50 goals in 50 games
Encyclopedia
"50 goals in 50 games" refers to the act of scoring 50 goals in the first 50 games of a National Hockey League
(NHL) season. Scoring fifty goals in fifty (or fewer) games in the NHL is a rare achievement.
The NHL officially defines "50 goals in 50 games" to mean that a player scores 50 goals in the team's first 50 games of the season, not the player's first 50 (which could differ due to injury). This feat has been officially achieved eight times by five different players.
Maurice "Rocket" Richard
of the Montreal Canadiens
was the first player to score 50 goals. He achieved the target in the 50th (and final) game of the 1944–45 season on goalie Harvey Bennett
of the Boston Bruins
.
Besides Richard's 50 in 50 feat, he also led the NHL in goals five times and was the league's first 500 goal scorer. Richard never managed to equal his personal best of 50 goals before retiring in 1960, this in spite of the league extending the schedule to 60 games in 1946 and 70 in 1949. In honour of his achievements, the NHL created an annual award in 1999, the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy which was donated by the Montreal Canadiens
, to be presented to the top goal scorer in the league.
It would take another 16 years before the second player, Bernie Geoffrion
, managed to score 50 goals in a single season. When Bobby Hull
finally managed to break the record with 54 goals in 1966, fans of the then-retired Canadiens legend pointed out that Hull was playing in a 70 game schedule and demanded that the NHL continue to recognize Richard's record (similar to what Major League Baseball
initially did with Babe Ruth
's home run
record after Roger Maris
broke it under similar circumstances a few years previously).
In response, Hull's fans pointed out that Richard's record had been achieved during the Second World War (during which many NHLers enlisted in the military - Richard was deemed unfit for service) and argued that Richard's failure to match the record in peacetime (with the caliber of the NHL not similarly hindered) even though he played in eleven 70-game seasons compromised any right he might have to special consideration for the record on account of the shorter wartime schedule.
The NHL awarded Hull the record, while at the same time recognizing Richard as the first, and to that point only, player to score 50 goals in 50 games, firmly establishing the achievement into NHL lore. It would take 35 years before anyone matched Richard's feat of 50 goals in 50 games.
Many thought it would be impossible to duplicate Maurice Richard’s 50 in 50. Then, in the 1980–81 season, sniper Mike Bossy
of the New York Islanders
became only the second player to score 50 goals in 50 games. This was hyped by the hockey press as Bossy was in an unofficial competition with Charlie Simmer
of the Los Angeles Kings
(see below) to see who could be the first to accomplish the 50 in 50 milestone since Richard. Both players were involved in their 50th game, with Simmer at 46 goals and Bossy 48, with Simmer getting a hat trick that brought his total to 49 goals in 50. Making it particularly dramatic, Bossy was scoreless for much of the game but found the net twice within the last five minutes of his 50th game. Richard was on hand to congratulate Bossy for this achievement. Bossy finished the season with 68 goals in 79 games.
Wayne Gretzky
of the Edmonton Oilers
demolished the "50 in 50" mark the next season. In Gretzky’s 38th game, he scored 4 goals, giving him 45 on the season. In his very next game, on December 30, 1981, he scored 5 goals against the Philadelphia Flyers
to give him the record of 50 goals in 39 games. He had 50 goals before anybody else even had 30, and finished with an NHL-record 92 goals on the season.
Gretzky went on to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 games two more times in his career. In 1983–84 he scored his 50th goal in the team's 42nd game (ending up with 87 goals). Gretzky's 50th goal was an empty net goal that put the Oilers up 5-3 in a win over Hartford at home. It was also Gretzky's third goal of the game to complete a hat trick.
In 1984-85 he scored his 50th in the team's 49th game (ending the season with 73 goals). Gretzky's 50th goal came on January 26, 1985, (his 24th birthday,) on the first of three goals he scored in a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was the third time Gretzky scored 50 goals in 50 games, and the third time his 50/50 goal was part of a hat trick.
