What are the greatest Major Junior Careers of all time?

[JackSlater]

Perhaps I am the first to ask this but is anyone else wondering why Mike Richards was mentioned? I am okay with Brad Richards just because of his insane 2000 season but all three of his years in the QMJHL he was dominant. His draft year he has 115 points. Then 130, then 186. Richards was not a goal scorer, but he cracked 71 goals in 2000. Wow. There are others that were better of course but he did have an impressive run.

Okay, but back to Mike. Why Mike? He did win a Memorial Cup and a WJC. But so did Corey Perry, and to be honest Perry had a better junior career than Richards.

How about Ray Ferraro getting a bit of love here? A 108 goal and 192 point season in the WHL in his last year of junior. Correct me if this is inaccurate, but is Ferraro the only player in the juniors in Canada to score over 100 goals in a season outside of the QMJHL?

Let's not forget Bobby Orr here. 4 years in the OHL and his final season, when he's 17, he gets 94 points in 47 games. Two points per game for a defenseman and he's playing against 19 year olds.

A darkhorse is Daniel Briere.

But the answer here is Mario. Come on, how can it not be? 96, 184 and 282 points each year? The all-time CHL record in points in a single season. The all-time record in goals in a single season. The all-time record in assists in a single season (that is correct isn't it?). Anyway, wake me up if there is another player who gets 200 points in a single season in his draft year and we'll talk. And even then he'll still need 82 more. Sorry, but 4 points per game is unheard of.

Lastly, Patrice Lefebvre has some eye popping stats. He was 5'6" and I am guessing that was what hurt him, but how could he not even get drafted? He put up some huge numbers in the minors too. I also looked at his penalty minutes and he certainly was involved. Maybe he wasn't scrappy like Theo Fleury or anything but was it just his size that held him back? Because other guys who were 5'6" made the NHL.

This is overrating Lemieux. Lafontaine scored over 200 points in his draft year the season before, when as a 17 year old he outscored a 17 year old Lemieux. Had Lafontaine played in junior as an 18 year old, as Lemieux did, he very likely is at least right up there in scoring with him. Lemieux didn't lead the league in scoring as a 16 year old or as a 17 year old, and really he wasn't all that close. Won the QMJHL as an 18 year old, didn't win the Memorial Cup. Didn't win the WJC as a 17 year old but has a very good, though not great, tournament. Skipped the WJC as an 18 year old.

Lemieux gets credit for actually doing things that others might have done, but his case isn't exactly overwhelming outside of his gaudy scoring as an 18 year old in the 1980s Q of all leagues and eras. Great junior career, probably not the best. Lemieux has 0 case at all for best 16 or 17 year old seasons, and it isn't even close, and his 18 year old season is sort of an outlier given that only the draft cutoff kept him in junior.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I think I’ve heard or read Mats Sundin mentioning Fogarty as one of the most talented players he’s come across.

Did you ever ‘scout’ him, how good was he and what do you think he could have been if not for the off-ice issues?

I think I gave a quick look to see if any junior footage existed, but I don't think he ever played in the Memorial Cup, so it's a long shot...if it existed, I'd definitely take a look.

 

[JMCx4]

I keep peeking in on this thread to see a self-nomination from Terry Ryan.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

This is overrating Lemieux. Lafontaine scored over 200 points in his draft year the season before, when as a 17 year old he outscored a 17 year old Lemieux. Had Lafontaine played in junior as an 18 year old, as Lemieux did, he very likely is at least right up there in scoring with him. Lemieux didn't lead the league in scoring as a 16 year old or as a 17 year old, and really he wasn't all that close. Won the QMJHL as an 18 year old, didn't win the Memorial Cup. Didn't win the WJC as a 17 year old but has a very good, though not great, tournament. Skipped the WJC as an 18 year old.

Lemieux gets credit for actually doing things that others might have done, but his case isn't exactly overwhelming outside of his gaudy scoring as an 18 year old in the 1980s Q of all leagues and eras. Great junior career, probably not the best. Lemieux has 0 case at all for best 16 or 17 year old seasons, and it isn't even close, and his 18 year old season is sort of an outlier given that only the draft cutoff kept him in junior.

Nobody has sniffed 282 points in CHL history. Theres no overating it. He is 30 points clear of anyone else