50 GOALS IN 50 GAMES

'50 goals in 50 games' refers to the act of scoring 50 goals in the first 50 games of a National Hockey League season. Scoring fifty goals in fifty (or fewer) games in the NHL is a rare achievement: in the most recent NHL season (2006-07), the goal-scoring race was won with 52 goals over an 82-game schedule by Vincent Lecavalier.
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. This feat has been officially done eight times by five different players.

Contents

Maurice Richard

Mike Bossy

Wayne Gretzky

Mario Lemieux

Brett Hull

Unofficial 50 in 50 scorers

Near misses

Other leagues

See also

References

External links

Maurice Richard

★ 1944-45: 50 in 50 games (50 in 50)
The 1944-45 season had a 50 game schedule. Maurice "Rocket" Richard of the Montreal Canadiens was the first player to score 50 goals, astounding the hockey world. While many who followed scored 50 goals once the length of the season was expanded, for the next 35 seasons nobody else scored 50 goals in 50 games. The then-unmatched feat led many to declare the Rocket to be greatest scorer of all time.

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, Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders became only the second player to score 50 goals in 50 games. He scored twice within the last five minutes of his 50th game. He 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 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 less 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 markers), and in 1984-85 he scored his 50th in the team's 49th game (a 73-goal campaign).

Mario Lemieux

★ 1988-89: 54 in 50 games (50 in 46)
Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins was the next player to score 50 in 50 or less, 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 scored 50 goals in 50 games or less 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.

Unofficial 50 in 50 scorers

The following players scored fifty goals in their fiftieth game or less 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' (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 — faster than any player other than Gretzky and Lemieux. It was his team's 66th game. 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 Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks scored his 50th goal in his 52nd game in 1965-66.

★ Charlie Simmer of the Los Angeles Kings scored his 50th goal in his 51st game in 1980-81.

★ Mario Lemieux scored his 50th goal in his 51st game in 1987-88.

★ Bernie Nicholls of the Los Angeles Kings scored his 50th goal in his 51st game in 1988-89.

Other leagues

'Anders Hedberg' 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.

See also

★ List of NHL statistical leaders

★ List of NHL players with 100 point seasons

References

★ ''National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2005'', published by Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

★ nhl.com

★ ''Beckett Hockey Monthly'', issue #50, December 1994.

External links

★ 50 in 39