Mario Lemieux
of the Pittsburgh Penguins
was the next player to score 50 in 50 or fewer games, achieving the feat on January 20, 1989. Lemieux's 50th goal officially came in game 46, which was Lemieux's 44th game of the season. He finished the season with 85 goals.
Brett Hull
scored 50 goals in 50 games or fewer twice in his career for the St. Louis Blues. Hull first did it in the 1990–91 season when he scored his 50th goal, and second of the game, against rookie goalie Dave Gagnon
on January 25, 1991, in the Blues' 49th game. Hull finished the season with 86 goals.
His second time, the most recent season the feat was achieved, was during the next season, (1991–92). On January 28, 1992, Hull scored his 50th goal against goalie Kelly Hrudey
in game number 50, a 3–3 tie in Los Angeles.
Jari Kurri
(1984–85) of the Edmonton Oilers
scored his 50th goal in his 50th game of the season, which was his team's 53rd game. He finished with 71 goals for the year.
Alexander Mogilny
(1992–93) of the Buffalo Sabres
scored his 50th goal in his 46th game of the season, which was his team's 53rd game. He finished with 76 goals for the year.
Mario Lemieux
(1992–93 & 1995–96): in the 1992–93 season Lemieux scored his 50th goal in his 48th game, which was his team's 72nd game. He was plagued by injury that year, and finished with a total of 69 goals in 60 games played, having scored 19 goals in his remaining 12 games. In the 1995–96 season he scored his 50th goal in his 50th game (the team's 59th), and finished the season with 69 goals in 70 games.
Cam Neely
(1993–94) of the Boston Bruins
scored his 50th goal in his 44th game (his team's 66th game) — tied with Lemieux's 88-89 season for the fastest by any player other than Gretzky. Plagued by injury, Neely played a total of 49 games and did not score a goal in his remaining five games after reaching fifty.
and Bobby Hull
(1974–75) of the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association
became the first players in the history of major league hockey to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 games. Hedberg broke the record established 22 seasons earlier by Montreal's Rocket Richard and matched in 1974–75 by Bobby Hull. He scored 51 goals in 49 games. Both Hull's and Hedberg's achievements are not considered NHL achievements, as they took place outside of the league.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) season. Scoring fifty goals in fifty (or fewer) games in the NHL is a rare achievement.
The NHL officially defines "50 goals in 50 games" to mean that a player scores 50 goals in the team's first 50 games of the season, not the player's first 50 (which could differ due to injury). This feat has been officially achieved eight times by five different players.
Maurice Richard
- 1944–45: 50 in 50 games (50 in 50)
Maurice "Rocket" Richard
Maurice Richard
Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
of the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
was the first player to score 50 goals. He achieved the target in the 50th (and final) game of the 1944–45 season on goalie Harvey Bennett
Harvey Bennett, Sr.
Harvey A. Bennett, Sr. was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who played for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He was born in Edington, Saskatchewan and married Diana Helen Sullivan . Of his six sons, Harvey Bennett, Jr., Curt Bennett, and Bill Bennett all played in the NHL...
of the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
.
Besides Richard's 50 in 50 feat, he also led the NHL in goals five times and was the league's first 500 goal scorer. Richard never managed to equal his personal best of 50 goals before retiring in 1960, this in spite of the league extending the schedule to 60 games in 1946 and 70 in 1949. In honour of his achievements, the NHL created an annual award in 1999, the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy which was donated by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, to be presented to the top goal scorer in the league.
It would take another 16 years before the second player, Bernie Geoffrion
Bernie Geoffrion
Joseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...
, managed to score 50 goals in a single season. When Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
finally managed to break the record with 54 goals in 1966, fans of the then-retired Canadiens legend pointed out that Hull was playing in a 70 game schedule and demanded that the NHL continue to recognize Richard's record (similar to what Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
initially did with Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
's home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
record after Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
broke it under similar circumstances a few years previously).
