 2nd line forward in his twenties to 1st-line forward in his thirties. If you go by the 'adjusted stats' at Hockey Ref., 3 of his top 4 highest-scoring seasons are in his mid- to late-30s, which must be unique. And all of 4 of them are from age 30 onward.

Yeah, Whitney’s interesting. His only all-star selection came aged 39.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Martin Brodeur - 4 Vezinas, two other top-3 finishes. Had to adapt to yet another brand new league and did so very well. Career high 12 shutouts in 2007 at age 34 (led the league in saves too). Led the league in wins five times. Won a Cup (robbed of a Smythe) and went to another.

 

[MadLuke]

Despite being a calder winner, maybe Alfredsson career after 30 > before 30.

The Olympics gold, all his top 10 finish, happen after 30

The team went from 40 points recent expansion bottom feader to a strong cup contender over that time and top forward competition declined for a while, so not sure if it has anything to him getting better at hockey obviously, but he aged really well nonetheless and he was probably not worst at it.

 

[DitchMarner]

Joe Sakic, Sid Crosby, Alex Ovechkin (in terms of goal scoring).

Sundin was basically the same player in his 30s as he was in his 20s.

 

[MadLuke]

Chara ?

Played 1080 regular season and 155 playoff game after turning 30, was still a super relevant nhler to his last Bruins season,

An argument could be made about him peaking after 30 (maybe not, maybe it was around his first season with the Bruins, they were just not good, him having less Norris vote than Wihitney-Boucher, Carney, Souray that year.... being an example they can be flawed)

 

[NyQuil]

Despite being a calder winner, maybe Alfredsson career after 30 > before 30.

The Olympics gold, all his top 10 finish, happen after 30

The team went from 40 points recent expansion bottom feader to a strong cup contender over that time and top forward competition declined for a while, so not sure if it has anything to him getting better at hockey obviously, but he aged really well nonetheless and he was probably not worst at it.

The other major factor is that he was more injury prone in his 20s, with three straight seasons under 60 games.

 

[sr edler]

I would be more impressed by someone who rounded out his game in his 30s, and/or took on newfound roles or mentorship, rather than just stat-padding a lot in an undeserved vacuum (like Messier).

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Howe is the gold standard at forward, Hasek is the gold standard in goal, and Lidstrom, Harvey, and Bourque each have an argument as the first pairing defencemen on the old team and Chelios isn't far behind.

Bill Cook has an excellent 30s career as well.


Yeah it's a weird argument to make. I can't see what year someone else should have won. I think it's very likely based on media at the time that Pronger would have gotten the trophy in 2001 and 2007 had he not gotten injured... but he did. Year after year Lidstrom played like the best defenceman in the league, and the year he didn't (2004) he didn't get the trophy.

2011, easily. That was a pure and simple career achievement award. Weber and Chara were both better.

Given your views on Thomas in the other thread, by your own logic Chara should've been the runaway winner in 2011 for dragging him to a .938 sv% and Vezina. Or does the credit conveniently shift depending on which Bruin is being talked about.

On topic, it's a different era but Shore won his 4 Harts after 30

 

[JackSlater]

2011, easily. That was a pure and simple career achievement award. Weber and Chara were both better.

Given your views on Thomas in the other thread, by your own logic Chara should've been the runaway winner in 2011 for dragging him to a .938 sv% and Vezina. Or does the credit conveniently shift depending on which Bruin is being talked about.

On topic, it's a different era but Shore won his 4 Harts after 30

I definitely agree with you on 2011 for Lidstrom actually, I meant to say I can't see the argument against any of his first six Norris trophies. I wouldn't give it to Chara necessarily in 2011 but he would have been a better choice. Shore is also a good call.

 

[MadLuke]

Maurice Richard in his 30s (30-36)

From 1952 to 58.

Lead the playoff in goal per games with Geoffrion, 38 in 64 games

And keep it close to Howe-Beliveau in the regular season, Beliveau being an other one that aged really well.

 

[MadLuke]

Jagr a bit like Howe, is maybe just taken for granted no need to mention type.

He scored 791 pts after turning 30, despite a little nhl break in the khl from 36-37-38.

That more point that Seguin whole career to date. At 44 was he worst than Jokinen-Marchessault...

Vast majority of Jacques Plante nhl career was after turning 30

All star finish post 30

1-1-2-2
hart: 1-5

583 games started, 223 GSAA in the nhl, even a little stint in the WHA at 46. And he was still looking good and getting pick by the coaching team to play quite a bit despite having legend HOF young than him (Parent-Hall) on those teams.

 

[Dingo]

And he earned 3 of them.

Pronger only won once, Weber never.

The voting was ****'d up. Seriously.

which four years? this is INTERESTING! Do tell...