Connor McDavid is on course to establish the most prolific goalscoring season of the 2000s. His performance on Wednesday night allowed him to score 60 goals for the first time in his career.
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McDavid is the 22nd player in the 60-goal selection group, joining Auston Matthews, Alexander Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos among the active players to accomplish the feat. At the top of the scale, of course, we find big names like Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and Mario Lemieux, authors of 85+ goal seasons.
Some well-known players in Quebec are also part of this list. Here you are :
– Mario Lemieux
Give honor where honor is due. The “Magnificent” surpassed the 60 mark four times, in 1988, 1989, 1993 and 1996. The legendary Pittsburgh Penguins color bearer had his personal high in 1988-1989 with no fewer than 85 goals, the road to a 199-point season. During Lemieux’s time, there were 14 consecutive seasons with at least 60 goals (1981 to 1994).
-Mike Bossy
Bossy will forever be remembered as one of the greatest snipers in National Hockey League (NHL) history. His nine straight seasons of 50+ goals made him a legend, but he’s also rattled the ropes 60 times in five seasons with the New York Islanders. All this for the best goals-per-game average in history, which is 0.762. Lemieux was not far behind with .754.
-Luc Robaille
In 1992-93, the year the Los Angeles Kings reached the Stanley Cup Finals, Gretzky found himself on the touchline for half the season, with a player standing up to fill the net in his place. Robitaille has struck 63 times that year, scoring 26 more goals than closest rival Tony Granato. It was the last season in which the 27-year-old Montreal native scored more than 40 goals.
-Guy Lafleur
A list of all-time top scorers would not be complete without The Blonde Demon. During his prime with the Montreal Canadiens, his six consecutive harvests of 100+ points, Lafleur lit the lantern 60 times in 1977-1978. Thurso’s pride has had four hat-tricks this season.
-Steve Shutt
Lafleur’s occasional linemate Steve Shutt became the first player in Sainte-Flanelle history to score 60 goals in 1976-1977. It may come as a surprise to learn that the Ontarian has only surpassed the 50 goal mark once. Apart from this one and Lafleur, no Swiss player has approached sixty. Stéphane Richer did well in 1990 with 51 wins.