In response, Hull's fans pointed out that Richard's record had been achieved during the Second World War (during which many NHLers enlisted in the military - Richard was deemed unfit for service) and argued that Richard's failure to match the record in peacetime (with the caliber of the NHL not similarly hindered) even though he played in eleven 70-game seasons compromised any right he might have to special consideration for the record on account of the shorter wartime schedule.
The NHL awarded Hull the record, while at the same time recognizing Richard as the first, and to that point only, player to score 50 goals in 50 games, firmly establishing the achievement into NHL lore. It would take 35 years before anyone matched Richard's feat of 50 goals in 50 games.
Mike Bossy
- 1980–81: 50 in 50 games (50 in 50)
Many thought it would be impossible to duplicate Maurice Richard’s 50 in 50. Then, in the 1980–81 season, sniper Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
became only the second player to score 50 goals in 50 games. This was hyped by the hockey press as Bossy was in an unofficial competition with Charlie Simmer
Charlie Simmer
Charles Robert Simmer is a retired ice hockey forward, most notably for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League, who was notable for his scoring and power play prowess.-Playing career:...
of the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
(see below) to see who could be the first to accomplish the 50 in 50 milestone since Richard. Both players were involved in their 50th game, with Simmer at 46 goals and Bossy 48, with Simmer getting a hat trick that brought his total to 49 goals in 50. Making it particularly dramatic, Bossy was scoreless for much of the game but found the net twice within the last five minutes of his 50th game. Richard was on hand to congratulate Bossy for this achievement. Bossy finished the season with 68 goals in 79 games.
Wayne Gretzky
- 1981–82: 61 in 50 games (50 in 39)
- 1983–84: 61 in 50 games (50 in 42)
- 1984–85: 53 in 50 games (50 in 49)
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
of the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
demolished the "50 in 50" mark the next season. In Gretzky’s 38th game, he scored 4 goals, giving him 45 on the season. In his very next game, on December 30, 1981, he scored 5 goals against the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
to give him the record of 50 goals in 39 games. He had 50 goals before anybody else even had 30, and finished with an NHL-record 92 goals on the season.
Gretzky went on to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 games two more times in his career. In 1983–84 he scored his 50th goal in the team's 42nd game (ending up with 87 goals). Gretzky's 50th goal was an empty net goal that put the Oilers up 5-3 in a win over Hartford at home. It was also Gretzky's third goal of the game to complete a hat trick.
In 1984-85 he scored his 50th in the team's 49th game (ending the season with 73 goals). Gretzky's 50th goal came on January 26, 1985, (his 24th birthday,) on the first of three goals he scored in a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was the third time Gretzky scored 50 goals in 50 games, and the third time his 50/50 goal was part of a hat trick.
Mario Lemieux
- 1988–89: 54 in 50 games (50 in 46)
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
of the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
was the next player to score 50 in 50 or fewer games, achieving the feat on January 20, 1989. Lemieux's 50th goal officially came in game 46, which was Lemieux's 44th game of the season. He finished the season with 85 goals.
Brett Hull
- 1990–91: 52 in 50 games (50 in 49)
- 1991–92: 50 in 50 games (50 in 50)
Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
scored 50 goals in 50 games or fewer twice in his career for the St. Louis Blues. Hull first did it in the 1990–91 season when he scored his 50th goal, and second of the game, against rookie goalie Dave Gagnon
Dave Gagnon
David Anthony Gagnon is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender. Dave only played 2 games in NHL, with the Detroit Red Wings, posting an official record of 0–1–0 and goals against average of 10.27....
on January 25, 1991, in the Blues' 49th game. Hull finished the season with 86 goals.
His second time, the most recent season the feat was achieved, was during the next season, (1991–92). On January 28, 1992, Hull scored his 50th goal against goalie Kelly Hrudey
Kelly Hrudey
Kelly Hrudey is a former NHL ice hockey goaltender and current hockey broadcaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. During his NHL career, Hrudey played for the New York Islanders , Los Angeles Kings , and San Jose Sharks .-Playing career:Hrudey played junior hockey for three years with...
in game number 50, a 3–3 tie in Los Angeles.
Unofficial 50 in 50 scorers
The following players scored fifty goals in or before their 50th game in a single season, but do not officially qualify for 50-in-50 status because the NHL requires a player to have scored his 50th goal in or prior to his team's 50th game.Jari Kurri
Jari Kurri
Jari Pekka Kurri is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey right winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He is currently the general manager of Team Finland....
(1984–85) of the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
scored his 50th goal in his 50th game of the season, which was his team's 53rd game. He finished with 71 goals for the year.
Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
(1992–93) of the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
scored his 50th goal in his 46th game of the season, which was his team's 53rd game. He finished with 76 goals for the year.
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
(1992–93 & 1995–96): in the 1992–93 season Lemieux scored his 50th goal in his 48th game, which was his team's 72nd game. He was plagued by injury that year, and finished with a total of 69 goals in 60 games played, having scored 19 goals in his remaining 12 games. In the 1995–96 season he scored his 50th goal in his 50th game (the team's 59th), and finished the season with 69 goals in 70 games.
Cam Neely
Cam Neely
Cameron Michael Neely is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played right wing for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League from 1983 to 1996. He currently serves as the president of the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:Cam Neely was born in Comox,...
(1993–94) of the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
scored his 50th goal in his 44th game (his team's 66th game) — tied with Lemieux's 88-89 season for the fastest by any player other than Gretzky. Plagued by injury, Neely played a total of 49 games and did not score a goal in his remaining five games after reaching fifty.
Near misses
- Bobby HullBobby HullRobert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
of the Chicago Black HawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
scored his 50th goal in his 52nd game in 1965–66. 25 years later his son, Brett Hull (see above), did achieve 50-in-50.
- Charlie SimmerCharlie SimmerCharles Robert Simmer is a retired ice hockey forward, most notably for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League, who was notable for his scoring and power play prowess.-Playing career:...
of the Los Angeles KingsLos Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
scored his 50th goal in his 51st game in 1980–81. In Simmer's 50th game, he had a hat trick to bring his goal total from 46 to 49. Simmer and Mike Bossy (see above) were involved in an exciting 'competition' to achieve 50-in-50 in 1980–81.
- Mario LemieuxMario LemieuxMario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
scored his 50th goal in his 51st game in 1987–88.
- Bernie NichollsBernie NichollsBernard Irvine Nicholls is a former professional ice hockey centre. His junior career was spent with the Kingston Canadians, where he established himself as a dynamic scorer and a multi-faceted talent. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, 73rd...
of the Los Angeles KingsLos Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
scored his 50th goal in his 51st game in 1988–89.
- Joe MaloneJoe MaloneMaurice Joseph "Phantom Joe" Malone was a professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey Association and National Hockey League. He was notable for his scoring feats and his clean play...
of the Montreal CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
scored 44 goals in 20 games in 1917–18.
Other leagues
Anders HedbergAnders Hedberg
Anders Hedberg is a retired former professional ice hockey player who was one of the first European-born players to make an impact in North America...
and Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
(1974–75) of the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
became the first players in the history of major league hockey to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 games. Hedberg broke the record established 22 seasons earlier by Montreal's Rocket Richard and matched in 1974–75 by Bobby Hull. He scored 51 goals in 49 games. Both Hull's and Hedberg's achievements are not considered NHL achievements, as they took place outside of the league.
See also
- List of NHL statistical leaders
- List of NHL players with 1000 games played
- List of NHL players with 1000 points
- List of NHL players with 500 goals
- List of NHL players with 100 point seasons
- List of NHL players with 50 goal seasons
- List of National Hockey League records (individual)